1 June

It is not enough to know the evidence of the facts of the resurrection. We need a personal encounter with the resurrected Jesus.

In this short encounter, Jesus transformed the group of frightened, confused individuals into a community of love, joy and peace.

The same power that raised Jesus from the dead is available to you. He gives you the power of his Holy Spirit and the power of his word to declare the message of God’s forgiveness to human beings. This is the message that brings eternal life.

Do not feel guilty about having doubts. Like Thomas, be honest about your doubts and bring them to Jesus. When Jesus answered his doubts, Thomas’ response was the pinnacle of respect, reverence and awe. He said, ‘My Lord and my God!’ (v.28). From a place of having doubted, Thomas makes perhaps the strongest statement of Jesus’ divinity in all of the Gospels. He is the first person to look at Jesus and call him ‘God’. He said, in effect, ‘Wow!’

Belief and life go hand in hand in John’s Gospel (v.31), because, if you believe in Jesus you have life. This is real life of high quality, an abundant life (10:10) that goes on forever (3:16).