Day 3

Scripture to Read: John 20:17–18

Before getting too deep into the next set of Scriptures, note that Jesus, when He talked with Mary, called His disciples “my brethren” in John 20:17. This was the first time Jesus referred to His disciples as family. Jesus had called them friends and servants before His crucifixion, but now He called them brethren. When we surrendered to Christ as Lord, we became part of His family. Everyone who belongs to Christ are brothers and sisters in Christ. Also, we must take special note that Jesus chose a woman to be His first witness to His resurrection. This is incredibly important because the courts in Jesus’ day would never recognize a woman’s testimony. A woman’s testimony was considered unreliable, but Jesus considered it most reliable and precious. Just as Jesus used the Samaritan woman to be the first to proclaim Him in her city, He chose a woman to be the first to proclaim His resurrection. We must not miss how Jesus described His relationship with God the Father either—Jesus said in John 20:17, “I ascend to My Father and your Father, and My God and your God.” God the Father is Jesus’ Father by nature, for they are One. Still, Jesus recognizes God the Father as the final authority (1 Corinthians 3:23, 1 Corinthians 11:3, 1 Corinthians 15:28), which is why Jesus said God is His Father and ours. God is our Father through the grace He gives us through Christ (Ephesians 2:5, Ephesians 2:8). What a beautiful relationship we have with our Lord.

Challenge & Application

• Knowing that Jesus refers to all believers as His brethren (family), what's the significance for you? • How did Jesus demonstrate the value of women in His day and still today?

Don’t forget to pray using the A.C.T.S. (Adoration, Confession, Thanksgiving, Supplication) method!

Devotionals from this week

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Day 1

Anytime we examine the Word of God, we must always look up the cross references and other Scriptures that tie into the Scriptures we’re studying. There are four resurrection accounts recorded in the four Gospels (Matthew 28:1–8, Mark 16:1–8, Luke 24:1–10 & John 20:1–10). Each one gives a little different picture of what happened when our Lord...

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Day 2

When Peter and John ran to the tomb, Mary followed them because she wanted to know who had taken the body of Jesus. Be sure to read John 20:11–18. As Mary stood outside the tomb, she continued to weep, still thinking that the body of Jesus had been stolen. As she looked into the tomb, two angels had appeared and asked Mary (in John 20:13),’“W...

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Day 3

Before getting too deep into the next set of Scriptures, note that Jesus, when He talked with Mary, called His disciples “my brethren” in John 20:17. This was the first time Jesus referred to His disciples as family. Jesus had called them friends and servants before His crucifixion, but now He called them brethren. When we surrendered to Chri...

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Day 4

After Mary went and told the disciples that she had seen the Lord, we read in John 20:19, “So when it was evening on that day, the first day of the week, and when the doors were shut where the disciples were, for fear of the Jews, Jesus came and stood in their midst and *said to them, “Peace be with you.’”The disciples were in a locked room a...

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Day 5

God had John record what happened next in John 20:21–23, “So Jesus said to them again, “Peace be with you; as the Father has sent Me, I also send you.” 22 And when He had said this, He breathed on them and *said to them, “Receive the Holy Spirit. 23 If you forgive the sins of any, their sins have been forgiven them; if you retain the sins of ...

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Day 6

Jesus also gave the disciples authority to proclaim the forgiveness of sins in John 20:23. This authority has been given to every born-again believer. God commissioned His church to proclaim forgiveness to the repentant believer so that each believer realizes the fullness of His forgiveness through Christ (Colossians 1:13–14, Colossians 2:13–...

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Day 7

God had John then record this in John 20:30–31, “Therefore many other signs Jesus also performed in the presence of the disciples, which are not written in this book; 31 but these have been written so that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God; and that believing you may have life in His name.” Jesus did many other miracles...

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