Challenge Accepted: BibleSample

The end of John’s Gospel packs the most life-changing couple weeks ever into just three chapters. It begins with the official low-point in John’s life – Jesus is sentenced, nailed to a cross, killed, and then buried in a tomb. All the Disciples lock themselves in hiding, fearing that they will be the next targets of the religious leaders and their Roman enforcers. But early that Sunday morning, a few women from their group come with a wild story about Jesus’ tomb being empty. John was actually the first man to arrive at that tomb (he’s the one who outran Peter to get there), and then later that evening Jesus appeared to them. John himself sees the resurrected Jesus several times after this, including the story detailed in the final chapter when Jesus has breakfast on the beach with His Disciples. And through all of this, John is beyond convinced of what he proclaims is the purpose of writing this entire book in the first place: “that Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in his name.” (20:31) John went through so much in his years as Jesus’ close friend, but he came out of it knowing that he had just witnessed the culmination of God’s plan from the very beginning – to save the world and bring us back to Himself through Jesus. 

As you read today, ask yourself these two questions:

• What verse or moment stood out to me the most?
• What can I do with that in my life today?