"Some have in fact already turned away to follow Satan." (1 Timothy 5:15, NIV)
I looked at the "Resurrection Story" from the perspective of one of today's readings. Anyone who refuses to believe the eyewitnesses accounts of the Resurrection of Jesus has, "turned away to follow Satan." This, "turned away," decision ruled in the majority in the hours following the first Easter. It's the day after the resurrection. Life must be chaotic in Jerusalem and throughout the region, Pilate attempting to explain to the Roman Hiearchy just what happened, and the Jewish leaders attempting to forge a story as to how the Body of Jesus disappeared. They had, "already turned away to follow Satan."
Nothing much has changed. The world is still is the same mode. "It just could not have happened. His followers just made up the whole thing." Yet history tells us that all the original remaining 11 Apostles died violent deaths, yes, many also include John in this. One question remains. Why would someone knowingly die for a lie. Now Muslim terrorists will die for Koranic principles, but they actually believe there are all those promises of the after life awaiting them; they die for "truth" as they see it. But it is quite another thing to knowingly forge a lie about a physical event, expand on it theologically, then consummate it by dying for that deception.
I choose to accept as the truth the eye witness accounts, "For what I received I passed on to you as of first importance that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, that He was buried, that He was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures, and that He appeared to Cephas, and then to the Twelve. After that, He appeared to more than five hundred of the brothers and sisters at the same time, most of whom are still living, though some have fallen asleep. Then he appeared to James, then to all the apostles, and last of all He appeared to me also, as to one abnormally born."
So there you and I and the whole of humanity throughout history have it. What we believe about the Resurrection of Jesus Christ is based upon what others have told us. Yes, that's right, what others have told us. To the spiritually arrogant who would say, "O, no. I believe it because it is in the Bible." Really? What do you think is the source of the Biblical accounts of the life, death and resurrection of Jesus? It is, "That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we have looked at and our hands have touched-- this we proclaim concerning the Word of life." Today the vast majority of humans are as Thomas, "Unless I see the nail marks in His hands and put my finger where the nails were, and put my hand into His side, I will not believe." That is simply their choice. I choose today to believe those many hundreds who, "were eyewitnesses and servants of the word." I choose today to believe Peter, who wrote, "For we did not follow cleverly devised stories when we told you about the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ in power, but we were eyewitnesses of His majesty." And because I have chosen and continue to choose to believe the, "eyewitnesses of His majesty," I am a blessed person indeed.
Father, in Jesus' Name, I glory in Your Resurrection. Amen.
I looked at the "Resurrection Story" from the perspective of one of today's readings. Anyone who refuses to believe the eyewitnesses accounts of the Resurrection of Jesus has, "turned away to follow Satan." This, "turned away," decision ruled in the majority in the hours following the first Easter. It's the day after the resurrection. Life must be chaotic in Jerusalem and throughout the region, Pilate attempting to explain to the Roman Hiearchy just what happened, and the Jewish leaders attempting to forge a story as to how the Body of Jesus disappeared. They had, "already turned away to follow Satan."
Nothing much has changed. The world is still is the same mode. "It just could not have happened. His followers just made up the whole thing." Yet history tells us that all the original remaining 11 Apostles died violent deaths, yes, many also include John in this. One question remains. Why would someone knowingly die for a lie. Now Muslim terrorists will die for Koranic principles, but they actually believe there are all those promises of the after life awaiting them; they die for "truth" as they see it. But it is quite another thing to knowingly forge a lie about a physical event, expand on it theologically, then consummate it by dying for that deception.
I choose to accept as the truth the eye witness accounts, "For what I received I passed on to you as of first importance that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, that He was buried, that He was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures, and that He appeared to Cephas, and then to the Twelve. After that, He appeared to more than five hundred of the brothers and sisters at the same time, most of whom are still living, though some have fallen asleep. Then he appeared to James, then to all the apostles, and last of all He appeared to me also, as to one abnormally born."
So there you and I and the whole of humanity throughout history have it. What we believe about the Resurrection of Jesus Christ is based upon what others have told us. Yes, that's right, what others have told us. To the spiritually arrogant who would say, "O, no. I believe it because it is in the Bible." Really? What do you think is the source of the Biblical accounts of the life, death and resurrection of Jesus? It is, "That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we have looked at and our hands have touched-- this we proclaim concerning the Word of life." Today the vast majority of humans are as Thomas, "Unless I see the nail marks in His hands and put my finger where the nails were, and put my hand into His side, I will not believe." That is simply their choice. I choose today to believe those many hundreds who, "were eyewitnesses and servants of the word." I choose today to believe Peter, who wrote, "For we did not follow cleverly devised stories when we told you about the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ in power, but we were eyewitnesses of His majesty." And because I have chosen and continue to choose to believe the, "eyewitnesses of His majesty," I am a blessed person indeed.
Father, in Jesus' Name, I glory in Your Resurrection. Amen.
When Peter, an 18 year old Norwegian, "heard the call to evangelize China, on that day he not only emptied his wallet into the collection plate, but included a small note with the words, 'and my life.'"
"Looking unto Jesus"
Hebrews 12:2
"Looking unto Jesus"
Hebrews 12:2
