The church and believers have been struggling to figure out the resurrection since it was discovered, as the stories about Mary and Peter attest. As we share that struggle in a new era, we can recognize several things about the resurrection worth noting in coming weeks.
This week's scriptures point us to realize that resurrection isn't simply about life after death.
They give testimony to the courage and determination of the earliest disciples confronting the Sadducees of the Jewish religious establishment in Acts 5. It reminds us that Jesus wasn't the only unpopular and rebellious individual. His followers insisted that they were answering God's call to ministry in Jesus' name and in the promotion of the gospel, and no amount of threats, even of death itself, was going to deter them. What happens when what we may see as "good deeds" are punishable by arrest, punishment, and even execution?
The most well known symbol of the struggle to understand the resurrection is "doubting" Thomas, of course, in John 20. In the exchange between Thomas and the resurrected Lord, the final message is "believe." Belief and doubt need to be seen as opposites.
The resurrection is meant to be spiritually empowering. Resurrection without spiritual empowerment almost voids its meaning. To delve into this further, check out the sermon video below (only half of my head, but it is the half that I use), and note the downloads below the video panel.
This week's scriptures point us to realize that resurrection isn't simply about life after death.
They give testimony to the courage and determination of the earliest disciples confronting the Sadducees of the Jewish religious establishment in Acts 5. It reminds us that Jesus wasn't the only unpopular and rebellious individual. His followers insisted that they were answering God's call to ministry in Jesus' name and in the promotion of the gospel, and no amount of threats, even of death itself, was going to deter them. What happens when what we may see as "good deeds" are punishable by arrest, punishment, and even execution?
The most well known symbol of the struggle to understand the resurrection is "doubting" Thomas, of course, in John 20. In the exchange between Thomas and the resurrected Lord, the final message is "believe." Belief and doubt need to be seen as opposites.
The resurrection is meant to be spiritually empowering. Resurrection without spiritual empowerment almost voids its meaning. To delve into this further, check out the sermon video below (only half of my head, but it is the half that I use), and note the downloads below the video panel.
| 04-03-16-ff-answers.pdf |
| 04-03-16-resurrection_witness-spiritual_empowerment.pdf |