NLT Life Application Study Bible, Third Edition - Flipbook - Page 74
J ohn 2 1
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page 1848
Jesus Appears to Thomas (245/Mark 16:14)
24One of the twelve disciples, Thomas (nicknamed the Twin),* was not with the others
when Jesus came. 25They told him, “We have seen the Lord!”
But he replied, “I won’t believe it unless I see the nail wounds in his hands, put my
fingers into them, and place my hand into the wound in his side.”
26Eight days later the disciples were together again, and this time Thomas was with
them. The doors were locked; but suddenly, as before, J esus was standing among them.
“Peace be with you,” he said. 27Then he said to Thomas, “Put your finger here, and look
at my hands. Put your hand into the wound in my side. Don’t be faithless any longer.
Believe!”
28“My Lord and my God!” Thomas exclaimed.
29Then Jesus told him, “You believe because you have seen me. Blessed are those who
believe without seeing me.”
30The disciples saw Jesus do many other miraculous signs in addition to the ones
recorded in this book. 31But these are written so that you may continue to believe* that
Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of God, and that by believing in him you will have life by
the power of his name.
Jesus Appears to Seven Disciples (246)
Later, J esus appeared again to the disciples beside the Sea of Galilee.* This is
how it happened. 2Several of the disciples were there—Simon Peter, Thomas
(nicknamed the Twin),* Nathanael from Cana in Galilee, the sons of Zebedee, and two
other disciples.
3Simon Peter said, “I’m going fishing.”
“We’ll come, too,” they all said. So they went out in the boat, but they caught nothing
all night.
4At dawn J
esus was standing on the beach, but the disciples couldn’t see who he was.
5He called out, “Fellows,* have you caught any fish?”
“No,” they replied.
6Then he said, “Throw out your net on the right-hand side of the boat, and you’ll get
some!” So they did, and they couldn’t haul in the net because there were so many fish in it.
7Then the disciple Jesus loved said to Peter, “It’s the Lord!” When Simon Peter heard
that it was the Lord, he put on his tunic (for he had stripped for work), jumped into the
water, and headed to shore. 8The others stayed with the boat and pulled the loaded net
to the shore, for they were only about a hundred yards* from shore. 9When they got there,
they found breakfast waiting for them—fish cooking over a charcoal fire, and some bread.
10“Bring some of the fish you’ve just caught,” J esus said. 11So Simon Peter went aboard
and dragged the net to the shore. There were 153 large fish, and yet the net hadn’t torn.
12“Now come and have some breakfast!” J
esus said. None of the disciples dared to ask
21
20:24
John 11:16
20:28
John 1:1, 18; 10:30;
14:9
Col 2:9
Titus 2:13
2 Pet 1:1
1 Jn 5:20
20:29
1 Pet 1:8
20:30
John 21:25
20:31
John 3:15; 19:35
1 Jn 5:13
21:2
John 1:45-51; 11:16;
20:24
21:3
Luke 5:5
21:4
Luke 24:16
John 20:14
21:6
Luke 5:4-7
21:7
John 13:23
21:9
John 18:18
20:24 Greek Thomas, who was called Didymus.
20:31 Some manuscripts read that you may believe.
21:1 Greek
Sea of Tiberias, another name for the Sea of Galilee. 21:2 Greek Thomas, who was called Didymus.
21:5 Greek
Children.
21:8 Greek 200 cubits [90 meters].
20:24-29 Have you ever wished you could actually see Jesus, touch
him, and hear his words? At times do you wish you could sit with him
and get his advice? Thomas wanted Jesus’ physical presence. But God’s
plan is wiser. He has not limited himself to one physical body; he wants
to be present with you at all times. Even now he is with you in the person
of the Holy Spirit. You can talk to him, and you can find his words to you
in the pages of the Bible. He can be as real to you as he was to Thomas.
20:25-28 Jesus wasn’t hard on Thomas for his doubts. Despite his
skepticism, Thomas was still loyal to the believers and to Jesus himself.
Some people need to voice their doubts before they believe. If doubt
leads to questions, and questions lead to answers, and if the answers are
accepted, then doubt has done good work. It is when doubt becomes
stubbornness and stubbornness becomes a prideful lifestyle that doubt
harms faith. When you doubt, don’t stop there. Let your doubt deepen
your faith as you continue to search for the answers.
20:27 Jesus’ resurrected body was unique. It was not the same kind
of flesh and blood Lazarus had when he came back to life. Jesus’ body
was no longer subject to the same laws of nature as before his death. He
could appear in a locked room, yet he was not a ghost or an apparition
because he could eat and be touched. Jesus’ resurrection was literal and
physical—he was not a disembodied spirit.
20:29 Some people think they would believe in Jesus if they could
see a definite sign or miracle. But Jesus says we are blessed if we can
believe without seeing (also see 1 Peter 1:8-9). We have all the proof we
need in the words of the Bible and the testimony of believers. A physical
appearance would not make Jesus any more real to us than he is now.
20:30-31 To understand the life and mission of Jesus more fully, all
we need to do is study the Gospels. John tells us that his Gospel records
only a few of the many events in Jesus’ life on earth. But the Good News
includes everything we need to know to believe that Jesus is the Messiah,
the Son of God, through whom we receive eternal life.
21:1-25 This chapter tells how Jesus commissioned Peter. Perhaps
Peter needed special encouragement after his denial—he may have felt
completely worthless. John 21:1-14 sets the scene for Jesus’ conversation with Peter.
21:7 Only John (“the disciple Jesus loved”) recognized Jesus in the
dim morning light, undoubtedly because Jesus had performed a similar
miracle earlier (Luke 5:1-11).
