44 Yeshua said to them, “This is what I meant when I was still with you and told you that everything written about me in the Torah of Moshe, the Prophets and the Psalms had to be fulfilled.” 45 Then he opened their minds, so that they could understand the Tanakh, 46 telling them, “Here is what it says: the Messiah is to suffer and to rise from the dead on the third day; 47 and in his name repentance leading to forgiveness of sins is to be proclaimed to people from all nations, starting with Yerushalayim. 48 You are witnesses of these things. 49 Now I am sending forth upon you what my Father promised, so stay here in the city until you have been equipped with power from above.”
50 He led them out toward Beit-Anyah; then, raising his hands, he said a b’rakhah over them; 51 and as he was blessing them, he withdrew from them and was carried up into heaven. 52 They bowed in worship to him, then returned to Yerushalayim, overflowing with joy. 53 And they spent all their time in the Temple courts, praising God. (Complete Jewish Bible).
***
Reflection Questions:
After meeting the risen Christ at Emmaus, the two disciples rushed to Jerusalem to share the news with the others. As they were speaking, Jesus himself appeared. Luke reported what Jesus did to show them that he was no ghost, but fully alive physically. Jesus again explained the Scriptures to the disciples, and commissioned them to share his message of repentance and forgiveness of sins. “You are witnesses,” he said, promising that God’s power would help them spread his message.
- Jesus defeated death, robbing evil of its greatest threat. As Pastor Hamilton says every Easter, Jesus' resurrection means that “the worst thing is never the last thing.” That is good news—praise God! Jesus’ summary of his message in verse 47 was “the Christ will suffer and rise from the dead on the third day, and a change of heart and life for the forgiveness of sins must be preached in his name to all nations.” In what ways has believing Jesus rose from the dead changed your heart and life? Does the resurrection make Jesus' claim to have the divine authority to forgive your sins more credible? Jesus’ words in verse 48 apply to you today as much as to his first disciples—Jesus called you to share that good news with others. In what ways can you be a “witness” and share the hope of the resurrection this week? This month? Throughout the next year?
King Jesus, I am so grateful that you conquered death and offer me the hope of resurrection! Help me to rejoice in that hope, and to be your witness, sharing that hope with others. Amen.
Family Activity:
As a family, name the four seasons, then invite each person to share what they like and dislike about each one. For example, the summer brings more free time, but often high heat. The winter offers snow for sledding and snowball fights, but unsafe driving conditions. Take a moment to imagine what life would be like if you only experienced one season every day, all year long. What would you like about that? What would you miss? Remind one another that even though change can be difficult, we can often find good in the new experience or situation. Read Lamentations 3:22-23 and Hebrews 13:8(Lamentations 3:
22 that the grace of Adonai is not exhausted,
that his compassion has not ended.
23 [On the contrary,] they are new every morning!
How great your faithfulness!
and Hebrews 13:8 Yeshua the Messiah is the same yesterday, today and forever.)(Complete Jewish Bible) aloud, then thank God for being faithful through all of life’s changes. Pray for a heart and mind open to positive and healthy change.
Read today's Insight by Penny EllwoodRev. Penny Ellwood is the Campus Pastor at Resurrection Blue Springs.
The Gospel of Mark, as Pastor Adam shared in his Easter sermon, ends on an odd note, with the women fleeing the tomb in fear, not saying a word to anyone. This ending was so odd that the early church kept tacking on additional verses to reach a more positive conclusion.
Luke’s gospel offers a more detailed account of the resurrection witnesses but his version produces an odd set of reactions as well. The women who first find the tomb empty are perplexed and then terrified when the two angels appear (Luke 24:4-5). The disciples dismiss their tale and don’t believe them (24:11). Then in today’s reading when Jesus appears later on, to the eleven remaining apostles, “they were startled and terrified, and thought they were seeing a ghost” (24:37). Even Matthew, which presents a more positive account, leaves us at the ascension of Jesus with "they worshiped him, but some doubted" (Matt. 28:17).
I think we tend to believe that had we been there to witness the risen Jesus, everything would have been clear and reassuring. The picture we are given is that in every situation, whatever happened, it was frightening, strange, and confusing, even for the eyewitnesses. Here was Jesus in a transformed body that was solid and real and yet could pass through walls. It appeared to somehow belong to and fuse together the dimensions of earth and heaven.
The resurrection and the ascension stretch our imaginations, both then and now, further than we would like. We who live conditioned by a world of sin and death find it challenging to comprehend God’s new reality. Does the evidence about Jesus’ resurrection clear up all our doubts about God and the Bible? I’m afraid not. Not until we reach heaven will we have all the answers we seek. However, it does provide a solid basis for intelligent faith in those times when we struggle with doubt.
Jesus alone is the risen Savior. He wants each of us who have not seen Him to believe. He wants us to recognize that He, our Lord and God, died in our place, taking the penalty we deserved for our sin. He wants us to proclaim this message to the world so that others might receive his forgiveness and new life. To share the stories of the transformations we have experienced in our own lives and in others. This is the good news of the gospel. It is the way toward new life and new possibilities for the entire world.
The resurrection experience is shrouded in mystery, but the message for us is clear: “a change of heart and life for the forgiveness of sins must be preached in his name to all nations." So, Go! Tell! Be witnesses to the transformative power of Jesus Christ for the world! He’s risen, and he's sending you.
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You might also like
- Luke’s ending—source or echo of Mark 16:12?
- Matthew’s ending—some of what Mark may have reported
- Two sincere efforts to supply a missing ending
- “He has been raised. He isn’t here.”
- Jesus' followers attentively buried his body
- Or download this week's printable GPS.
©2017 Church of the Resurrection. All Rights Reserved.
Scripture quotations are taken from The Common English Bible ©2011.
Used by permission. All rights reserved.
The United Methodist Church of the Resurrection
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