Published Apr 04, 2023
I wrote the first narrative, Theophilus, about all that Jesus began to do and teach until the day he was taken up, after he had given instructions through the Holy Spirit to the apostles he had chosen.
After he had suffered, he also presented himself alive to them by many convincing proofs, appearing to them over a period of forty days and speaking about the kingdom of God. Acts 1:1-3 CSB
Almost 2,000 years ago, it didn’t look good for Jesus or His disciples.
Days after a palm parade, in a mock trial, Jesus was falsely accused, convicted, executed, and buried. All the good He had done seemed to do nothing but get Him executed. The disciples were at a loss, and their whole lives were turned upside down. They had given up everything to follow after Jesus, and now their hopes were crushed.
Isn’t life like that sometimes? Literally, all hell can break loss, our worlds turned upside down, and all seems hopeless and despairing. The enemy loves when God’s people feel hopeless. When we seem to be drowning in dire circumstances, with no sign of relief, we become plagued with doubt, and our hope can be depleted. Hopelessness is fueled by doubt, and its essence is the absence of faith.
Jesus the Nazarene died on a solemn Friday afternoon, ending what was a whirlwind three years of life-changing ministry. Many lost hope that day. In one of the most sinister acts of injustice, Jesus, who brought so much healing and wholeness to so many people, was killed.
But oh, one Sunday morning, everything changed when Jesus got up from the grave, just as He promised. In the power of the Holy Spirit, He began His church and instructed his disciples.
Jesus even went on what we could call today an “I Am Alive” tour for 40 days. He did so by offering “many convincing proofs” to His disciples that He was indeed alive and in full authority over heaven and earth.
Jesus was showing up in locked rooms unannounced. He was making fish for breakfast on the beach. He was appearing to folks on the road. He was setting up meetings with His disciples. He was appearing to the masses, and he even showed himself to a group of 500 at one time.
Though today, we don’t see Jesus in person “on tour,” putting his aliveness on display, we believe and know He lives. How? We believe He lives because, as believers, we know Emmanuel, God with us, promised God in us through the Holy Spirit. We still meet with Jesus spiritually and are born again to a living hope. We still bear witness of His power and resurrection in our lives today. We still fall in love with the person and presence of Jesus in our lives.
Jesus made sure His resurrection from the dead would have a world-changing impact. Here were are today, believing and still proclaiming the Good News of the Gospel of Jesus Christ to all who will listen.
Do you believe? Do you see him now?
The more we believe, the more we see.
