Acts 5:27-32, John 20:19-31
All my life I’ve been fascinated with water – especially tides. I can’t explain how it is that the sea ebbs away and flows back over a nearly 13 hour period so that each day it is at a slightly different time. Nothing can stop it. A tsunami can override it. It is so powerful the flow of the tide can even be used to generate electiricity. It is a marvellous aspect of the design of the world.
In life and in the world around us there are lots of things that are hard to understand, such as how electricity works, how bumble bees fly when their body appears too heavy for their wings or why certain music makes us happy. Many things puzzle us and make us ask questions. If natural things have us puzzled, how much more spiritual things? Many people have questions about God.
Last Sunday we had a big celebration because Jesus rose from death. It happened over 2000 years ago but it is so significant that we are still celebrating. When it happened, as we saw last week, Jesus’ followers took a while to be convinced of the fact. When they got it they were thrilled. But even in their excitement they still had questions and not all their questions were answered.
In our reading from Luke we heard that the disciples were hiding behind locked doors, scared of the Jewish authorities (John 20:19). They were seriously wondering: Where is Jesus now? Are we going to get into trouble? What should we do now? Will we see Jesus again? Let’s see how they sorted these things out.
Meeting Jesus changed them
Meeting the risen Jesus turned the disciples from a group of scared people hiding away in fear to become the bold and brave rebels described in Acts 5. In literature and film there are plenty of characters who change character for a short period of time. Super and not so super heroes change in order to perform their exploits and then change back to normal. The difference between the disciples and these story characters is that the change in the disciples was permanent – something had happened to make them different people.
They were wondering, “Are we going to get into trouble?” The answer turned out to be, “Yes.” While they were wondering they were hiding in a locked room. By the time it actually happened they were bold as brass and answered the Jewish leaders without fear or compromise. What a before and after contrast and all because of the power of God’s Holy Spirit in them.
And they were the first of many millions of people – people who have met Jesus and been changed permanently. We read of them in the New Testament – Paul, Timothy, Titus, Luke and many more. We read of them right through the history of the Church – you name them – to the present day: they include you and I do they not? Haven’t you met Jesus? Hasn’t he made you what you are? Isn’t he making you what you are becoming?
Meeting Jesus brought them peace and joy
(John 20:19-21) The first words the risen Jesus spoke to the disciples were ‘Peace be with you.’ This was more than a traditional greeting. Jesus had brought them peace with God through his death. When the disciples heard his words and saw his wounds they were filled with joy because they had proof that he really was alive. Jesus’ followers today can also have this joy and peace no matter how difficult life seems. By dying on the cross, and rising from the dead, Jesus has made it possible to be friends with God. And God blesses us with peace, joy and many other blessings.
Are you God’s friend through Jesus? Do you know the peace and joy he gives?
Ask God to make you his friend.
Why did Jesus die? If he hadn’t every one of us would have. Because he did, none of us has to. To obtain life we have to accept and claim Jesus’ death in place of our own. We can’t get to have life on on our record of how we’ve lived our lives because we’re far from perfect. We get to have life on Jesus’ record, because his life was perfect. No wonder there’s peace and joy in believing – what a relief to know we have guaranteed friendship with God!
Meeting Jesus gave them a new mission and power
Jesus gave the disciples the mission of carrying on the work he started (John 20:21-23). He said they were to be God’s representatives to the world and would have his authority. To help his followers to carry out this mission, Jesus gave them the Holy Spirit, God’s presence in their lives. Fulfilling God’s mission is tough, so God’s power is vital. Consider standing up to the government who want you not to do what Jesus told you to. That’s precisely what the Apostles had to do. Peter’s reply to the High Priest shows that he and his friends had God’s power operating in them.
Just like those disciples, Jesus wants us to let people around us know about his love. And, just like those disciples, we can’t do it by ourselves. We can only do it in partnership with him.
Meeting Jesus convinced them that he really was God
Think of Thomas’ meeting with Jesus. This man is often (unfairly) called Doubting Thomas. Unfairly because, once Thomas met Jesus, he expressed the greatest faith of all the followers by saying, ‘You are my Lord and my God.’ Thomas, looking at the evidence of the resurrected Jesus, was persuaded that all Jesus had claimed to be and do was true – he really was God. The physical reality of the resurrection helped Thomas believe in him and can help us believe that Jesus was God. Thomas’s testimony can help us too. Are you certain that Jesus is God? Do what Thomas did and ask for evidence.
Look again at John 20:29,31 where both Jesus and John make it clear that these blessings are not limited to the disciples. People living today can be similarly affected by the fact that Jesus is alive. We who are his followers can also have peace, joy, a mission, the Holy Spirit and a reason to believe, even if we haven’t met Jesus face to face. The disciples were changed into people who acted bravely and stood up for Jesus. So too, we can stand up for the One in whom we believe.
Summary/conclusion
Do you stll have questions? Are you wondering if all of this applies to you? Or if any of this has anything to do with you?
If you haven’t already met Jesus, can you meet him? Certainly. Tell him you’d like to meet him. Ask him to make himself known to you .
When he does, ask him to make you his friend. And to make this very clear to you.
Do you have peace and joy? Trusting Jesus for everything in this life and for the next enables us to rest and enjoy his peace.
Are you on God’s mission? Deployed in his power? Give it all you’ve got.
Are you convinced that Jesus is God? Seek out any more evidience you need and ask for faith to believe.
Think to yourself of one way the resurrection of Jesus makes a difference in your life. Talk to God about how you will realise the difference and make it an obvious part of your life.