The gospel is simple, the resurrection so powerful, what is there to add other than my personal experience celebrating Christmas, Easter, and Thanksgiving every day, TROML-style!
Why not look for something brand new, or new to me in each day (Christmas)? Why not look to restore, resurrect something every day (Easter)? This could be a small part of your being that has gone dormant, something no one else would see or know except you or something easily seen, felt, or recognized by others. And certainly as ‘attitude of gratitude,’ goes a long way and then a bit further (Thanksgiving).
The gospel is referring to the resurrection of our being, our soul for all of eternity. This can start now with a small step of surrender to Christ and even a slight change in attitude and perspective.
Here is the resurrection of our Lord in the Gospel of John without further comment:
Mary Magdalene came early to the tomb, while it was still dark, and she saw the stone taken away from the tomb. She ran therefore and came to Simon Peter, and to the other disciple whom Jesus loved, and said to them:
“They have taken the Lord from the tomb, and we do not know where they have laid him.”
The other disciple (Peter and John come to the tomb) ran on before, faster than Peter, and came first to the tomb. And stooping down he saw the linen clothes lying there, yet he did not enter. Simeon Peter therefore came following him, and he went into the tomb, and saw the linen clothes lying there, and the handkerchief which had been about his head, not lying with the linen clothes, but folded in a place by itself…
And he saw and believed; for as yet they did not understand the Scripture, that he must rise from the dead.
The disciples therefore went away again to their home.
But Mary was standing outside weeping at the tomb. So, as she wept, she stooped down and looked into the tomb, and saw two angels in white sitting, one at the head and one at the feet, where the body of Jesus had been laid.
The two angels to Mary: “Woman, why art thou weeping?”
Mary: “Because they have taken away my Lord, and I do not know where they have laid him.”
When she had said this she turned round and behold Jesus standing there, and she did not know that it was Jesus.
Jesus said to Mary: “Woman, why art thou weeping? Whom dost thou seek?”
She, thinking he was the gardener, said to him, “Sir, if thou hast removed him, tell me where thou hast laid him and I will take him away.”
Jesus said to her. “Mary!”
Turning, she said to him, “Rabbi!” (that is to say Master).
Jesus said to Mary: “Do not touch me, for I have not yet ascended to my Father, but go to my brethren and say to them, ‘I ascend to my Father and your Father, to my God and your God.’”
Mary Magdalene came, and announced to the disciples, “I have seen the Lord, and these things he said to me.”
When it was late that same day… though the doors where the disciples gathered had been closed for fear of the Jews, Jesus came and stood in the midst and said to them, “Peace be with you!”
And when he had said this, he showed them his hands and his side. The disciples therefore rejoiced at the sight of the Lord. He therefore said to them again, “Peace be with you! As the Father has sent me, I also send you.”
When he had said this, he breathed upon them, and said to them, “Receive the Holy Spirit; whose sins you shall forgive, they are forgiven them; and whose sins you shall retain, they are retained.”
Now Thomas, one of the Twelve, called the Twin, was not with them when Jesus came. The other disciples therefore said to him, “We have seen the Lord.” But he said to them, “Unless I see in his hands the print of the nails, and put my finger into the place of the nails, and put my hand into his side, I will not believe.”
And after eight days, his disciples were again inside, and Thomas was with them. Jesus came, the doors being closed, and stood in their midst, and said, “Peace be with you!” Then he said to Thomas, “Bring here thy finger, and see my hands, and bring here thy hand, and put it in my side, and be not unbelieving, but believing.”
Thomas answered and said to him, “My Lord and my God!”
Jesus said to him, “Because thou hast seen me, thou hast believed. Blessed are they who have not seen, and yet have believed.
Many other signs also Jesus worked in the sight of his disciples, which are not written in this book. But these are written that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that believing you may have life in his name.
After these things, Jesus manifested himself again at the sea of Tiberias. There were together Simon Peter and Thomas… Nathanael… and two others of his disciples.
Simon Peter: “I am going fishing.”
They said to him: “We also are going with thee.”
But when day was breaking, Jesus stood on the beach; yet the disciples did not know that it was Jesus. Then Jesus said to them, “Young men, have you any fish?”
They answered him, “No.”
Jesus: “Cast the net to the right of the boat and you will find them.”
They cast therefore, and now they were unable to draw it up for the great number of fishes.
The disciple whom Jesus loved said therefore to Peter, “It is the Lord.”
Simon Peter, therefore hearing that it was the Lord… threw himself into the sea…
Jesus: “Bring here some of the fishes that you caught just now.”
Simon Peter, large fishes, one hundred and fifty-three in number…
And Jesus came and took the bread, and gave it to them, and likewise the fish. This is now the third time that Jesus appeared to the disciples after he had risen from the dead.
Jesus to Simon Peter: “Simon, son of John, dost thou love me more than these do?”
Simon Peter: “Yes, Lord, thou knowest that I love thee.”
Jesus: “Feed my lambs. Simon, son of John, dost thou love me?”
Simon Peter: “Yes, Lord, thou knowest that I love thee.”
Jesus: “Feed my lambs. Simon, son of John, dost thou love me?” (A third time.)
Peter was grieved because Jesus said to him for the third time, “Dost thou love me?”
Peter: “Lord, thou knowest all things, thou knowest that I love thee.”
Jesus: “Feed my sheep.”
Jesus: “Amen, amen, I say to thee, when thou wast young thou didst gird thyself and walk where thou wouldst. But when thou art old thou will stretch forth thy hands, and another will gird thee, and lead thee where thou wouldst not.”
Now this he said to signify by what manner of death he should glorify God. And having spoken thus, he said to him. “Follow me.”
The disciple who Jesus loved, the one who, at supper… said “Lord, who is it that will betray thee?”
Peter to Jesus: “Lord, and what of this man?”
Jesus” “If I wish him to remain until I come, what is it to thee? Do thou follow me?”
This saying therefore went abroad among the brethren, that that disciple was not to die. But Jesus had not said to him, “He is not to die”; but rather, “If I wish his to remain until I come, what is it to thee?”
This is the disciple who bears witness concerning these things, and who has written these things, and we know that his witness is true.
There are, however, many other things that Jesus did; but if every one of these should be written, not even the world itself, I think, Could hold the books that would have to be written. Amen.
The tomb is empty, Christ has risen, Alleluia!!!
Day 106: Reading The Bible with a TROML Perspective; The Tomb is Empty, Christ has Risen, Alleluia!!!
Read and inspired by the New Testament, The Gospel of Saint John Chapters 20-21 (END).
Bible Notes:
The Holy Gospel of Jesus Christ according to Saint John
Saint John, the disciple and Apostle whom Jesus loved, was the brother of James and the son of the fisherman Zebedee and Salome.
First a disciple of John the Baptist, he was called to follow Christ.
The purpose of his Gospel he states as follows: “these are written that you may believe the Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God: and that believing you may have life in his name.”
John Chapter 20: Mary Magdalene sees the stone taken away; Peter and John come to the tomb; The two angels; Jesus appears to Mary Magdalene; Christ appears to the disciples; Thomas does not believe; Christ appears again; The evangelist’s epilogue.
Mary Magdalene came early to the tomb, while it was still dark, and she saw the stone taken away from the tomb. She ran therefore and came to Simon Peter, and to the other disciple whom Jesus loved, and said to them:
“They have taken the Lord from the tomb, and we do not know where they have laid him.”
The other disciple (Peter and John come to the tomb) ran on before, faster than Peter, and came first to the tomb. And stooping down he saw the linen clothes lying there, yet he did not enter. Simeon Peter therefore came following him, and he went into the tomb, and saw the linen clothes lying there, and the handkerchief which had been about his head, not lying with the linen clothes, but folded in a place by itself…
And he saw and believed; for as yet they did not understand the Scripture, that he must rise from the dead.
The disciples therefore went away again to their home.
But Mary was standing outside weeping at the tomb. So, as she wept, she stooped down and looked into the tomb, and saw two angels in white sitting, one at the head and one at the feet, where the body of Jesus had been laid.
The two angels to Mary: “Woman, why art thou weeping?”
Mary: “Because they have taken away my Lord, and I do not know where they have laid him.”
When she had said this she turned round and behold Jesus standing there, and she did not know that it was Jesus.
Jesus said to Mary: “Woman, why art thou weeping? Whom dost thou seek?”
She, thinking he was the gardener, said to him, “Sir, if thou hast removed him, tell me where thou hast laid him and I will take him away.”
Jesus said to her. “Mary!”
Turning, she said to him, “Rabbi!” (that is to say Master).
Jesus said to Mary: “Do not touch me, for I have not yet ascended to my Father, but go to my brethren and say to them, ‘I ascend to my Father and your Father, to my God and your God.’”
Mary Magdalene came, and announced to the disciples, “I have seen the Lord, and these things he said to me.”
When it was late that same day… though the doors where the disciples gathered had been closed for fear of the Jews, Jesus came and stood in the midst and said to them, “Peace be with you!”
And when he had said this, he showed them his hands and his side. The disciples therefore rejoiced at the sight of the Lord. He therefore said to them again, “Peace be with you! As the Father has sent me, I also send you.”
When he had said this, he breathed upon them, and said to them, “Receive the Holy Spirit; whose sins you shall forgive, they are forgiven them; and whose sins you shall retain, they are retained.”
Now Thomas, one of the Twelve, called the Twin, was not with them when Jesus came. The other disciples therefore said to him, “We have seen the Lord.” But he said to them, “Unless I see in his hands the print of the nails, and put my finger into the place of the nails, and put my hand into his side, I will not believe.”
And after eight days, his disciples were again inside, and Thomas was with them. Jesus came, the doors being closed, and stood in their midst, and said, “Peace be with you!” Then he said to Thomas, “Bring here thy finger, and see my hands, and bring here thy hand, and put it in my side, and be not unbelieving, but believing.”
Thomas answered and said to him, “My Lord and my God!”
Jesus said to him, “Because thou hast seen me, thou hast believed. Blessed are they who have not seen, and yet have believed.
Many other signs also Jesus worked in the sight of his disciples, which are not written in this book. But these are written that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that believing you may have life in his name.
John Chapter 21: The manifestation in Galilee; The meal on the shore; The primacy of Peter; The manner of Peter’s death; Peter asks about John; Second epilogue.
After these things, Jesus manifested himself again at the sea of Tiberias. There were together Simon Peter and Thomas… Nathanael… and two others of his disciples.
Simon Peter: “I am going fishing.”
They said to him: “We also are going with thee.”
But when day was breaking, Jesus stood on the beach; yet the disciples did not know that it was Jesus. Then Jesus said to them, “Young men, have you any fish?”
They answered him, “No.”
Jesus: “Cast the net to the right of the boat and you will find them.”
They cast therefore, and now they were unable to draw it up for the great number of fishes.
The disciple whom Jesus loved said therefore to Peter, “It is the Lord.”
Simon Peter, therefore hearing that it was the Lord… threw himself into the sea…
Jesus: “Bring here some of the fishes that you caught just now.”
Simon Peter, large fishes, one hundred and fifty-three in number…
And Jesus came and took the bread, and gave it to them, and likewise the fish. This is now the third time that Jesus appeared to the disciples after he had risen from the dead.
Jesus to Simon Peter: “Simon, son of John, dost thou love me more than these do?”
Simon Peter: “Yes, Lord, thou knowest that I love thee.”
Jesus: “Feed my lambs. Simon, son of John, dost thou love me?”
Simon Peter: “Yes, Lord, thou knowest that I love thee.”
Jesus: “Feed my lambs. Simon, son of John, dost thou love me?” (A third time.)
Peter was grieved because Jesus said to him for the third time, “Dost thou love me?”
Peter: “Lord, thou knowest all things, thou knowest that I love thee.”
Jesus: “Feed my sheep.”
Jesus: “Amen, amen, I say to thee, when thou wast young thou didst gird thyself and walk where thou wouldst. But when thou art old thou will stretch forth thy hands, and another will gird thee, and lead thee where thou wouldst not.”
Now this he said to signify by what manner of death he should glorify God. And having spoken thus, he said to him. “Follow me.”
The disciple who Jesus loved, the one who, at supper… said “Lord, who is it that will betray thee?”
Peter to Jesus: “Lord, and what of this man?”
Jesus” “If I wish him to remain until I come, what is it to thee? Do thou follow me?”
This saying therefore went abroad among the brethren, that that disciple was not to die. But Jesus had not said to him, “He is not to die”; but rather, “If I wish his to remain until I come, what is it to thee?”
This is the disciple who bears witness concerning these things, and who has written these things, and we know that his witness is true.
There are, however, many other things that Jesus did; but if every one of these should be written, not even the world itself, I think, Could hold the books that would have to be written. Amen.
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