OUR SAVIOR IS ALIVE!
John 20:27; 21:4-6, 10-14
THE CRUCIAL QUESTION FOR US ON OUR LIFE JOURNEY IS NOT
- "WHO IS YOUR FATHER” OR
- "WHO IS YOUR LAWYER?" OR
- "WHO IS YOUR ACCOUNTANT?" OR EVEN
- "WHO IS YOUR PASTOR?"
THE CRUCIAL QUESTION IS,
- "WHO IS YOUR SAVIOR?"
AND IT IS THE SAME CRUCIAL QUESTION BEING ASKED OF THE APOSTLE THOMAS.
IN JOHN CHAPTER 20 WE READ THAT THOMAS HAD DIFFICULTY BELIEVING THE TESTIMONY OF HIS FELLOW APOSTLES THAT JESUS HAD RISEN FROM THE DEAD AND HAD APPEARED TO THEM. VERSE 25 SAYS,
WE HAVE SEEN THE LORD, THEY TOLD HIM, AND THOMAS HAD ANSWERED, UNLESS I SEE THE HOLES THAT THE NAILS MADE IN HIS HANDS AND CAN PUT MY FINGER INTO THE HOLES THEY MADE I REFUSE TO BELIEVE.
A WEEK LATER, VERSE 26, "DOUBTING THOMAS" IS PRESENT AND JESUS CONFRONTS HIM.
LOOK! HERE ARE MY HANDS. GIVE ME YOUR HAND, PUT IT INTO MY SIDE. DOUBT NO LONGER BUT BELIEVE.
AND FROM THEN ON, THE ENTIRE CHRISTIAN WORLD WOULD CHERISH THE ANSWER IN VERSE 28: MY LORD AND MY GOD.
"NOW I KNOW HOW IT FEELS AT THE OTHER END OF THE KNIFE," SAID A SURGEON WHO HAD RECENTLY UNDERGONE AN EMERGENCY ABDOMINAL OPERATION HIMSELF. "TOUCHING PEOPLE IS PART OF MY DAILY ROUTINE. I DO IT AS I WAS TAUGHT: IMPERSONALLY, PROFESSIONALLY. THE TOUCH IS AS BRIEF AND TO THE POINT AS POSSIBLE, BUT NOW I AM THE RECIPIENT OF THAT KIND OF TOUCHING."
THEN HE WENT ON TO DESCRIBE HIS FIRST NIGHT IN THE HOSPITAL ROOM AFTER THE SURGERY. "IN THIS LEMON-YELLOW ROOM THAT REEKS OF DISINFECTANT, I AM NOT SPECIAL. I’M SIMPLY A MAN. I HAVE A WIFE AND CHILDREN. I HAVE NEVER BEFORE KNOWN PAIN AS A CONSTANT COMPANION. I HAVE BEEN CHECKED AND POKED INCESSANTLY THROUGH THESE LAST DARK HOURS. NOW I AM FACE-TO-FACE WITH THE MORNING SHIFT. ONE ELDERLY, SLIGHTLY WRINKLED, DUTIFUL NURSE GOES ABOUT HER ASSIGNED TASKS. SHE CHANGES MY SHEETS, CHECKS MY PULSE, AND THEN, SHE TURNS AROUND AND GOES TO THE SINK, MOISTENS A CLEAN WASH-CLOTH, AND QUIETLY WASHES MY UNSHAVEN FACE. HER ONLY WORDS TO ME ARE, 'THIS MUST BE HARD ON YOU.' SHE HAS BROKEN THE ROUTINE, NOT TO CHECK A PULSE OR CHANGE A SHEET, BUT TO TOUCH ME IN A REAL WAY. FOR A MOMENT SHE BECAME GOD’S HANDS. I RESOLVED NEVER AGAIN TO TOUCH JUST A BODY, BUT A HUMAN BEING."
GIVE ME YOUR HAND," SAID JESUS TO DOUBTING THOMAS. "PUT IT INTO MY SIDE. TOUCH ME! TOUCH MY RISEN BODY AND KNOW THAT I AM TRULY PRESENT TO YOU, THAT I AM TRULY WITH YOU. TOUCH ME, AND KNOW THAT SALVATION HAS COME INTO THIS ROOM. TOUCH ME AND KNOW THAT I AM YOUR SAVIOR.
WHEN GOD'S GRACE TOUCHES YOU AT THE VERY CORE OF YOUR BEING, IT WELLS UP INSIDE YOU AND MOVES YOU IN THE DIRECTION OF A WHOLE NEW STYLE OF LIFE.
- YOU FEEL UNBURDENED.
- YOU FEEL LIBERATED FROM THE THINGS IN YOUR LIFE THAT WERE PINNING YOU DOWN.
- YOU FEEL AN OVERWHELMING KIND OF JOY THAT CANNOT BE CONTAINED.
- YOU WANT TO SHOUT IT FROM THE ROOFTOPS.
- YOU WANT TO LET IT SPILL OVER INTO THE WORLD AND INTO THE LIVES OF OTHERS, BECAUSE IT IS THE BEST THING THAT EVER HAPPENED TO YOU.
- YOU CAN BEGIN RIGHT NOW TO EXPERIENCE GOD'S LOVING PRESENCE WELLING UP INSIDE YOU. YOU CAN BEGIN RIGHT NOW TO EXPERIENCE A PEACE AND A JOY AND A LOVE THAT YOU SIMPLY WILL NOT BE ABLE TO CONTAIN. AND WHEN you SHARE IT YOU'LL NEVER AGAIN GO DOWN DEEP INTO THE MYSTERY OF SALVATION AND COME UP DRY.
MANY OF US CHRISTIANS, WHO, IN THE PURSUIT OF THE TRUTH, SOMETIMES GO DOWN VERY DEEP, BUT COME UP VERY DRY. ONE REASON IS THAT WE TREAT SALVATION AS A CONCEPT. WE INTELLECTUALIZE IT. UNDERSTANDING THE REAL CHRISTIAN MEANING OF SALVATION IS A MATTER OF THE HEART. UNDERSTANDING SALVATION IS A MATTER OF EXPERIENCING IT.
THIS IS A TRUE STORY OF THE TRANSLATION OF THE NEW TESTAMENT INTO THE ESKIMO LANGUAGE. PROBLEMS AROSE FOR THE TRANSLATORS WHEN THEY ENCOUNTERED CERTAIN WORDS IN ENGLISH FOR WHICH THERE IS NO CORRESPONDING WORD IN THE ESKIMO LANGUAGE. FOR A PASSAGE WHICH TELLS THAT THE DISCIPLES WERE “FILLED WITH JOY ON SEEING JESUS”, THEY FOUND NO WORD FOR "JOY”. THE TRANSLATORS HAD TO FIND ANOTHER WAY TO EXPRESS THE MEANING OF THE PASSAGE.
THEY DISCOVERED THAT ONE OF THE MOST JOYFUL TIMES FOR AN ESKIMO FAMILY IS WHEN THEY FEED SLED-DOGS IN THE EVENING. THE DOGS COME BARKING AND YELPING, RUNNING ABOUT, AND WAGGING THEIR TAILS FURIOUSLY. THE CHILDREN ARE SQUEALING WITH DELIGHT, AND NEIGHBORS BECOME PART OF THE HAPPY COMMOTION. IT IS AN ALTOGETHER JOYOUS TIME. CONSEQUENTLY, TRANSLATORS USED THAT PARTICULAR EVENT TO HELP CONVEY THE MEANING OF THE BIBLICAL PASSAGE. WHEN THE PASSAGE WAS TRANSLATED BACK INTO ENGLISH, IT READ, "WHEN THE DISCIPLES SAW JESUS THEY WAGGED THEIR TAILS."
WHEN WE SEE JESUS, WHEN HE APPEARS SO CLOSE TO US THAT IT SEEMS AS IF WE CAN REACH OUT AND PUT OUR HAND INTO HIS SIDE, OUR JOY IS SUCH THAT INSTEAD OF MERELY WAGGING OUR TAILS, WE LOVE ONE ANOTHER AS HE HAS LOVED US ALL.
JESUS CHRIST IS AT THE CENTER OF OUR LIFE IN THE CHURCH. THE CHURCH IS PRIMARILY THE COMMUNITY OF PERSONS WHO KNOW JESUS IN A UNIQUELY INTIMATE WAY AND WHO ENDEAVOR TO FOLLOW HIM EVER CLOSER ON THEIR LIFE'S JOURNEY TOWARD ETERNAL FULFILLMENT.
FROM THE VERY BEGINNING, JESUS' FOLLOWERS BELIEVED THAT THE LIVING SPIRIT OF CHRIST WAS PRESENT IN THE COMMUNITY. JESUS HIMSELF SAID IN MATTHEW 18:20,
WHERE TWO OR THREE MEET IN MY NAME, I SHALL BE THERE WITH THEM.
WE CAN SEE A BEAUTIFUL RHYTHM IN THE CHURCH'S LIFE. THERE IS A GATHERING AND A SCATTERING THAT TAKES PLACE.
- THERE IS A TIME OF GATHERING TO EXPERIENCE THE PRESENCE OF GOD, AND A TIME OF SCATTERING TO SHARE IT,
- THERE IS A TIME OF BEING CALLED TOGETHER, AND A TIME OF BEING SENT OUT INTO THE WORLD.
AT THE CENTER IS THE ACT OF INTIMATE COMMUNICATION WITH GOD, IN AND THROUGH THE LORD JESUS. THAT IS WHAT OUR GATHERING IS ALL ABOUT.
ARE WE REALLY CHRIST-CENTERED PEOPLE? ARE WE PARTICIPATING IN THE CHRIST-EVENT SO FULLY THAT WE ARE DRAWN INTO DEEPER UNION WITH GOD? IN ONE SENSE, THE "GATHERING" IS AN END IN ITSELF. IN ANOTHER SENSE, IT IS NOT, BECAUSE THE GATHERING TOGETHER IS THE PREPARATION FOR THE SCATTERING. THE NEW TESTAMENT CHRISTIANS SCATTERED THEMSELVES INTO THE WORLD WITH AMAZING VITALITY. AN URGENT DESIRE TO SHARE JESUS CHRIST WITH THE WORLD PROPELLED THEM TO ACT. THEY TOLD PEOPLE ABOUT JESUS, THEIR LOVE FOR HIM, AND THAT THEIR UNDERSTANDING OF HIS MESSAGE LED THEM TO DO COUNTLESS WORKS OF LOVE AS AN OUTGROWTH OF THEIR LEARNING TO KNOW AND TO LOVE JESUS THROUGH THE GATHERING.
THE APOSTLE JOHN WROTE IN CHAPTER 21:15-17 ABOUT AN INCIDENT THAT OCCURRED AFTER JESUS’ RESURRECTION. JESUS ASKS US NOW, "Do YOU LOVE ME?" AND TO THOSE OF US WHO ANSWER, "YES LORD, YOU KNOW WE LOVE YOU”, HE SENDS US SCATTERING: "FEED MY LAMBS, LOOK AFTER MY SHEEP, FEED MY SHEEP." IN OTHER WORDS, "LOVE ONE ANOTHER AS I HAVE LOVED YOU”, SPREAD MY MESSAGE.”
"I KNOW MY SHEEP, AND MY SHEEP KNOW ME," JESUS SAID. JESUS IS PRESENT TO THIS GATHERING. WE ARE IN TOUCH WITH HIM, AND WE DRAW FROM THIS INTIMATE COMMUNION WITH HIM THE URGENT DESIRE OF THE EARLY CHRISTIANS TO SHARE JESUS WITH THE WORLD.
GATHERING AND SCATTERING: THAT IS THE BEAUTIFUL RHYTHM IN THE LIVES OF THOSE WHO KNOW AND LOVE THEIR SHEPHERD BEST.
A UNIVERSITY STUDENT WAS ENGAGED IN A RESEARCH PROJECT IN WHICH LITTLE CHILDREN WERE ASKED WHAT THEY THOUGHT ABOUT JESUS.
TODD, AGE EIGHT, OFFERED THIS MARVELOUS INSIGHT: "IF I ASKED JESUS IF HE LOVED ME, HE PROBABLY WOULDN'T ANSWER ME. HE PROBABLY WOULD JUST SEND ME ANOTHER KID TO PLAY WITH. HE DOES THINGS LIKE THAT."
GOD DOES THINGS LIKE THAT. HE DOESN'T JUST TELL US HOW MUCH HE LOVES US. THROUGH HIS GREAT GIFTS HE SHOWS US.
WE COME TOGETHER AS GATHERER'S AND WE GO FORTH AS SCATTERERS, NOT MERELY TO TELL OUR BROTHERS AND SISTERS EVERYWHERE THAT WE LOVE THEM, BUT ALSO TO SHOW THEM IN AND THROUGH OUR ACTS OF LOVING SERVICE.
THE INVITATION
★ You can't depend on your own goodness to get to Heaven. We've all sinned (Romans 3:23). Jesus paid the penalty for your sins with His death on the cross and His resurrection (John 3:16).
★ To be forgiven and be guaranteed a place in Heaven, you need to repent of sin, confess that you are a sinner, and believe on the Lord Jesus Christ in your heart (Acts 2:21).
★ You can use the following prayer or your own words, but you must actually believe in your heart that your prayer is real:
Lord Jesus, I believe You are the Son of God. I confess that I have sinned against You in thought, word, and deed. Please forgive all my wrongdoing and let me live in relationship with You from now on.
I receive You as my Savior and recognize that the work You accomplished once and for all on the cross was done on my behalf.
Thank You for saving me. Help me to live a life that is pleasing to You.
In Your name I pray, Amen.
4-13-16
