John's gospel in particular pays very close attention to the resurrection of Christ, each of His four appearances is chronicled in detail. If you look at what Jesus did at each of these times, you may see a pattern emerge. Firstly, He comforts a bereft, grieving woman; secondly He brings peace to the anxious disciples. His third appearance reassures an anxious, doubting follower; and His final curtain call finds Him giving a fresh start to a failed apostle.

Each time Jesus appeared, He was not there to reinforce belief, but to encourage mission. The empty tomb alone was not enough to convince them, they needed to meet Him face to face. Each time, He transformed them. Each time, the risen Christ changed them. He was showing what could be done if only we believe and accept our birthright of discipleship. We can change things, if only we accept the risen Christ into our lives and allow Him to change us.

Conx

Copyright (c) Conway Billington

• Topic: Bible Study

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