Read
What Jesus' Followers
(Matthew 28.16-20; Mark 16.14-18; John 20.19-23; Acts 1.6-8)
36While Jesus' disciples were talking about what had happened, Jesus appeared and greeted them. 37They were frightened and terrified because they thought they were seeing a ghost.
38But Jesus said, “Why are you so frightened? Why do you doubt? 39Look at my hands and my feet and see who I am! Touch me and find out for yourselves. Ghosts don't have flesh and bones as you see I have.”
40After Jesus said this, he showed them his hands and his feet. 41The disciples were so glad and amazed that they could not believe it. Jesus then asked them, “Do you have something to eat?” 42They gave him a piece of broiled fish. 43He took it and ate it as they watched.
44Jesus said to them, “While I was still with you, I told you that everything written about me in the Law of Moses, the Books of the Prophets, and in the Psalms had to happen.”
45Then he helped them understand the Scriptures. 46He told them:
The Scriptures say that the Messiah must suffer, then three days later he will rise from death. 47They also say that all people of every nation must be told in my name to turn to God, in order to be forgiven. So beginning in Jerusalem, 48you must tell everything that has happened. 49 I will send you the one my Father has promised, but you must stay in the city until you are given power from heaven.
Reflect
I love the unrestrained thrill of roller-coasters with their gut-wrenching twists and turns, their surprising lurches and flips. I am game to strap myself into the wildest of rides, tamping down the fear that always insists on coming along.
Had I been present with the disciples on this day described by Luke, I think I would have met my match in roller-coaster living. First, there was the long descent into Friday’s crucifixion, watching Jesus suffer and die. Then there was the uncertainty of Saturday, followed by the soaring hope of Sunday – could it be that he had truly risen from the dead?
Then, the answer comes. Jesus stands miraculously in the midst of the disciples. They are terrified. I think I would have been too.
But notice what Jesus does. He immediately addresses their fear. He asks questions. He holds out his hands, points to his feet. He invites them to touch his body. He asks for food and eats it in front of them.
“I am real!” This is how Jesus calms fear. His actions and words all convey the same message: “I am real. I am here. And that means there is no need to be afraid.”
Then Jesus gives his disciples a further gift. He helps them understand how their own scriptures – the Hebrew books of the Torah, the Psalms and the Prophets – predicted what would happen to him. It’s as if he were showing them the drawings of a roller-coaster so they could visualize every inch of the track, prepare themselves for the ride.
Being a disciple of Jesus is rarely a leisurely stroll in the park. More often, it is a roller-coaster ride. But fear is not our only companion on this ride. Jesus is there too.
Respond
Jesus, thank you for travelling with us on this roller-coaster ride of life. Help me to remember that you are with me in the dips, the long stretches and the moments when I feel like I’m soaring. Amen.
Geri Rodman
Under Geri’s leadership, Inter-Varsity Christian Fellowship Canada is focused on a 10-year goal of Launching 20,000 Extraordinary Kingdom Leaders by 2020. "We believe God will launch youth and students as Kingdom Leaders who are so transformed by Jesus that nothing will stop their enormous zeal for the things of God." Geri was appointed president of Inter-Varsity Christian Fellowship Canada in 2002, after spending 23 years leading the InterVarsity Christian Fellowship/USA ministry in Northern California and Hawaii. Educated at the University of Toronto and Wheaton College, Geri is currently enrolled in a Doctor of Ministry program at Gordon-Conwell. She serves on the boards of, the Evangelical Fellowship of Canada and Water Ambassadors Canada.