I saw this verse, John 20:17, as if new, as I was focused on what Jesus did after his resurrection. I absolutely must share it with others. It is so simple, yet so profound.
I “really saw” the second half of this verse, containing Jesus’ own words to Mary, before he ascended, yet after he arose:
John 20:17b “…go to my brethren and say unto them: I ascend to MY Father, and YOUR Father and to MY God, and YOUR God.”
Do you see what Jesus did through the resurrection? from just these words He told Mary to speak and spread to all his brethren, i.e., Believers?
Clearly, Jesus wants us all to know that WE, through what He did for us, have the same “claim” as He did to Father and to God now. God is OURS. We are HIS. We are now RECONCILED. We are “family” now. Jesus is our brother… and God is now not only Christ’s Father but is now Our Father too.
To personalize this… you can say “My Father” just like Jesus did…and you can say “My God” just as Jesus did when He walked the earth. You are given RELATIONSHIP through the RESURRECTION. This is indeed eternal life.
Do you know what eternal life IS? Let’s look at John 17:3-4, again in Jesus’ own words:
“And this IS Eternal Life, that they might KNOW THEE the only true God and Jesus Christ whom thou has sent. I have glorified thee on the earth: I have finished the work which thou gavest me to do.”
He is YOUR FATHER and YOUR GOD. (Thank you, Jesus, for reconciling us and making us a part of the Family of God, built on relationship!)
Now, I ask, are you enjoying this incredible PRIVILEGE? That you have a Father …and He is GOD?
Do we KNOW Him through Christ?
Let’s look at this verse: Again, Jesus’s words of John 17:9-10:
“I pray for them. I pray not for the world, but for them which thou hast given me; for they are thine. And all mine are thine, and thine are mine; and I am glorified in them.”
Take Ownership… God has taken it of us… and we are to take ownership of God. That’s what these words communicate: yours, mine. They communicate “ownership”. They communicate “relationship”. They communicate “belonging”.
Let me give you an illustration:
If you were at a wedding, you may be one of the men watching the bride walk down the aisle and would say within your thoughts, “She is a lovely bride.” But imagine if you were the Groom!! …you would look upon her differently, very intimately, and say of her “She is MY lovely bride”.
The groom’s feelings of love and adoration would be exponentially different than any other man’s in the church, as his relationship is one of ownership: She is his, and he is hers. Same is true of the bride looking at the Groom differently than any other man as she walks down the aisle. He is hers, and she is his! Her eyes and heart would be on her beloved alone!
The ownership (commitment of the heart) is intimacy!!
The same is true of the Godhead. Do you look upon Father as YOUR Father? and upon God as YOUR God?
Because of Christ’s Resurrection
God is Yours!
ENJOY THE FATHER AND THE SON.
THEY ARE “FAMILY”!
Have “relationship” with the Godhead.
This is eternal life…knowing them!
And your relationship is to be “Enjoyed”!!
I repeat in closing, our beginning verse: John 20:17b
Go to my brethren and say unto them:
I ascend to MY Father, and YOUR Father
and to MY God, and YOUR God.
Hallelujah!
At the close of this article, I’d like to share a song I wrote called “Relationship” …
The song has its own message, but seems to fit with this lesson too, so have a listen! (smile)
Here is the link: