Random Access Mercy

John 20:1-9

John notes that he (I’m assuming “the other disciple” is John) and Peter still did not understand from Scripture that Jesus had to rise from the dead. In chapter 19, however, it seems John did put two and two together from Scripture and what he was experiencing, so I’m supposing that verse 9 here means that at that point they hadn’t pieced things together.

It seems to me that there is something very important here about our understanding of coming to faith. That is there is no set order of things. There is, however, one critical factor, and that is an experience of the risen Christ – and here it is not even direct contact with the risen Jesus (as it will be in subsequent verses). This is hugely important for us, since we don’t have the same contact with the risen Lord that we’ll find that Mary had, or the disciples Jesus subsequently appeared to. In fact this is a key, maybe the key point for John in his writing of this Gospel. At 20:28-29 (we’ll dwell on it more when we get there) there comes a great climax with his record of Jesus saying, “Blessed are those who have not seen, and yet believe.” My own take on the past tense there (have not seen) is that Jesus is speaking from his glorified perspective and taking in the whole scope of what is to come.

What it means: There is hope for us all. We can, any one of us, experience the reality of the risen Lord. Whatever else the Lord leads us through toward that, or beyond it, that is the one critical factor in our coming to faith. How that comes is as varied as our exerience, but it must be acknowledged (as with the doubter, Thomas, John 20:28) and then built on. That’s when we delve deeper into the Scriptures to help us put the pieces of our experience and of Biblically-illuminated history together. That’s when we turn to intentional Christian fellowship and growth opportunities. That’s when we develop spiritual habits of prayer, giving, study, meditation. We are led, we are all brought (John 10:16) into a growing, transforming relationship with Jesus Christ.

The person who is truly free is the one who lets nothing: no religious formulas, no guilt, no fear, no modesty or conceit, no present experience, no burden of intellect or lack of learning or experience stand in the way of the universally available experience of the risen Jesus, who died and rose again for the whole world.

I believe it follows from this that spiritual experience is non-linear. We tend to have our experience ordered from one event, one life-experience or development to the next. God can and does break into our experience and our self-imposed order of things and expectations at any time. That can even mean (and this can be the tough part), that even what is experienced as painful can become the means of bringing something new, revealing, and empowering to our life. Or, especially as we live prayerfully, he can just surprise us with unexpected gifts of peace, joy, or turn our head to some new path.

Prayer:
Teach me, Lord, to expect to be surprised by your grace. Amen.