Day 48: John 20

Daily Bible Reading (Click play for dramatic audio or click here to for text version)


Devotional Guide (Click play to start audio narration)



So Jesus is killed and buried in a tomb. Now the story from the garden comes full circle. The serpent that deceived the woman was foretold to lose the battle one day. It would appear that the serpent would “bruise His heel,” but in the process the offspring of the woman (Christ) would “crush his head underfoot.” The cross was the bruise to the foot, which is the safest place to be bit by a snake. The resurrection would be the crushing of the serpent’s head.


And I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your offspring and her Offspring; He will bruise and tread your head underfoot, and you will lie in wait and bruise His heel. [Gal_4:4]


(Genesis 3:15 AMPC)




The Apostle Paul would later speak of the resurrection as the defining moment in human history. The event that would seal the New Covenant forever for God’s people.


Thus it is written, The first man Adam became a living being (an individual personality); the last Adam (Christ) became a life-giving Spirit [restoring the dead to life]. [Gen_2:7] But it is not the spiritual life which came first, but the physical and then the spiritual. The first man [was] from out of earth, made of dust (earthly-minded); the second Man [is] the Lord from out of heaven. [Gen_2:7]


(1 Corinthians 15:45-47 AMPC)


The crucifixion brought forgiveness but the resurrection brought life. When someone cans peaches they first have to sterilize the jar. This was the cross. We were cleansed from our sins by the blood of the Passover lamb. Then they put peaches in the jar. This is like the life of Christ, through the Holy Spirit, coming to dwell inside believers. Then they seal the jar. The Holy Spirit “sealed us until the day of redemption.” The resurrection opens the way for God to live inside His people.


“We were buried therefore with Him by the baptism into death, so that just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glorious [power] of the Father, so we too might [habitually] live and behave in newness of life.


(Romans 6:4 AMPC)

Because we know that Christ (the Anointed One), being once raised from the dead, will never die again; death no longer has power over Him.


(Romans 6:9 AMPC)


One day very soon all those that believe in Christ will move from “perishable to imperishable.”


And when this perishable puts on the imperishable and this that was capable of dying puts on freedom from death, then shall be fulfilled the Scripture that says, Death is swallowed up (utterly vanquished forever) in and unto victory. [Isa_25:8] O death, where is your victory? O death, where is your sting? [Hos_13:14] Now sin is the sting of death, and sin exercises its power [upon the soul] through [the abuse of] the Law. But thanks be to God, Who gives us the victory [making us conquerors] through our Lord Jesus Christ.


(1 Corinthians 15:54-57 AMPC)



Jesus is Alive! (4:47)


The next video shows how fragile we are as human beings and how easy it is to doubt. Thomas was a human like you and I. Like him we are all capable of doubting. Jesus makes it very clear that it is not important to see Him physically raised from the dead to believe in Him. He tells Thomas that the true “blessed and happy” ones are those who have never seen Him yet still believe.


Jesus said to him, Because you have seen Me, Thomas, do you now believe (trust, have faith)? Blessed and happy and to be envied are those who have never seen Me and yet have believed and adhered to and trusted and relied on Me.


(John 20:29 AMPC)




Doubting Thomas (2:06)



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