The Essential JesusSample

Follow Me!

PRAY: Prayerfully think of the pressures and stresses you face today. Imagine that you are handing each one to Jesus so you can be free to rest with him.

READ: John 20:1–21:25

REFLECT: There are many good ways to better understand the Bible's message. One way is to develop a daily quiet time, that is, to prayerfully read a short Bible passage each day and then reflect on how to live it out. Another is to read through the Bible in a year; another is to conduct an in-depth study of a single book of the Bible. Our reading today presents us with yet another option: character studies. John reports on the resurrection of Jesus by describing how different people reacted to this significant event.

Mary Magdalene was a woman Jesus had cured of demon possession (Mark 16:9; Luke 8:2). All the Gospel accounts report she was the first one to the tomb that morning. Often a person who has been forgiven the most will become the most committed follower of Jesus.

Thomas will forever be remembered for his doubts. But I believe he also deserves credit for his honesty. Others had questions about Jesus' resurrection (John 20:9), but Thomas was the only one with the guts to admit them-and to publicly change his mind when presented with the truth (John 20:28).

Peter, one of the disciples Jesus had groomed for leadership (Matthew 17:1; Mark 14:33; Luke 8:51), had failed Jesus big-time in his hour of need (Matthew 26:69-75). It's significant that in John 21:15-19, Peter must reaffirm his love for Jesus three times, matching his three denials. Once their relationship is restored, Jesus takes Peter back to the very first words he ever said to him, "Follow me" (John 21:19; Matthew 4:19). It's as if Jesus is saying, "Look, if you want to be a leader, you must first understand what it means to be my follower."

John is the fourth character in this passage. Although he tries not to attract attention, it's clear he has developed a special relationship with Jesus (John 20:2; 21:7, 20-24) and a firm belief in the truth of his resurrection (John 20:8). The two go hand in hand.

APPLY: Which of the four characters in this passage do you identify with the most? Why?

PRAY: Lord, I admit that I have doubts and failures. But even so, my greatest desire is to be your committed follower. Show me how to do that today.