The Messiah’s Secret – The Doors were Shut

Below an "Upper Room" at Jerusalem

The disciples were in fear of being arrested by either the Jews or the Romans following the crucifixion of Jesus. We can imagine a similar situation today where Christians in Iraq and Syria no doubt know the fear of someone coming to arrest them, for being followers of Jesus and in this terrible situation we hope and pray, that they are being upheld by the presence of Jesus in their hearts.

The disciples were fearful because of the Jews threats against Jesus in their association with him. We have evidence in John 11: 8, 16 where the disciples had agreed to go with Jesus to Bethany, but they knew that there was a risk of Jesus being stoned by the Jews in Judea.“Thomas, called the twin, said to his fellow disciples, “Let us go, that we may die with him.” So they went to Bethany and that’s why they kept the doors shut.

So when on the evening of the Day of the Resurrection Jesus came and stood among them. He was alive, yes it really was Jesus. God had raised him from the dead.

He said to them, “Peace be with you.” Their first reaction perhaps stunned at what they saw. Jesus repeated his words, which must have reached into the depths of their being, giving them God’s peace.

Shalom.

Shalom is the peace coming from God that passes all understanding. Peace its ripples of contentment flow out touching every sphere of a Christian’s life. It’s the fruit of God’s Spirit: love, joy and peace. Galatians 5: 22

John experienced along with those present Jesus breathing on them saying, "Receive the Holy Spirit," Jesus the word of life, his words spirit and life, fulfilling John the Baptist’s words, The Messiah would baptise them with the Holy Spirit and fire, everything stemming from our creator God.

Some decades later

John the Apostle wrote in his first letter in connection with the resurrection, that Jesus was manifested to them in his eternal body.

”That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen, with our eyes, which we have looked upon and touched with our hands, concerning the word of life, the life was made manifest, and we saw it, and testify to it and proclaim to you the eternal life which was with the Father and was made manifest to us.”

John looking back remembered what he saw, he and the others  were eye witnesses they had looked upon and touched the risen Jesus with their hands. 1 John 1: 1, 2.

John for a period of time led the church at Ephesus he witnessed through his letter defending the resurrection from the sceptics of his day.

Oxford dictionary 
A sceptic is a person inclined to question or doubt accepted opinions.

Thomas was sceptical when he heard of Jesus’ resurrection.

Thomas, the same man who earlier had said, “Let us go, that we may die with him.”

He fled from the Garden when Jesus was arrested, and Thomas was not with the others in the house on the evening of the day of Jesus’ resurrection.

We read he was sceptical he would not believe the testimony from the other disciples. He would not believe until he saw where the nails that had pierced his flesh and the sword his side.                         

Today Christian testimonies don’t seem to register with sceptics. People want evidence they want to experience something of God before they will commit themselves to believe in Jesus.

Thomas found out the truth when he saw and touched his risen Lord, he exclaimed, “My Lord and my God.” He recognised Jesus as both his Lord, his teacher, his friend, his leader and his God He recognised that Jesus was God.

So now he had found the way that Jesus had spoken about in an earlier conversation with him. Jesus had said, “You know the way to where I am going.” Thomas replied, “Lord, we do not know the way to where you are going.” 

Thomas had looked upon, he had touched eternal life God manifested in Jesus, he found the way to eternal life it was through having faith in Jesus.

Jesus said to Thomas,” Have you believed because you have seen me? Blessed are those who have not seen and yet believe.

Our country is now teeming with people who are sceptical of the Christ’s resurrection and who Jesus is.

I can only speak from my own experience, over the last few months I’ve had several conversations with people most acknowledge that there is a God, but they are sceptical about Jesus’ place in that context of being both Messiah and God.

 “How do you know that Jesus is who he says he is? The answer is to find out for ourselves.

One way is by taking the words from the Bible and talk to God and say a prayer, you talk to God as you would a friend. 

The other week I was asked, 'Did Jesus exist at all?' I replied, that a highly regarded historian Josephus wrote about Jesus and of the claim of his followers to the resurrection of Jesus.

Another common assumption is that all religions believe in the same God. This is not true. Other religions put God on a higher plane, on a pedestal, out of reach of humanity.

Whereas, the Christian faith we know that Jesus has made it possible for us to know God like Thomas that Jesus is both our Lord and our God, and its through faith we have been blessed we who haven’t seen but believe.

Prayer

Lord, may anyone here this morning who have doubts about the resurrection come to you in faith and by God’s grace may they find their Lord and God removing any doubts they may have.

In Jesus name.

The Messiah's Secret - Jesus is Alive

 Last  week  Brenda gave me a book to read ‘Light Through Prison Bars’ It is about Rev Noel Proctor who had headed up Strangeways Prison Manchester Chaplaincy Team in the 80’s and 90’s.

There had been a rival in Strangeways Prison during the 1980’s hundreds of men had come to faith in Christ.”The revival was the talk of the Christian community in the North West. Christians around the region supported the work with house groups and by receiving a Prison Prayer Letter which Brenda still hands out each month.

In John’s first letter “The reason the Son of God appeared was to destroy the works of the devil. “And everyone who thus hopes in him purifies himself as he is pure,”  

The devil had been defeated as the Lord transformed the lives of the prisoners, and they were leaving prison walking in the light of knowing Jesus in a personal way and bearing witness through the change that had taken place within their lives, a high percentage didn’t re-offend. 1 John 3: 8, 9.

However, this was contested by the devil through the Strangeways Prison riot that took place on April 1^st 1990. I remember seeing it on TV prisoners throwing slates off roofs and fires had been started in the buildings. It was the worst prison disturbance in the history of prisons.The Governor said that it had been an explosion of evil.

Noel saw all his work come to a sudden devastating end.

In his book he wrote, “A heavy weight was lodged around his heart, he felt guilty, constantly he asked himself whether there was anything he could have done on that morning of April 1^st to stop the riot. He felt empty, as if nothing could reach him, he questioned his faith including the resurrection, shortly after the riot his wife died.

A friend told him that that he was experiencing the crucifixion of Jesus.

When Jesus was arrested in the Garden of Gethsemane, he was deserted by his disciples, they all fled, in fear of being arrested. Jesus went on to experience spiritual separation from God his Father.  He was heard to cry out, “My God, my God why have you forsaken me.” Matthew 27: 46.

The cross and the Christian intertwine, it's were Jesus spoke of his followers taking up their cross daily and that means at some point on our journey, we will know the suffering of Christ in various ways. However, it's important to say that there are more times of rejoicing than times of suffering.

One of those ways Noel was experiencing his ‘emptiness’ were the presence of the Lord seemed to have totally disappeared.

Other Christians who have experienced the same: C. S Lewis it was after his wife died, Mother Teresa at the founding of her missionary work and Martin Luther when he was a young monk, God allowed this to happen to them like Noel for a reason.

You may know someone who is going through a similar situation and the Lord wants you to show them Jesus going through it as well, so he knows how they feel.

In the book ‘The Inward Journey’ by Gene Edwards

Gene described how it feels to be completely empty of the Lord’s presence, “It’s not a dry period, nor is it having a hard time, it’s not personal illness or persecution and it’s not that you have forsaken the Lord, nor has there been any reason that should cause the Holy Spirit not to be there. It‘s as if God has walked off.  

But take heart he writes, no believer has gone through what some call the ‘dark night of the soul’ without one day coming into the joy and surprise of a bright morning of resurrection.”                         

Noel’s resurrection

Noel went to visit a former prisoner in hospital who he had known for a number of years. This man had made comments in the past to Noel saying that the resurrection was a fairy story. That day he shared with Noel his ‘near death’ experience where he saw a light in the darkness, in his thoughts he struggled to get to the light, when he was almost there about to enter into the light when a door slammed shut and the light was no longer there. At that point he woke up, having been resuscitated. He confirmed to Noel that he is now a Christian and believes in the resurrection, life after death.                   

The Lord used this former prisoner’s witness to give Noel a fresh touch of the Holy Spirit, his faith had been strengthened by what he had suffered and he rejoiced in the hope of the resurrection.                                       

Two types of resurrection

Coming to faith in Christ

Firstly for an increasing number of people who have no Church background, it’s when they hear about Jesus  and turning to Jesus in faith repent, and die to sin, they are raised up with Jesus in his resurrection into newness of life.  Colossians 2: 12

Secondly- when Jesus calls out his church we receive our resurrected body

Luke’s account gives us some insight into Jesus’ resurrected body. 

His body had substance, whereas, a spirit does not have flesh and bones. Jesus showed them the holes where the nails had pierced his hands and his feet. He wanted them to touch his hands were the nails had been.

One of the differences; no blood in his risen body, we would say flesh and blood, but Jesus said, flesh and bones. His body had no blood, his heart had been speared by the centurion, so to touch his flesh must have been cold.

He asked for their food to eat, grilled fish and he ate it before them. In all probability he did this for his disciples benefit, so they could identify with their own body and not a spirit.

Another difference was that his body could pass through walls and disappear from human view in a moment. Jesus resurrected body the first of a new creation. 

Luke 24: 36-43. 2 Corinthians 5: 15-17                                                                                                                                                                       

Paul explained the resurrection to the Corinthians by the example of some creatures have fur, others scales, feathers, shells, celestial and terrestrial etc 1 Corinthians 15: 39, 40

We will receive our resurrected body when Jesus calls out the Church  

You can’t destroy matter so God will gather the dust, every fragment of our natural body bringing it together and it’s transform into an imperishable resurrected body.

Fulfilling Jesus words, “I AM the resurrection and the life. Those who believe in me though they die yet shall they live,

This is where the dead in Christ  rise together with  those who are alive at the time of the call, as Jesus said, “and who ever lives and believes in me shall never die”  John 11: 25, 26.

Paul confirming Jesus’ word in his first letter to the Thessalonians, There will be a meeting in the air Christians those who have died in Christ, and those who are living on the earth. Our bodies will be changed at the twinkling of an eye. The whole church meeting with Jesus in the air. 1 Thessalonians 4: 16, 17.