Browse Bible Study Resources

Daily Devotions

John

John 
Day 
Day 336

John 20:11-18 "THE CHALLENGE TO CULTIVATE A TRULY STEADFAST FAITH"

Day 336 – John 20

THE CHALLENGE TO CULTIVATE A TRULY STEADFAST FAITH

Jesus was the Perfect example of One who had a steadfast faith. We need to remind ourselves that Jesus had to endure great suffering as human being! Was there an advantage because He was sinless? Yes! But remember that He was subjected to greater trials than the average human being! He triumphed because of the tremendous faith-relationship that He had sustained with His Father.

Let us consider again what Jesus said to Mary Magdalene. Great wisdom is to be found in those words uttered.

“I am ascending to My Father and your Father,
and to My God and your God.”
John 20:17

THE SIGNIFICANCE OF JESUS ASCENDING TO HIS FATHER

Let us take time to recall what Jesus said to His Disciples concerning the significance of His returning to His Father.

“Most assuredly, I say to you, he who believes
in Me, the works that I do he will do also; and
greater works than these he will do
because I go to My Father.”
John 14:12

We may highlight what Jesus meant in the following way:-

1. Jesus anticipated completing His work on earth successfully.

2. When He had done all that He had been assigned, He would return to His Father.

3. The Disciples may expect that they would be specially empowered to do “greater works” because He was returning (“ascending” to His Father).

We may add an important theological insight of the Apostle Paul at this juncture.

“But to each one of us grace was given according
to the measure of Christ’s gift. Therefore He says,

‘When He ascended on high,
He took captivity captive,
And gave gifts to men.'”
Ephesians 4:7-8

In the deep words Jesus gave to Mary Magdalene lies a powerful truth! His ascending to His Father has tremendous ramifications! His resurrection from the dead teaches us that He had indeed triumphed over sin, death and Satan! His Father would honour Him! He Himself would give grace-gifts to all who believed in Him! Let us take time to ponder this glorious truth about the resurrection of Jesus!

A MISSING EQUATION

One of the most obvious “missing equation” during the suffering and death of Jesus was the fact that the Disciples did not know how to apply their knowledge of God into life’s circumstances. Yes, they believed in God. Yes, they had been introduced to the concept of relating to God as Father.

However, when Jesus died, the Disciples did not seem to be able to bring in their knowledge of God into the picture! Where was God in the suffering of Jesus? Where was His Fatherhood? The disciples found great difficulty in understanding just how this equation worked!

Jesus told Mary that He was ascending to His Father, and her Father too. He was going to return triumphantly to God. And Mary may consider the Lord as her God too! What does that mean?

1. Jesus never doubted the Fatherhood of God

At no time in His life did Jesus ever cease to think of God as His Father. A careful reading of the Gospel of John would reveal that Jesus reveled in His relationship to God as Father! This concept of God as Father stood Him in good stead. He went to the cross with unflinching confidence in God as His Father!

2. Jesus submitted Himself to the Lordship of His Father

When Jesus said that He was ascending to His Father … and His God, He was teaching Mary that He practised submission to His Father as the Lord. The word “God” necessarily carries with it the idea of Lordship. How could One be God and not be Lord as well.

What was the missing equation? The answer may well be found in this text! The Disciples had not yet learned how to have the kind of faith and trust in God that would encourage and strengthen them so that they could cope in the worst of circumstances.

The Disciples had also not learned how to practise the Lordship of God in their lives. They had not been able to accept the fact that God had ordained that Jesus “must be delivered into the hands of sinful men, be crucified and on the third day rise again” (Luke 24:7).

WAS THERE HOPE YET?

Was there yet hope for disciples who had fallen flat on their face? Could they be redeemed? Could they ever become strong even though they were so obviously weak?

The appearances of the angels, and of Jesus appearing to Mary would suggest that there was yet hope! However, that hope did not lie in having many angelic visits. The hope of a successful future lay in applying oneself to developing a deep and unshakeable relationship with God the Father through the Risen Saviour! In response to what Jesus said, the “new” Mary acted on what she had been told!

“Mary Magdalene came and told the disciples
that she had seen the Lord, and that He had
spoken these things to her.”
John 20:18