Acts 10:39--43
"We are witnesses of everything He did in the country of the Jews and in
Jerusalem. They killed Him by hanging Him on a tree, but God raised Him
from the dead on the third day and caused Him to be seen. He was not
seen by all the people, but by witnesses whom God had already chosen--by
us who ate and drank with Him after He rose from the dead. He commanded
us to preach to the people and to testify that He is the one whom God
appointed as judge of the living and the dead. All the prophets testify
about Him that everyone who believes in Him receives forgiveness of sins
through His name."
NIV
In the Name of the Living One, amen.
A pious myth, a hallucination, a contrived story, or the real thing? One
of these things is not like the others--which one can it be?
Intimidation, ad hominem, empiricism, or humility? One of these things
is not like the others--which one can it be?
The number of ways people attempt to justify their unbelief is endless.
So is the number of ways they try to drag us along with them. We can be
led astray. We can be taken down that road. "It is scientific; it must
be right," we think. "It was on the news or a national talk show; it
can't be wrong." "That's true, I've never seen someone rise from the
dead, maybe it is just a pious myth." And, as unbelief creates a hole in
our being, that hole begs to be filled and so, in our unbelief we begin
to think that all sorts of things might be possible. Angel sightings,
seances, UFOs, and past life regression. These things and all the others
that come to mind have far less basis for belief than Jesus' resurrection
from the dead and yet ye we can be prone to believing them with less
doubt than the resurrection.
But the fact is that like the disciples, we too have seen our risen
Savior. We have seen Him, we have touched Him. In the Holy Supper we
eat and drink with Him. In the Holy Supper we receive the same body and
blood that was crucified for us. Notice that we receive the body and
blood that was crucified, not is crucified. The crucifixion happened
once and is over. The body and blood that we receive is the resurrected
Lord Jesus Christ. Now, if you have seen Him, if you have touched Him,
what reason could you possible have to doubt?
Instead of a myth, hallucination, or story we have the real thing.
Instead of intimidation, ad hominem. or empiricism we have humility. By
humility we belive what God tells us--that all who believe in Jesus
receives forgiveness of sins. Glory be to our risen Savior! Amen.
Prayer:
Dear Heavenly Father you are infinitely greater than us. Give us your
Holy Spirit, Your Spirit of Humility, so that we will never be so
arrogant that we think we know better than You. Amen.