Exeter Temple Message notes: Sunday 10th May 2015
Bible Readings: Matthew 28:16-20 Acts 1:1-26
Jesus spent
about 40 days on earth after his resurrection just as he had spent 40 days enduring temptation before his
public ministry. Now in the Jesus displayed
his supremacy. These 40 days were of
immense value to the believers in establishing the reality of his victory.
1. Re-instatement
Jesus’
instructions to his disciples after the resurrection ca seem confusing. Matthew says Jesus instructed the disciples
to go Galilee. Luke says Jesus told them to stay in Jerusalem. There is not real conflict. Jesus initially
told them to go back to Galilee and then when he had completed his ministry
with them there, ushered them back to Jerusalem. Jesus had a two-fold plan in this
instruction.
Before
the disciples were ready to receive the power of the Holy Spirit, they first of
all had to be convinced that his resurrection victory was their victory too and
that they were needed to continue his work.
He probably took them to Galilee do this to remind them of their
original calling and was letting them know that all they learned in Galilee was
still valid and essential to what they were to teach in Jerusalem and
beyond. Jesus took them
back to Jerusalem because they needed to remember that their mission could not
be confined to Galilee and that they would be equipped for the task he was giving
them.
The disciples could have rebelled against going to either place. To go back
to Galilee, still unsure of the reality of Jesus’ resurrection was to face
people who might feel the disciples had betrayed them and Jesus. If they told
people Jesus was alive and that wasn’t really true, they faced further rejection.
Equally staying in Jerusalem was dangerous as to the Jews they were friends of
a blasphemer and to the Romans, friends of a revolutionary.
Yet the
disciples did what Jesus asked them to do and the joy and hope joy of a
Resurrected Jesus was enough for them to take the risks and not run off the
Egypt or Samaria.
For us Galilee stands for the
restoration of calling and ministry. When
we feel that we have failed as disciples Jesus takes us back in our minds and
in our hearts to the place of our calling and reassures us that his call still
stands. His victory over death, tells us
that there is nothing that cannot be overcome by him. Jerusalem stands for the
place where we need to trust in the promise that God gives all the power we
need to fulfil the calling. 2. Reassurance Acts
1:1-11
a) With evidence that he was
alive v 3
If there is
no resurrection our faith is futile. Christianity is nothing but another
religion among many others. The resurrection was God’s declaration that Jesus
is everything He claims to be.
The word translated
proof is from the Greek legal word “tekmeerion” and refers to proof that is
irrefutable and indisputable.
“Is the resurrection of Jesus “of first importance” to you? If we’re not
careful we develop an ego-centric mentality that hinders our understanding of
the Bible. The resurrection of Jesus is more important than whether you get
that promotion at work or meet that special someone or pay all your bills this
week. God cares about all those things in our lives but first things first. Are
you rejoicing this morning that Jesus conquered death and hell and rose from
the dead? All your future depends upon that. Your hope of glory depends upon
that? Your power for victorious living depends upon that. It is the risen,
ascended Christ Who has sent the Holy Spirit to empower us to live for God and
fulfil His will in our lives.” (Richard Tow)
b) The promise of the Father v4-5
Luke 24 and
Acts 1 show us that without the empowerment of the Holy Spirit we are not fit
to do the mission God has given us to do. It’s not a matter of more
information, teamwork or effort but the necessity of a power beyond our own.
c) The
possibility of fulfilling their calling v8
Jesus is convinced that his disciples who have been so weak and unbelieving
will be transformed by the Holy Spirit and become good witnesses. “you will be “ is a great phrase.
Witnesses of
the risen Jesus can be sure of three things.
Their experience of the risen Jesus is real. They are testifying to a reality. They will be given the courage and the
ability to give witness and finally they will be called upon to testify.
3. Re-adjustment
After all the
lofty statements found at the end of Matthew and the beginning of Acts electing
a apostle could have seems a side issue.
But they
need to face their anger, confusion, pain and grief over Judas. How could they
offer themselves to the Great Commission and at the same time harbour bitter
angry thoughts about Judas? Much has
been made of the fact that the Holy Spirit came when the believers were all
together in one place, the inference being that when God’s people are united
then the Spirit can be poured out more readily.
“How good and how pleasant it is
when brothers live together in unity and it goes on to say, “For there the Lord
bestows his blessing even life forevermore.” (Psalm 133)
Failing to
face up to the issue of Judas and making the decision about who would replace
him could have become a real source of division between the followers of Jesus.
Instead they dealt with it by referring to the word of God and saturating their
decision-making in prayer. As a result
the disciples were freed from the past and the leadership team was
reinforced.
We must
beware of defining activities and issues into spiritual and non-spiritual. Finding a successor for Judas was as crucial
an element in the 40 days preparation for Pentecost as Peter’s conversation
with Jesus with Jesus on the beach.
It is easy
to be distracted by trivia and we often need to resist non-essential issues but
if a seemingly less important matter keeps coming to mind whilst we are praying
then the Lord is probably leading us to deal with it. It is often true that practical,
organisational issues have real heart and mission issues attached to them.
Those 40 days were crucial days. The period of time is not always
the same, but there are days when the Lord wants to take us back to our
Galilee, to our beginning, to our first love, to reveal his Risen presence and
re-call us to follow him, with renewed passion and faith. There are days when we need to let him speak
his promises to us again,
“I am with you always even to the end of the age.”
“You will be baptised with the Holy Spirit.”
“You will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes upon you
and you will be my witnesses.”
There are days ahead that will be freer, fuller and more
fruitful if when the Lord shows us what we should deal with, we act rather than
delay. May God give us courage to make
the re-adjustments he calls us to make.
God bless
Alan and Carol
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