God's Last Words

IF YOU AREN'T WILLING TO SACRIFICE FOR WHAT YOU BELIEVE IN  - THEN WHAT’s THE POINT OF RISKING BEING CONFIRMED AS A HYPOCRITE?

“Putting The Saints In Circulation”

Luke 24:36b-48

We in the church and Christians in general are doing a poor job at reaching people for Jesus these days. Many are in hazard of dying without the grace of God touching their lives.

Three young gen-y-ers died and meet at the gates of Heaven. St. Peter tells them they can enter the gates if they can answer

St. Peter asks the first one, an avid skate boarder, “What is Easter?” The youngster answers, “Oh, that’s easy. It’s the holiday in November when everyone gets together and eats turkey.” “Wrong,” says St. Peter.

He turns to the second, a snow boarder, and asks the same question. He replies, “Easter is the holiday when we put up the tree, exchange presents, and celebrate the birth of a dude called, Jesus. Primo boarding season, Maestro!”

“Wrong again,” says St. Peter. He turns to the third gen-y-er, who loves to water board, and asks her the same question, “Do you know what Easter is?

“Yes I do,” and who says, “Easter is the Christian holiday that coincides with the Jewish celebration of Passover. Jesus and his disciples were eating at the last supper and Jesus was later deceived and turned over to the Romans by one of his disciples. The Romans took him to be crucified and he was stabbed in his side, made to wear a crown of thorns, and was hung on a cross with nails through his hands. He was buried in a cave which was sealed off by a large boulder.”

St. Peter smiles in delight. The third gen-y-er continues, “Every year the boulder is moved aside so that Jesus can come out…and, if he sees his shadow, there will be six more weeks of winter. It’s gnarly, big dude”

Somehow the witness of the faith has not been communicated very well, has it?

Let’s hear our Gospel lesson for today: While they were talking about this, Jesus himself stood among them and said to them, ‘Peace be with you.’ They were startled and terrified, and thought that they were seeing a ghost. He said to them, ‘Why are you frightened, and why do doubts arise in your hearts? 

Look at my hands and my feet; see that it is I myself. Touch me and see; for a ghost does not have flesh and bones as you see that I have.’ 

And when he had said this, he showed them his hands and his feet. 

While in their joy they were disbelieving and still wondering, he said to them, ‘Have you anything here to eat?’ They gave him a piece of broiled fish, and he took it and ate in their presence.

 Then he said to them, ‘These are my words that I spoke to you while I was still with you—that everything written about me in the law of Moses, the prophets, and the psalms must be fulfilled.’ 

Then he opened their minds to understand the scriptures, and he said to them, ‘Thus it is written, that the Messiah is to suffer and to rise from the dead on the third day, and that repentance and forgiveness of sins is to be proclaimed in his name to all nations, beginning from Jerusalem. You are witnesses of these things.

The details reported in this passage from Luke make it very clear that this is the same body that was crucified and is now resurrected and what they are seeing is not a ghost, because he’s doing physical stuff before their eyes.  

One can almost hear these first witnesses of the resurrection explaining later everything to their incredulous friends and family:

“No the empty tomb wasn't a lie. We didn't go there when no was looking and take his body away secretly. No really, we aren't hallucinating. Just the opposite, our eyes were opened, our minds were shown a totally new understanding of the scriptures. No really, it wasn't "God's Word" re-appearing. It was the actual Jesus who died on the cross - we saw the wounds. No really, it wasn't a ghost. We saw him eat right before our eyes.”

However, the Jesus-who-died-on-the-cross-and-has-been-raised has not come back simply to take up his old job. The now-resurrected-Jesus once again patiently explains "my words that I spoke to you while I was still with you."

(Note how the now-resurrected-Jesus who is present with the disciples makes an odd past-tense, third person reference to that time before, "while I was still with you." There is continuity but also a distinction between Jesus then -  Jesus now.)

In effect the now-resurrected-Jesus is saying, "Over to you." "Repentance and forgiveness of sins is to be proclaimed." YOUR TURN. You are the witnesses of these things. Get ready to testify to the truth and nothing but the truth. Proclaim it.

And maybe just a little shaky at first, that is what they did.  They became witnesses.

A witness in our world tells others what they have seen or heard, or experienced, and boy did they pay a price for it.

Let me tell what the Bible means by the word “witness.” The Greek word used in the New Testament for witness is “martyria” (mär-tü-rē'-ä).  This word has come to be known and used as an English word - martyr. Jesus is saying: I’m turning it over to you. It means it’s your turn to testifying concerning future events. And your turn may require a price too!

Jesus has accomplished defying death on our behalf. God has delivered the promised “Kinsman Redeemer.” We have been given hope and a promise for eternity. We are to testify to it. We are to sacrifice ourselves to and for this testimony – to martyr ourselves for and to it.

Bill Schnebly told me a joke last week with a punch line that suggested too many of us choose to serve Christ “in the secret service.” That’s not an option – Jesus wasn’t talking about hiding lights under a bushel basket when He was appearing to His disciples in this passage. He wasn’t talking about Sunday morning testifying but getting out and about and letting people know who you are.

So what is your style? Running? Ducking? Denying? Stupid Looks? Constantly hanging to the back so no one picks you or notices you? Or are you bold enough to outright refuse?

The Bible gives us several styles to choose from: Confrontational (Acts 2)? Intellectual (Acts 17)? By being Testimonial (John 9)? Relational (Mark 5)? Invitational (John 4)? Or Serving (Acts 9)? Or you can discover your own method.

Then get out of your chair and use it, for the Glory of God. Live by faith, not fear!!!

During the reign of Oliver Cromwell, there was a shortage of currency in the British Empire. Representatives carefully searched the nation in hopes of finding silver to meet the emergency. After one month, the committee returned with its report. "We have searched the Empire in vain seeking to find silver. To our dismay, we found none anywhere except in the cathedrals where the statues of the saints are made of choice silver." 

To this, Oliver Cromwell eloquently answered, "Let's melt down the saints and put them into circulation." 

Sadly, in our day too many saints with a perspective and worthy witness, are unwilling to risk martyring their reputations and person-hood, by moving out of their safe havens called church and going forth into the non-faith community.

After His death Jesus had to come to His disciples and ask them to go forth, just like the saints of our day need to go out into circulation into our society. Jesus did not promise it would be easy, rather that it is, and was all part of an eternal plan. Amen.