Gospel of John | Part 12 | Resurrection & Transformation | Chris Voigt

Resurrection & Transformation
The Gospel of John
May 29, 2022

Most people are resistant to change. Granted, there are a few of you weirdos out there who get excited about it; but most of the time that excitement is due to the fact that you are the one facilitating or initiating the change. For the most part, we are rhythmic creatures who prefer familiarity, comfort, security and routine, even if those rhythms might be detrimental to us. And there’s a reason for that.
 
Our brains are hardwired to resist change. There’s a part of the brain called the amygdala that interprets change as a threat and signals the release of hormones that cause us to respond to that ‘threat’ in one of three ways: fear, fight, or flight.
 
But what would life be like if we didn’t welcome change; if everything, including you and I, just stayed the same?
 
What if ancient Greek astronomer Eratosthenes hadn’t questioned the idea that the earth was flat and discovered that, instead, it was round?
 
What if people like Benjamin Franklin and Thomas Edison hadn’t figured out how to harness the power of electricity?
 
Or what might our world be like if Alexander Fleming hadn’t discovered penicillin?
Communication would certainly be different without Alexander Graham Bell’s invention of the telephone.

And I, for one, am very thankful for the changes in transportation that people like Henry Ford and the Wright brothers brought about.
 
This Sunday we are wrapping up our series on the gospel of John. With the crucifixion of Jesus, the disciples’ world was radically changed; and from their perspective, not in a good way! I invite you to join us this Sunday as we take a deeper look at what changed with the death and resurrection of Jesus and how those changes were incredibly good... for the disciples then and for us, today.
 
Sometimes change can be a very good thing. Will you respond with fear, fight, flight, or faith?