Ways of life
If we all remember back to Good Friday – that rather rainy day when we remembered once again the crucifixion of Jesus, and think of things that have happened since we will probably all recall different things – perhaps personal events or milestones, or perhaps big news stories – perhaps a Cardiff Blues European Challenge Cup Semi Final win or perhaps the election debates, or the rather unfortunate microphone incident suffered by Gordon Brown…. Then there was also of course the ash crisis preventing flying for so many…
However, whatever has happened to us or even in the world around us doesn’t remotely compare with the changes brought about in the lives of some of Jesus’ followers… following the arrest of Jesus most of his followers went into hiding – locked away in a room afraid of the future and confused about the past…
Life was cheap at that time and executions were common place so it was only natural that these people should have been frightened… for 3 years they had followed a great teacher, a person who went about doing all kinds of incredible things, and a person who gave them a special place in his life – they believed they were living those 3 years in the immediate presence of the Saviour of the world, but that Saviour was now dead – and the questions over whether he was a Saviour at all must have been going round and round in their minds…
But what an incredible transformation we hear about in this evening’s reading (Acts 2:14,22-33) – Peter, who shortly before had denied even knowing Jesus, now began to speak boldly to some of the people who killed Jesus. As transformations go this was pretty incredible.
Peter continued his address by reminding the listeners of the power of Jesus and of the wonders and signs that he had done and, for good measure, he reminded these people that they had been the ones who had actually killed Jesus - as if they didn’t remember !
And then he went on to offer an explanation for the reason for his transformation – God had raised Jesus up, freeing him from the power of death… this was something that could never be equalled – human torture and insults could never again hurt those closest to Jesus…
Perhaps most dangerously for Peter he then began to quote some words of David – this was really pushing home the transformation – David was such a powerful and revered figure within the Jewish nation that any use of his words or even his name in a way that was seen to be defamatory could easily have led Peter to suffer the same fate as Jesus…
But Peter wasn’t worried about that – he had witnessed the living Lord Jesus and he knew that nothing could ever separate him from him again… Peter spoke powerfully – empowered by the gift of the Holy Spirit, and trusting that he would receive the wisdom and the words to proclaim that Jesus was alive…
He spoke confidently the words of David, words which he knew as a reality for himself – ‘I saw the Lord always before me for he is at my right hand so that I will not be shaken – therefore my heart was glad and my tongue rejoiced, moreover my flesh will live in hope…’
We can only speculate on Peter’s thoughts after the crucifixion but now we need speculate no more – now we see a man incredibly confident that whatever problems he may face, Jesus would show him the ways of life… Peter, like David, could say to God with complete trust – ‘you make me full of gladness with your presence’.
Peter’s transformation is to us both an example and an inspiration but also a challenge. We too can live as people empowered by the Holy Spirit, as people who know the living Lord Jesus – and we too can display the power that Peter showed if we are willing to get the power from the same source – from Jesus himself.
In hiding and in fear the disciples had nobody to trust – but now they knew that they could trust the one who had conquered even death…
But so often we don’t – so often we live our lives filled with fear – we live our lives afraid to trust, we live our lives lacking the confidence of knowing that Jesus walks alongside us… C.S. Lewis the writer of the Narnia series of books and a Christian who, at times, struggled with his faith, received a letter from a young girl called Ruth – he wrote in reply, ‘Many thanks for your kind letter, and it was very good of you to write and tell me that you like my books; If you continue to love Jesus, nothing much can go wrong with you, and I hope you may always do so. I’m so thankful that you realised the hidden story in the Narnia books. It is odd – children nearly always do, grown ups hardly ever…’
As Jesus reminded us many times, we must become like little children in order to know him better – we must become ready to trust in a way that, as adults, we have often forgotten how to trust…
And if we do that, and with our lives constantly being transformed by God, may we always see Him and know that he is at our right hand and that nothing can ever separate us from his love and from his life, and may we be always ready to offer the words of praise to God that David used, ‘You have made known to me the ways of life – you will make me full of gladness in your presence…’ AMEN
However, whatever has happened to us or even in the world around us doesn’t remotely compare with the changes brought about in the lives of some of Jesus’ followers… following the arrest of Jesus most of his followers went into hiding – locked away in a room afraid of the future and confused about the past…
Life was cheap at that time and executions were common place so it was only natural that these people should have been frightened… for 3 years they had followed a great teacher, a person who went about doing all kinds of incredible things, and a person who gave them a special place in his life – they believed they were living those 3 years in the immediate presence of the Saviour of the world, but that Saviour was now dead – and the questions over whether he was a Saviour at all must have been going round and round in their minds…
But what an incredible transformation we hear about in this evening’s reading (Acts 2:14,22-33) – Peter, who shortly before had denied even knowing Jesus, now began to speak boldly to some of the people who killed Jesus. As transformations go this was pretty incredible.
Peter continued his address by reminding the listeners of the power of Jesus and of the wonders and signs that he had done and, for good measure, he reminded these people that they had been the ones who had actually killed Jesus - as if they didn’t remember !
And then he went on to offer an explanation for the reason for his transformation – God had raised Jesus up, freeing him from the power of death… this was something that could never be equalled – human torture and insults could never again hurt those closest to Jesus…
Perhaps most dangerously for Peter he then began to quote some words of David – this was really pushing home the transformation – David was such a powerful and revered figure within the Jewish nation that any use of his words or even his name in a way that was seen to be defamatory could easily have led Peter to suffer the same fate as Jesus…
But Peter wasn’t worried about that – he had witnessed the living Lord Jesus and he knew that nothing could ever separate him from him again… Peter spoke powerfully – empowered by the gift of the Holy Spirit, and trusting that he would receive the wisdom and the words to proclaim that Jesus was alive…
He spoke confidently the words of David, words which he knew as a reality for himself – ‘I saw the Lord always before me for he is at my right hand so that I will not be shaken – therefore my heart was glad and my tongue rejoiced, moreover my flesh will live in hope…’
We can only speculate on Peter’s thoughts after the crucifixion but now we need speculate no more – now we see a man incredibly confident that whatever problems he may face, Jesus would show him the ways of life… Peter, like David, could say to God with complete trust – ‘you make me full of gladness with your presence’.
Peter’s transformation is to us both an example and an inspiration but also a challenge. We too can live as people empowered by the Holy Spirit, as people who know the living Lord Jesus – and we too can display the power that Peter showed if we are willing to get the power from the same source – from Jesus himself.
In hiding and in fear the disciples had nobody to trust – but now they knew that they could trust the one who had conquered even death…
But so often we don’t – so often we live our lives filled with fear – we live our lives afraid to trust, we live our lives lacking the confidence of knowing that Jesus walks alongside us… C.S. Lewis the writer of the Narnia series of books and a Christian who, at times, struggled with his faith, received a letter from a young girl called Ruth – he wrote in reply, ‘Many thanks for your kind letter, and it was very good of you to write and tell me that you like my books; If you continue to love Jesus, nothing much can go wrong with you, and I hope you may always do so. I’m so thankful that you realised the hidden story in the Narnia books. It is odd – children nearly always do, grown ups hardly ever…’
As Jesus reminded us many times, we must become like little children in order to know him better – we must become ready to trust in a way that, as adults, we have often forgotten how to trust…
And if we do that, and with our lives constantly being transformed by God, may we always see Him and know that he is at our right hand and that nothing can ever separate us from his love and from his life, and may we be always ready to offer the words of praise to God that David used, ‘You have made known to me the ways of life – you will make me full of gladness in your presence…’ AMEN
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