Matthew 28:1-10

Jesus Has Risen
28 After the Sabbath, at dawn on the first day of the week, Mary Magdalene and the other Mary went to look at the tomb.
2 There was a violent earthquake, for an angel of the Lord came down from heaven and, going to the tomb, rolled back the stone and sat on it. 3 His appearance was like lightning, and his clothes were white as snow. 4 The guards were so afraid of him that they shook and became like dead men.
5 The angel said to the women, “Do not be afraid, for I know that you are looking for Jesus, who was crucified. 6 He is not here; he has risen, just as he said. Come and see the place where he lay. 7 Then go quickly and tell his disciples: ‘He has risen from the dead and is going ahead of you into Galilee. There you will see him.’ Now I have told you.”
8 So the women hurried away from the tomb, afraid yet filled with joy, and ran to tell his disciples. 9 Suddenly Jesus met them. “Greetings,” he said. They came to him, clasped his feet and worshiped him. 10 Then Jesus said to them, “Do not be afraid. Go and tell my brothers to go to Galilee; there they will see me.”

John 21:1-14

Jesus and the Miraculous Catch of Fish
21 Afterward Jesus appeared again to his disciples, by the Sea of Galilee.[a] It happened this way: 2 Simon Peter, Thomas (also known as Didymus[b]), Nathanael from Cana in Galilee, the sons of Zebedee, and two other disciples were together. 3 “I’m going out to fish,” Simon Peter told them, and they said, “We’ll go with you.” So they went out and got into the boat, but that night they caught nothing.
4 Early in the morning, Jesus stood on the shore, but the disciples did not realize that it was Jesus.
5 He called out to them, “Friends, haven’t you any fish?”
“No,” they answered.
6 He said, “Throw your net on the right side of the boat and you will find some.” When they did, they were unable to haul the net in because of the large number of fish.
7 Then the disciple whom Jesus loved said to Peter, “It is the Lord!” As soon as Simon Peter heard him say, “It is the Lord,” he wrapped his outer garment around him (for he had taken it off) and jumped into the water. 8 The other disciples followed in the boat, towing the net full of fish, for they were not far from shore, about a hundred yards.[c] 9 When they landed, they saw a fireof burning coals there with fish on it, and some bread.
10 Jesus said to them, “Bring some of the fish you have just caught.” 11 So Simon Peter climbed back into the boat and dragged the net ashore. It was full of large fish, 153, but even with so many the net was not torn. 12 Jesus said to them, “Come and have breakfast.” None of the disciples dared ask him, “Who are you?” They knew it was the Lord. 13 Jesus came, took the bread and gave it to them, and did the same with the fish. 14 This was now the third time Jesus appeared to his disciples after he was raised from the dead.

John 20:19-21

Jesus Appears to His Disciples
19 On the evening of that first day of the week, when the disciples were together, with the doors locked for fear of the Jewish leaders, Jesus came and stood among them and said, “Peace be with you!” 20 After he said this, he showed them his hands and side. The disciples were overjoyed when they saw the Lord.
21 Again Jesus said, “Peace be with you! As the Father has sent me, I am sending you.”

Luke 24:13-35
On the Road to Emmaus13 Now that same day two of them were going to a village called Emmaus, about seven miles[a] from Jerusalem. 14 They were talking with each other about everything that had happened. 15 As they talked and discussed these things with each other, Jesus himself came up and walked along with them; 16 but they were kept from recognizing him.
17 He asked them, “What are you discussing together as you walk along?”
They stood still, their faces downcast. 18 One of them, named Cleopas, asked him, “Are you the only one visiting Jerusalem who does not know the things that have happened there in these days?”
19 “What things?” he asked.
“About Jesus of Nazareth,” they replied. “He was a prophet, powerful in word and deed before God and all the people. 20 The chief priests and our rulers handed him over to be sentenced to death, and they crucified him; 21 but we had hoped that he was the one who was going to redeem Israel. And what is more, it is the third day since all this took place. 22 In addition, some of our women amazed us. They went to the tomb early this morning 23 but didn’t find his body. They came and told us that they had seen a vision of angels, who said he was alive. 24 Then some of our companions went to the tomb and found it just as the women had said, but they did not see Jesus.”
25 He said to them, “How foolish you are, and how slow to believe all that the prophets have spoken! 26 Did not the Messiah have to suffer these things and then enter his glory?” 27 And beginning with Moses and all the Prophets, he explained to them what was said in all the Scriptures concerning himself.
28 As they approached the village to which they were going, Jesus continued on as if he were going farther. 29 But they urged him strongly, “Stay with us, for it is nearly evening; the day is almost over.” So he went in to stay with them.
30 When he was at the table with them, he took bread, gave thanks, broke it and began to give it to them. 31 Then their eyes were opened and they recognized him, and he disappeared from their sight. 32 They asked each other, “Were not our hearts burning within us while he talked with us on the road and opened the Scriptures to us?”
33 They got up and returned at once to Jerusalem. There they found the Eleven and those with them, assembled together 34 and saying, “It is true! The Lord has risen and has appeared to Simon.” 35 Then the two told what had happened on the way, and how Jesus was recognized by them when he broke the bread.

John 20:1-9
The Empty Tomb20 Early on the first day of the week, while it was still dark, Mary Magdalene went to the tomb and saw that the stone had been removed from the entrance. 2 So she came running to Simon Peter and the other disciple, the one Jesus loved, and said, “They have taken the Lord out of the tomb, and we don’t know where they have put him!”
3 So Peter and the other disciple started for the tomb. 4 Both were running, but the other disciple outran Peter and reached the tomb first. 5 He bent over and looked in at the strips of linen lying there but did not go in.6 Then Simon Peter came along behind him and went straight into the tomb. He saw the strips of linen lying there, 7 as well as the cloth that had been wrapped around Jesus’ head. The cloth was still lying in its place, separate from the linen. 8 Finally the other disciple, who had reached the tomb first, also went inside. He saw and believed. 9 (They still did not understand from Scripture that Jesus had to rise from the dead.)

John 20:24-29
Jesus Appears to Thomas24 Now Thomas (also known as Didymus[a]), one of the Twelve, was not with the disciples when Jesus came. 25 So the other disciples told him, “We have seen the Lord!”  But he said to them, “Unless I see the nail marks in his hands and put my finger where the nails were, and put my hand into his side, I will not believe.”  26 A week later his disciples were in the house again, and Thomas was with them. Though the doors were locked, Jesus came and stood among them and said, “Peace be with you!” 27 Then he said to Thomas, “Put your finger here; see my hands. Reach out your hand and put it into my side. Stop doubting and believe.”
28 Thomas said to him, “My Lord and my God!”
29 Then Jesus told him, “Because you have seen me, you have believed; blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed.”

The empty tomb is the foundation of our faith, yet even the disciples struggled to believe. When Mary Magdalene saw the empty tomb, she assumed someone had taken Jesus' body. Thomas refused to believe until he saw Jesus for himself. Sometimes, we experience seasons of doubt, questioning God’s presence in our lives. Yet Jesus meets us in our uncertainty, offering proof of His love and inviting us to trust Him.​

Action Step:
Bring your doubts to God in prayer today. Ask Him to strengthen your faith, and then take a step forward—whether that means reading His Word, speaking with a mentor, or simply choosing to trust Him in an area where you feel uncertain.

Telling others about Jesus can sometimes feel like it's a difficult and a scary thing to do.  What if they don't like me, what if they get hostile, what if they have a better answer than I do....

And yet we are called to go and make disciples.  This is what Jesus says in Matthew 28:16-20

The Great Commission

Then the eleven disciples went to Galilee, to the mountain where Jesus had told them to go. When they saw him, they worshiped him; but some doubted. Then Jesus came to them and said, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.”

Last week one of my members shared an article about how everyone has a different faith sharing profile.  Understanding which profile is you can help you see that you do not have to share faith the way others do...and in fact you might be better off being more of an action focused person than words, or perhaps you have a story to tell of what God has done for you that might help.  We are all different and we all can play our part is seeing God's kingdom (aka God's family really) grow.   So this week I simply encourage you to go and have a read by clicking on the link below.

God Bless

​Jon

At church on Sunday we kicked off the year focusing on a particular verse that will be our theme.  It was this:

He has shown you, O mortal, what is good.
    And what does the Lord require of you?
To act justly and to love mercy
    and to walk humbly with your God.

Micah 6:8

Act Justly

Love Mercy 

Walk Humbly

Simple really, but also deeply challenging.  Very easy to say and put on a banner or on a card but when you really drill down to the heart of each of these three things that God requires it requires you to live a radically different life to the way of the world.

There has been lots of talk of humility with the Premier League with various players making statements about staying humble but in the end many have an ego the size of the weekly pay cheque.  Being humbly before God is recognising your need of him.  I cannot do the things I do in my own strength but in Gods.  I have fallen short of perfection, and sin has broken me to the point that I cannot ever fix myself or my status....only God can do that - through Jesus.

Being merciful is also tough - because it means showing kindness not just to those who deserve it, but to those who don't.  That person who cut in front of you; the noisy neighbour whose dog barks nonstop 24/7; the homeless lady who keeps asking for money from you every time you pass.  But this is the point really.   Showing kindness to people you get on with is easy, anyone can do that.  But to turn the other cheek or go the extra mile is the right thing, the kind thing, the merciful thing and ultimately the Christ like thing as well.

Acting justly is probably the messiest one as this one often requires one to roll up your sleeves and do something.  Being merciful or kind could simple be saying a kind word or something encouraging, but to act justly implies you are actively doing something on behalf of someone or a group of people who cannot get the justice they deserve.  It also often puts you on one side of a situation that can be costly to you.  But again Jesus when he saw how women were treated, or the sick and infirm, or the young always acted for their benefit even though it caused others to look down and judge him harshly.

This year as a church and as a minister I am hoping we can become more Christlike in all these areas.

You can watch the service below

God Bless

​Jon

Here at the start of a New Year many will be making resolutions or plans.

To get fitter, eat better, improve life in some way, spend time with family more, or whatever.  Perhaps you are looking for a new direction in your life?
Seeking to be closer to God?

I have never been very good at these whole resolutions things, start well, but usually fail within a week or two if I am lucky.

Well last night, or early this morning depending on your point of view we gathered at church to see the year out and the New Year in together.  We worshiped, prayed and broke bread (aka communion, aka shared a simple meal of bread and wine just like Jesus asked us to do) and listened to these words from Psalm 119 (which is longest Psalm in the Bible with a whopping 176 verses!)

Your word is a lamp for my feet,
    a light on my path.
I have taken an oath and confirmed it,
    that I will follow your righteous laws.
I have suffered much;
    preserve my life, Lord, according to your word.
Accept, Lord, the willing praise of my mouth,
    and teach me your laws.
Though I constantly take my life in my hands,
    I will not forget your law.
The wicked have set a snare for me,
    but I have not strayed from your precepts.
Your statutes are my heritage forever;
    they are the joy of my heart.
My heart is set on keeping your decrees
    to the very end.
Psalm 119:105-112

As the year begins it was good to be reminded that the words of Jesus can be a light that can guide us.  Your future is not yet written, this year is yet to unfold.  One hopes that it will be filled with good things, blessings and not hardships, joys and not sadness but the reality is that we cannot be certain.  

Life can be like a game of snakes and ladders, with ups and downs, successes and failures, dreams and nightmares.  Nothing is certain except that life is uncertain.  And with this in mind these words from Psalm 119 are a timely reminder that whatever 2025 throws at you there is one whose words and teaching can help us navigate a path onwards.  Jesus came to bring us a full of life (John 10:10) and promised to always be with us (Matthew 28:20).  

For this to be true we need to look for the light that Jesus is offering.  We need to seek the "word" of God, commit to understanding who Jesus is and what his teaching means for each of us.  And to do that we need to spend time reading God's Word (aka the Bible).  It's a big book for sure, and maybe it is hard to know where to look.  If you've never opened it before, or it's been a while can I suggest you look at one of the Gospels (the books that talk about Jesus life) Matthew, Mark Luke or John.  You could see to try and read the whole bible - it's possible you know, about 3 or 4 chapters a day would see you through, but this isn't a musing about making New Year resolutions its about seeing that the way to walk through 2025 is not with some grand plans or resolution, but with the a simple act of faith to look to Jesus and let the Light of the World lead you.

So as this year around the sun begins my prayer for you is that you will see the light of Jesus and that light will help you navigate a path through whatever lies ahead.

God Bless

Jon