PrayerBits for Sunday

PrayerBits

A bite sized devotional program
produced by the West Side Presbyterian Church

Sunday

Scripture lesson: John 20:19-31 Other signs

Time to reflect: I love the cryptic reference in verses 30&31 to “other signs” that the writer of John didn't report. Why not? Because he is not a historian or a biographer but a preacher. His book is not reporting the life and death of Jesus but writing so that we, the readers, “may come to believe that Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of God...” The Gospel writers were all selective, focusing in on what would be helpful to us. If there are loose ends, unexplained background, unfinished stories, questions left unanswered, it is because these things would have been a distraction from the message they were trying to convey.

Moving through the day: If you were able to draw from the four Gospels, to give a message of hope to an unbelieving friend, what stories and sayings would you choose to use?

Scripture:

On the evening of that first day of the week, when the disciples were together, with the doors locked for fear of the Jews, Jesus came and stood among them and said, "Peace be with you!" After he said this, he showed them his hands and side. The disciples were overjoyed when they saw the Lord.

 Again Jesus said, "Peace be with you! As the Father has sent me, I am sending you." And with that he breathed on them and said, "Receive the Holy Spirit. If you forgive anyone his sins, they are forgiven; if you do not forgive them, they are not forgiven."

Jesus Appears to Thomas

 Now Thomas (called Didymus), one of the Twelve, was not with the disciples when Jesus came. So the other disciples told him, "We have seen the Lord!"
      But he said to them, "Unless I see the nail marks in his hands and put my finger where the nails were, and put my hand into his side, I will not believe it."

 A week later his disciples were in the house again, and Thomas was with them. Though the doors were locked, Jesus came and stood among them and said, "Peace be with you!" Then he said to Thomas, "Put your finger here; see my hands. Reach out your hand and put it into my side. Stop doubting and believe."

 Thomas said to him, "My Lord and my God!"

 Then Jesus told him, "Because you have seen me, you have believed; blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed."

 Jesus did many other miraculous signs in the presence of his disciples, which are not recorded in this book. But these are written that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in his name.