Devotional Text

Pastor David’s devotional: April 14,2021

John 20:30-31

“Then Jesus did many other miraculous signs in his disciples’ presence, signs that aren’t recorded in this scroll.  But these things are written so that you will believe that Jesus is the Christ, God’s Son and that believing, you will have life in his name.”

These words are recorded right after the story of doubting Thomas.  Jesus appeared to Thomas, who 8 days earlier said he would not believe Jesus was resurrected unless he could see the marks on his hands, and touch his wounds.  Jesus appeared to Thomas and allowed him to touch his wounds, saying to Thomas: “Do you believe because you see me?  Happy are those who don’t see and yet believe.”  That is when John tells us that Jesus appeared and did much that is not written down.  I wonder why John didn’t include more stories.

Later, in John 21:25, John tells us that the world would not be big enough for all the scrolls that would be needed to record all Jesus did.  Still, I would have loved to hear another story or two (or three, or four, or…).  But, John was right.  It would be impossible to record all that Jesus did, after all resurrection meant that Jesus’ story was far from over; in many ways it was just beginning.  And, the truth is that we have heard many more stories.  We think about how Jesus appeared to Saul, changing a man who hated Christians into a Christian who dedicated the rest of his life to preaching the gospel and starting churches.  We think of all the saints who have gone before us: church leaders martyred for their faith, and the stories they could tell about the miraculous signs of the risen Jesus Christ.  Martin Luther nailing 95 complaints on the door of Wittenberg Castle Church, John Wesley experiencing his heart strangely warmed, Mother Teresa experiencing her “call within a call” starting the Missionaries of Charity, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr casting a vision for a world where children will one day live in a nation where they are judged not by the color of their skin but by the content of their character, each of these people with stories to tell of the miraculous signs of the resurrected Jesus Christ.

We can add our stories to the long list of stories that can be told about the resurrected Jesus.  The resurrected Jesus called me to serve the church as a pastor and gave me spiritual gifts for ministry; he healed me of fear and worked miracles in my family.  My stories fill up a scroll or two!  How about yours?  How has Jesus touched your life?  How has Jesus made your life better?  How have you experienced resurrection?  Think about what stories you could write about the miraculous signs of Jesus, present in your life.  When we add our stories to all that Jesus has done throughout the centuries, it is no wonder John wrote “Then Jesus did many other miraculous signs in his disciples’ presence, signs that aren’t recorded in this scroll.”  Our world isn’t big enough to hold all the scrolls.  Thanks be to God!

God bless you and stay safe!

Pastor Dave