1 Corinthians 15:1-11, Mark 16:1-8, Psalm 118:1,2,14-24
When the Apostle Peter proclaimed the gospel he had two main points. First, God raised Jesus from the dead and ordained him as judge of the living and the dead. Second, Peter and his colleagues were eyewitnesses of these things and commissioned by Christ to proclaim this in all the world.
Paul’s approach was similar, as we see in 1 Corinthians 15 where he addresses the reality that some of the earliest Christians questioned or rejected the necessity or even the possibility of the resurrection of Jesus. Paul rejects that rejection. Resurrection is not an “add-on” to the gospel or the faith of Christians. It is “of first importance” (I Corinthians 15:3). The resurrection of Jesus cannot be separated out or taken away if the gospel we have received is still to remain gospel.
What we have in today’s reading is Paul’s retelling of the matters of first importance, followed by his account of the many appearances of Jesus to others, including himself, after his resurrection.
From the moment of his resurrection Jesus’ followers were transformed from being scared and reticent. The empty tomb was crucial in convincing them that Jesus was alive. Without it, all accounts of the resurrection appearances could be interpreted as ghost stories.
There really were too many witnesses of Jesus’ resurrection for anyone to honestly discount it. What is a witness? Someone who was there. Someone who has seen the evidence.
Mark tells us that three women were the first witnesses. They were Mary Magdalene, Salome and Mary the mother of James. They were friends of Jesus who had travelled with him and helped to look after the band of disciples. They had watched Jesus die on the cross, they had watched Joseph of Arimathea bury Jesus’ body and they were the first to see the empty tomb.
These three women were sent to tell others by the dazzlingly bright young man they meet there. But at least at first, they are too awestruck to speak. We know that eventually they did speak (else we wouldn’t be here!). But the oldest and most reliable manuscripts of Mark’s gospel conclude with their awe at what they have seen and heard. It is an open invitation for us to do the same in worship today— to abide for a while in the sheer awe of this news.
The thing that probably changed them from saying nothing to telling their news was that Jesus met them and they got it – they figured out what had happened – were convinced that it had happened.
Paul doesn’t mention the women, he starts with Peter, the first man to meet Jesus after he had risen. Peter was the lead disciple and therefore one of Jesus’ closest followers. Peter had seen Jesus do many miracles – feed thousands of people, walk on water (even enable Peter to walk on water). Peter saw Jesus arrested and then denied knowing who Jesus was. Peter saw the empty tomb and met Jesus in person straight after that. He kept meeting Jesus over the whole 40 days that Jesus stayed before he went back to heaven. Jesus thoroughly proved to Peter that he was not a ghost. Jesus forgave Peter for letting him down and gave him a job taking care of his followers and helping them believe.
Paul also mentioned the twelve as witnesses. They were the twelve disciples or apostles who were Jesus’ close companions. They included Peter. The 500 were followers of Jesus who happened to be in one place when Jesus turned up. They may have been the followers that Jesus met in Galilee. James was Jesus’ half brother who did not believe until after the resurrection. ‘All the apostles’ refers to the twelve plus all the others involved in spreading Christianity.
Paul refused to believe that Jesus rose from the dead and he attacked anyone who believed it was true. Paul went looking for Jesus’ followers to try to stop them believing in Jesus. He’d kill them if they wouldn’t deny Jesus. One day as Paul was hunting down some more Christians Jesus met him and Paul realised he was wrong and that Jesus was alive and that the Christians were right all along. Paul followed Jesus from then on and really worked hard at letting people know that Jesus was alive and they needed to follow him.
All these people had met Jesus and were convinced that he was alive. None of them had been expecting this. But after they met Jesus they were never the same again. We may not meet Jesus in quite the same way they did but this church is full of people who have met Jesus and have been changed. Therefore, we, too, are witnesses. Like the women at the tomb, we have hope and need not be afraid. And, like Peter, Paul and the rest of them, Jesus wants us to let other people know about him.
Today kicks off the Easter season. Easter is more than just this weekend. It is a season of 50 days that continues to and concludes with Pentecost. Easter is more than just an extended celebration of the resurrection of Jesus. Traditionally it is a period of doctrinal and practical training especially for those who were prepared during Lent and baptised at Easter. We will be looking more at the practical side, considering various ways we can make a difference where we are. The series is called Fruitfulness on the Frontline and will start next week. The small groups will study this material.
Jesus referred to trees and vines and the expectation we have that these will provide fruit for us. He used them as an analogy of us and his expectation that our lives would bear fruit produced in us by the Holy Spirit. Fruit, in the Bible, variously refers to godly character, the use of spiritual gifts, the result of using spiritual gifts and more people following Jesus. This is where we get the idea of fruitfulness and I will explain the frontline idea next week.
Another way trees are referred to in the Bible is the way they thrive and the way they help us stay healthy and alive. In the Garden of Eden was the tree of life. At Calvary, God’s only Son suffered a horrible death on a cross. That’s the tree of life for us.
The cross of Christ reveals man’s sin at its worst and God’s love at its best.
Remembering Christ’s resurrection gives us courage for today and hope for tomorrow. May our lives be transformed just as the lives of the first disciples were transformed.