Good morning everyone. It's a little bit after 11. It's the last day of January. January 31st, 2025. It's Friday morning. TGIF. That means thank God it's Friday. Mark's been reading through the Gospels. He's been reading through the Gospel of John today. He's going to be reading through the 20th chapter of John. Tomorrow he'll be actually finishing the Gospel of John with the 21st chapter. chapter of John is the account of the resurrection of Christ. The first day of the week, Mary Magdalene, while it was yet dark, went to the sepulcher and saw the son taken away. She ran and came to Simon Peter and the other disciples and said, they've taken away the Lord out of the sepulcher. We don't know where they've laid him. Peter therefore went and the other disciple They came together, and the other disciple did outrun Peter, and I guess John was a faster runner than Peter. Stooping down, they looked up and saw the linen clothes lying. And Simon Peter followed him, went in the sepulchre, and saw the linen clothes lie on the napkin that was about his head, not lying with linen clothes, but they were wrapped together and placed by itself. And then also John, the other disciple, which came first to the sepulchre, saw and believed. For as yet they knew not scripture that he must rise again from the dead. And so the disciples went away to their own home. Mary stood outside weeping. She wept and stood down, looked down on the sepulcher. And then she saw two angels in white sitting at one of the head and the other at the feet where the body of Jesus had laid. And they say unto her, Woman, why weepest thou? She saith unto them, Because they've taken away my Lord. I know not where they've laid him. And when she said this, she turned her back and saw Jesus standing and knew not that it was Jesus. And he said to her, Woman, why weepest thou? Whom seekest thou? She said, If you have borne him hence, tell me where thou hast laid him. Jesus said unto her, Mary. She turned herself and saith him, Rabboni, which is to say, Master. Jesus said, Touch me not, for I have not yet ascended to my father. But go to my brethren and say to them, I send to my father and your father, to my God and your God. Mary Magdalene came and told the disciples she'd seen the Lord and that he had spoken these things unto her. And then the same day at evening, the first day of the week, the disciples were assembled for the fear of the Jews. Jesus came and stood in the midst of them saying, Peace be unto you. And when he had said so, he showed them his hands and his side. They were glad when they saw the Lord. And when he had said this, he breathed on them and said to them, Receive ye the Holy Ghost. Whosoever sins you remit, they are remitted unto them. Whosoever sins you retain, they are retained. Thomas, one of the twelve, was not with them. when all this happened. And he said, except I see in his hands the print of the nails and put my finger in the print of the nails and thrust my hand in his side, I will not believe. And after eight days again the disciples were with him and Thomas with them. Then came Jesus, the doors being shut, and stood in the midst and said, Beast, be unto you. Then said he to Thomas, Reach hither thy finger, and behold my hands, and reach hither thy hand, and thrust in my side. Be not faithless, but believe. And Thomas answered and said, O my Lord and my God. Jesus said to Thomas, Because thou hast seen, thou hast believed. Blessed are they that have not seen and yet have believed. That's a great promise for us. all of God's elect. We've been blessed because we believe and we have not even seen Christ. We haven't seen the nail prints. We haven't seen the pierced side. We haven't seen his feet. But we believe that count because the Holy Spirit has caused us to believe. There are many other signs to Jesus in the presence of the disciples. It says these are written that you might believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God. and that believing you might have life through His name. Well, I'm going to turn this over to Mark and have him read it. I hope you all have a blessed Friday and a good weekend. Tomorrow we'll be reading the last chapter in this book of the Gospel of John, the 21st chapter. Chapter 20. The first day of the week cometh Mary Magdalene early, when it was yet dark, unto the sepulchre, and seeth the stone taken away from the sepulchre. Then she runneth and cometh to Simon Peter, the other disciple whom Jesus loved, saith unto them, They have taken away the Lord out of the sepulchre, and we know not where they have laid him. Peter therefore went forth to the other disciple, and came to the sepulchre. So they ran both together. The other disciple did outrun Peter, and came first to the sepulchre. Then he stooped down, looking, and saw the linen clothes lied, yet went he not in. Then cometh Simon Peter, following him, and went to the sepulchre, and seeth that the linen clothes lie, the napkin that was about his head, not lying with the linen clothes, but wrapped together in a place by itself. Then it went in also that of the disciple which came first to the sepulchre, and he saw and believed. For as yet they knew not the scripture that he must rise again from the dead. Then the disciples went again unto their own home. But Mary stood without at the sepulchre, weeping, and she wept, she stooped down, and looked into the sepulchre, and see a two angels in white sitting, the one at the head, and the other at the feet, where the body of Jesus had lain. They say unto her, Woman, why weavest thou? She saith unto them, Because they have taken away my Lord, and I know not where they have laid him. When she had thus said, she turned herself back, and saw Jesus standing, and knew not that it was Jesus. Jesus saith unto her, Woman, why weavest thou? Whom seekest thou? She is opposing to be the gardener. Saith unto him, Sir, if thou hast borne him, hence tell me where thou hast laid him, and I will take him away. Jesus saith unto her, Mary, she turneth herself, and saith unto him, Rabboni, what she doth say, Master. Jesus saith unto her, Touch me not, for I am not yet ascended unto my Father, but go to my brethren, and say unto them, I ascend unto my Father, and to your Father, and to my God, and to your God. Mary Magdalene came and told the disciples that she had seen the Lord, and had spoken these things unto her. And the same day at evening, being the first day of the week, when the doors were shut, when the disciples were simmering for fear of the Jews, came Jesus and stood in the mist, and saith unto them, Peace be unto you. And when he had so said, he showed unto them his hands and his side. Then were the disciples glad when they saw the Lord, and said Jesus to them, again, Peace be unto you, as my Father hath sent me, even so said I you. When he had said this, he breathed on them, saith unto them, Receive ye the Holy Ghost. Whosoever sins ye remit, they are remitted unto them. Whosoever sins ye retain, they are retained. But Thomas, one of the twelve called Didymus, was not with them when Jesus came. The young disciples therefore said unto him, He was seeing the Lord, but he said unto them, Except I shall see in his hands the print of the nails, and put my finger into the nails, and thrust my hand into his side, I will not believe. After eight days again his disciples were within, and Thomas within. Then came Jesus, the doors being shut, and stood in the midst, and said, Peace be unto you. Then saith he to Thomas, Reach hither thy finger, and behold my hands, and reach hither thy hand, and thrust it to my side, and be not faithless, but believing. Thomas answered and said unto him, My Lord and my God, Jesus saith unto him, Thomas, because thou hast seen me, thou hast believed. Blessed are they they have not seen and yet have believed many other signs true unto Jesus in the presence of his disciples which are not written in this book but these are written that you might believe that Jesus is the Christ the Son of God and that believing you might have life through his name. Thank you Mark.