Resurrection! John

Easter Tuesday, April 10 –  Read John 20:1 -- 21:25                     

John’s Gospel is the last to be written. It contains many of the same elements as the others and adds other stories. John focuses first on Mary Magdalene and her personal encounter with Christ risen. At first she also has trouble recognizing him, but knows Jesus at the sound of his voice. The reference to the gardener makes us remember another garden at the beginning of Genesis. In I Corinthians 15:45-49, Paul has already proclaimed Jesus to be the new Adam and said that just as we have borne the image of the old Adam, we will also bear the image of Christ, the new Adam. John goes on, then, to tell of Jesus mysteriously appearing in the midst of his disciples as they huddle, frightened of the religious authorities, in the upper room. There he breathes the Holy Spirit into them, not waiting until the Day of Pentecost as Luke has it in the Book of Acts. Thomas is not with the other disciples and misses seeing Jesus. He refuses to believe their story, saying that he will only believe if he can touch Jesus’ hands and feet and put his hand in the wound the spear made. A week goes by and Thomas suddenly gets his wish fulfilled, allowing John to make the point that we are blessed if we can recognize who Jesus is and believe in him without making the same demand as Thomas. Finally, there is the story of Jesus meeting his disciples in Galilee, helping them catch fish and cooking breakfast for them on the beach. And then the story of his last encounter with Peter, who denied him three times. Another three times Jesus asks Peter if he loves him. Each time Peter affirms his love, Jesus gives him the same charge: feed my sheep. The genius of these personal stories of encountering Jesus is that each of us stands in their shoes. At one time or another each of us is Mary Magdalene, each of us is Doubting Thomas, and each of us is certainly Peter.

Reflection Questions: Which follower of Jesus do you most identify with today? How do you most need to meet the risen Christ and what do you need to hear and see from him?

Prayer: Dear God, thank you for raising Jesus from death and putting him back in our world to stay. Amen.