Title: Resurrection (Easter Worship)
Contents
John 21:1 14
resurrection
Thunder Singh, a saint from India, visited England. someone asked him. “Why did you abandon your long-standing Hinduism and believe in Jesus?” In other words, what was the difference between Hinduism and Christianity, and the reason for conversion was asked. He replied simply: “Because the resurrected Jesus is still alive and working.” The Bible is full of stories about the resurrection. We testify of the resurrection of Jesus more than 100 times. In particular, 1 Corinthians 15 is called the Easter Chapter. Looking at it there, the core of the gospel Paul preached was the death and resurrection of the cross. Resurrection is central to Christianity and is central to the gospel. In Christianity, minus the resurrection is zero. Faith that does not believe in the resurrection is a false faith.
The famous American psychologist William James once fell into despair. When I was 27, I had a nervous breakdown. He was in a situation where he did not know when he was going to commit suicide in fear, fear, and discouragement. He put down any drugs, doctors, human thoughts or methods, and started reading the Bible. When he read the words “I am the resurrection and the life” in John 11:25, he felt a burning sensation in his heart. I wondered if Jesus, who raises the dead, could not heal me. I've been repeating those words all day. Then faith came into my heart. When I had faith, courage and hope arose, and I came to believe that the living Jesus was with me. He was completely healed of the nervous breakdown that had driven him to the bottom of his life. And I started living my life as an outstanding psychologist. You must believe in Jesus and meet Jesus. In particular, only when we believe in the resurrected Jesus and meet the resurrected Jesus can change occur in our lives.
First, when you meet the resurrected Jesus, you become a person of peace.
Originally, “Peace be with you” was not only a common Jewish greeting, but an idiom often used at the beginning or end of letters. But the peace that Jesus gave was not an ordinary greeting. The peace that the resurrected Jesus gave us was the peace of heaven that overwhelms all fears, anxiety, shocks and despair. The moment they met the resurrected Jesus, the disciples changed completely. Their lives changed from despair to hope, from sadness to joy, and from worry to comfort. Christianity is not a religion of death, but a religion of life. Resurrection religion.
The famous American theologian Paul Tillich said, “The root cause of human anxiety, nervousness, and fear is death, the change of existence into non-existence.” Unable to solve the problem of death, human beings suffer from anxiety and fear, and have no choice but to die miserably. However, although Jesus died on the cross and rose from the dead, we are freed from the anxiety and fear of death and can enjoy life and peace.
Second, when you meet the resurrected Jesus, you become a person of faith.
When the resurrected Jesus appeared to the disciples for the first time, He gave them peace, but He also showed them his hands and side. What is the intention? It means to believe in the resurrection of Jesus by seeing his nailed hands and his side pierced by spears. “When he had said this, he showed his hands and his side, and the disciples were glad when they saw the Lord.” Thomas was not present at this time. Even when the other disciples said that “Jesus was resurrected,” Thomas could not believe it. Even if the other disciples testified that “the resurrected Jesus has given us peace,” Thomas could not believe it. Thomas said to the other disciples: 'resurrection! you're talking funny You must have seen some bullshit. If there is such a thing as a resurrection, I put a chapter in my hands.’ “Thomas said, “Unless I see the marks of the nails in his hands, and put my finger in the marks of the nails, and put my hand into his side, I will not believe.” Because he couldn't believe it, Thomas shook his head.
A week passed like that. There must have been an ongoing argument between the disciples, who had met the risen Jesus for a week, and Thomas, who had not. Who would win? Perhaps the one with the loudest voice would win. So who had the loudest voice? That ignorant person must have had a loud voice. I don't know, but Thomas would have won. A person who is ignorant and confident is of no use no matter what anyone says. I don't listen to others. For a week, the cutting board must have been very happy. Jesus appeared the second time when the eleven disciples were all together. He spoke directly to Thomas. "He said to Thomas, "Put your finger here and see my hands, and reach out your hand and put it in my side; so that you may not be unbelievers, but believers. The resurrected Jesus appeared to doubtful Thomas in a special way, demanding that he become a believer.
Why did Jesus emphasize faith in the resurrection? This is because the resurrection is the core of the gospel, and the resurrection is inextricably linked with the death of the cross. If we do not believe in the death and resurrection of Jesus on the cross, we can never be saved. Jesus died on the cross to forgive our sins, and He broke the authority of death and rose again to give us eternal life. That is why faith in the resurrection is absolutely essential. After meeting the resurrected Jesus, Thomas confessed his faith in this way. “Thomas answered and said, My Lord and my God.” After that, he lived by faith in the resurrection of Jesus. In the end, he advanced to the position of martyrdom with that faith.
Third, when you meet the resurrected Jesus, you become a person of mission.
We can see that when the resurrected Jesus first appeared to his disciples, he first gave them peace, then gave them faith, and then entrusted them with a mission. “As the Father has sent me, so am I sending you.” In today's text, seven disciples were together on the Sea of Galilee. Peter tried to catch fish all night, but in vain. As the day dawned, Jesus appeared. This is the third appearance of the resurrected Jesus to the disciples. Jesus told his disciples to cast their nets on the right side of the boat. The disciples were able to catch 153 fish. Jesus prepared bread and charcoal-grilled fish for breakfast for his disciples. That is the content of today's text. However, after today's text, after the disciples had breakfast, Jesus asked Peter a question. “Do you love me more than these people?” You keep asking the same question three times. And Jesus repeated his mission three times (John 21:15-17).
In the Gospel of Matthew, on the eve of His crucifixion, Jesus promised His disciples, “After I am risen, I will go before you into Galilee” (Matthew 26:32). When Jesus was resurrected, the angel told the women who visited the tomb of Jesus the same story (Matthew 28:7). As promised, Jesus met his disciples in Galilee. Jesus gave his disciples the Great Commission as a mission. “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me; therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to obey all that I have commanded you. will always be with you.”
On the way to Damascus, Saul met the resurrected Jesus. “Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting me?” Saul asked, “Who are you, Lord?” Then Jesus said: “I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting; get up and stand on your feet. I have appeared to you, that I may make you a servant and a witness in what you have seen me and what I will appear to you. to turn from darkness to light and from the power of Satan to God, and to have an inheritance among sinners and among the multitudes who are sanctified by believing in me.” The resurrected Jesus met Saul in Damascus and gave him a mission. Just as he made Peter an apostle to the Jews, he made Saul an apostle to the Gentiles.
tidy up.
As a young man, Livingston was reading Robert Moffett's travels to Africa. These words stood out. “I look down on villages from the African highlands. Countless lives live in those many houses, but no one will know Jesus. When will the day come when they too will hear the gospel of salvation?” At that moment, his heart warmed. I realized my mission. “I am going to Africa.” He plunged into the African native forest. learned to speak. He was bitten by an animal and almost died. He was attacked by barbarians, captured and nearly killed. Fighting drought and flooding, he was dedicated to saving souls. He traveled 11,000 miles (17,600 km) on foot. May 1, 1873. His body was found in a hut in the village of Alara. He fell down in a prayer position and died. In his last diary it was recorded: “Today I worked with the living Lord.” He died while living his mission without fear through faith in the resurrection. Today is Easter Sunday. Jesus is resurrected. We believe that the risen Jesus establishes us as people of peace, people of faith, and people of mission.