The One raised from the tomb breathes on His disciples, “Peace be with you.” Next, He shows them the injuries He suffered in His crucifixion. Again, the words, “Peace be with you,” leave His mouth. An unbreakable bond must somehow exist between our Lord’s wounds and the peace He brings them. In His sacrificial death, […]
John 20:19-31: Forgiving and Retaining
April 14, 2018 by
What is the Word of God? Like the Trinity, consisting of Father, Son, and Spirit, the Word is three, yet also one. Though not an exact comparison, the Word first stems from the One, who became flesh and tabernacled among us (John 1:14). So, this Word is first the incarnate Jesus. From Christ, the written […]
Church History, Lesson 1: The New Covenant Begins
July 5, 2017 by
This is a new study series, which begins with Jesus establishing the New Covenant and finishing (we hope) with the Church recognizing and listing the texts of both the Old- and New-Testament Scriptures in 397 AD. Jesus Establishes What Is to Take Place in His Church The New Covenant Ready to go to the cross, […]
John 20:19-31: Forgive and Retain Sins
April 10, 2016 by
Locked doors—the disciples hide behind them in fear. They fear arrest and execution, for that happened to Jesus. Why should events be different for them? His body was missing, and His tomb was empty. Who took the body? Where was He buried now? Peter and John went to the tomb and entered it. The bodiless […]
John 20:19-23: The Forgiving and Retaining of Sins
April 7, 2013 by
What brings to someone God’s forgiveness? For example, why does baptism forgive sins but not watching a beautiful sunset? Why does the Lord’s Supper forgive sins but not playing a round of golf? And how can absolution give God’s forgiveness when it’s words spoken from a man? How can God forgive in such ways? It’s […]
The Office of the Holy Ministry: John 20:19-31
April 15, 2012 by
When Jesus speaks His divine peace to His disciples, He shows them His wounds He received on the cross. For Jesus, the crucified One, is now risen from the dead. He is the Messiah–and His wounds prove it. But Thomas denied what he hadn’t experienced. Instead, Thomas demanded a religious experience of his own choosing […]
