Appearance
Commentary
At first, just the word that someone had seen him was enough. The eyewitnesses were present. Of course, no one had witnessed the resurrection event itself, but that was not nearly as important as the fact that there were many eyewitnesses and they would be around for some time. See 1 Corinthians 15 for an early word.
Since everybody seemed convinced Jesus would soon return and God's kingdom would come with time-shattering effect, there was little reason to interview anybody and record eyewitness accounts.
But the decades passed. The eyewitnesses began to die off. Jesus didn't return. The need for corroborating stories about him began to arise.
There are those who think the Gospel of Mark was based on an interview with an aging apostle Peter about A.D. 70. One can imagine the need for hard evidence began to really escalate when the one event they all thought would usher in the kingdom - the destruction of the temple in A.D. 70 - did not prove to herald the new age.
So, it is understandable that books like Acts and Revelation, probably written about the same time in the early '90's, and John, even further removed by another twenty years or so, would include stories of the appearance of the risen Lord.
Some of the stories, such as that from John, recalled events of the past. But, in all probability, the best and most convincing stories were like those in Revelation and Acts which were evidence for the presence and activity of the risen Lord (in the present).
That is the best witness to the resurrection. Stories of the event are interesting, but what makes them believable are stories that witness to his power and presence in the present, in the lives of men and women, in the affairs of the world.
Take a look at the world and, even considering all its problems, imagine what it would be without him -- without the hospitals, the universities, the homes for the abandoned young and the aged, the churches, the multitudes of service agencies everywhere, and the changed lives of millions.
The truth is he is still making appearances.
OUTLINE I
A Model for Witnessing
Acts 5:17-32
Introduction: It is always good to review the events that led up to the lesson. Those who are witnesses to the resurrection and the ascension have taken to the streets. Denied access to the synagogues for what is considered a heretical message about a discredited Messiah, they have nowhere else to go. And the stage is set.
1. What The Opponents Do. Of course, they do the obvious thing ... they put them in jail to shut them up. It is always a favorite way to quiet any message you'd rather people not hear. Besides, such a threat will surely make them think twice before doing it again.
2. What The Lord Did. We usually imagine some winged creature coming and breaking the lock with a touch. Remember, the word "angel meant messenger," one sent on behalf of God. Who knows? Maybe it was a sympathetic jailer, or even one of the Pharisees. They didnÌt like Sadducees much and besides, the Pharisees did accept the idea of resurrection; it was the Sadducees who had everything to lose if the resurrection was true. After all, they had been pooh-poohing the resurrection for a long time. Whoever it is that comes, the coming is seen to be the LordÌs doing, since the messenger is on the LordÌs side.
3. What The Disciples Did. They went right back to the streets with the same message except this time they get the opportunity to speak that message to their opponents. See verses 29-32.
Conclusion. It is not always an easy thing to be a witness. Most of us think we are witnessing if we are seen going to church or signing a petition favoring something good in the community or being good parents, etc. All of that is good, of course, but what about witnessing that costs something, in places where it isn't accepted, on issues where our views are not popular, regarding activities supported by the majority who oppose us. How ready are we to witness then, to follow the model of these earliest witnesses, whose stand cost a great deal?
OUTLINE II
Thomas: A Man to Emulate
John 20:19-31
Introduction: We ought to begin any consideration of Thomas by going back to a few other places in the record and recalling something about this interesting man. First turn to John 11:1-16 -- the story of the raising of Lazarus. Then turn to John 14:1-7 which portrays Jesus making assurances regarding his leaving the disciples. Now you can begin to see some other characteristics of this often-mentioned disciple.
1. John 11:1-16. First of all, Thomas was a man of conviction who was willing to die for what he believed. That set him apart from the others, who ran when the going got tough. Thomas could see that the raising of Lazarus was the ultimate challenge. They would never let him get away with that. He knew there was a price to be paid.
2. John 14:1-7. In the John 14 selection, Thomas is the ultimate realist. He can look Jesus in the eye and ask him to explain what sounds great but seems a bit ethereal. Thomas was willing to pursue the facts to their bitter end.
3. John 20:24. Now you are ready to call him Doubting Thomas. But that doubting is seen in a new light. Here is a realist, a hardheaded man ready to make a commitment and then pay the price that went with it. He wanted no dreams and no fairy tales. He knew there would be enough of them. John would want to tell his story most of all since, by his day, the Gnostics were everywhere with their spiritualist stories. Thomas asked for real evidence and he got it.
Conclusion. Perhaps we ought to give up the phrase 'doubting Thomas.' Perhaps we ought to give this man the acclaim he deserves. Best of all, we can recommend to our people that they ought to emulate him -- to be willing to stand for their convictions, to be realistic in their expectations, and to ask questions.
They have no need to worry. The Lord won't be displeased. He didn't put Thomas down. He answered his question. And he can answer ours.
OUTLINE III
Ours is a Piece of Cake
Revelation 1:4-18
Introduction:Set the scene. Remind your hearers of the times of Domitian. Read BarclayÌs introductory remarks to Revelation and let your congregation know what those first readers were facing. We sit in our comfortable church pews on Sunday and imagine these words were written to us, telling us of a second coming and our going to heaven, where all is going to be wonderful. Compared to their circumstance, we are already in heaven. We ought to be ashamed to forget their plight. They were desperate for a word of certainty, a word of witness, a word of hope.
A. Certainty. The certain word is from the risen Lord himself. It came to his churches and dealt with their circumstances. This was no made-up book. It was no fantasy. They knew it was real because it dealt with their real lives. And they heard its word of certainty rooted in their heritage. The symbols were meaningful to them and the references to the Scriptures they knew led them to accept the Word as from the Lord.
B. Witness. The Word apparently came from one they knew and trusted. How easily he identifies himself as John, their brother. They knew. They knew about his exile to Patmos. Although we wish we knew who he was, it is clear, from the fact that he offers no detailed identification, they knew him well and his witness brought the renewed courage.
C. Hope. Domitian was a formidable opponent. But one thing he had not done. He had not faced death and won. Jesus had. (See verses 17 and 18.) If they were convinced that death was not the end, that even Domitian could not sever their tie to hope for a new world and new life, they were undefeatable. They knew who the real victor was. By such a word they are prepared to face the worst and be victorious. Psalm 2 is a word of warning to all the Domitians who arise.
Conclusion. If this life is all there is, then we ought to keep all we can at all costs. But if it is not, if there is victory, if there is more (and we have his word that there is) then who can threaten us? Surely, with the little difficulties we face from day to day, compared with theirs, living out our faith ought to be a piece of cake. Check out Psalms 118 and 149 for the joy of those who have heard this message.
Since everybody seemed convinced Jesus would soon return and God's kingdom would come with time-shattering effect, there was little reason to interview anybody and record eyewitness accounts.
But the decades passed. The eyewitnesses began to die off. Jesus didn't return. The need for corroborating stories about him began to arise.
There are those who think the Gospel of Mark was based on an interview with an aging apostle Peter about A.D. 70. One can imagine the need for hard evidence began to really escalate when the one event they all thought would usher in the kingdom - the destruction of the temple in A.D. 70 - did not prove to herald the new age.
So, it is understandable that books like Acts and Revelation, probably written about the same time in the early '90's, and John, even further removed by another twenty years or so, would include stories of the appearance of the risen Lord.
Some of the stories, such as that from John, recalled events of the past. But, in all probability, the best and most convincing stories were like those in Revelation and Acts which were evidence for the presence and activity of the risen Lord (in the present).
That is the best witness to the resurrection. Stories of the event are interesting, but what makes them believable are stories that witness to his power and presence in the present, in the lives of men and women, in the affairs of the world.
Take a look at the world and, even considering all its problems, imagine what it would be without him -- without the hospitals, the universities, the homes for the abandoned young and the aged, the churches, the multitudes of service agencies everywhere, and the changed lives of millions.
The truth is he is still making appearances.
OUTLINE I
A Model for Witnessing
Acts 5:17-32
Introduction: It is always good to review the events that led up to the lesson. Those who are witnesses to the resurrection and the ascension have taken to the streets. Denied access to the synagogues for what is considered a heretical message about a discredited Messiah, they have nowhere else to go. And the stage is set.
1. What The Opponents Do. Of course, they do the obvious thing ... they put them in jail to shut them up. It is always a favorite way to quiet any message you'd rather people not hear. Besides, such a threat will surely make them think twice before doing it again.
2. What The Lord Did. We usually imagine some winged creature coming and breaking the lock with a touch. Remember, the word "angel meant messenger," one sent on behalf of God. Who knows? Maybe it was a sympathetic jailer, or even one of the Pharisees. They didnÌt like Sadducees much and besides, the Pharisees did accept the idea of resurrection; it was the Sadducees who had everything to lose if the resurrection was true. After all, they had been pooh-poohing the resurrection for a long time. Whoever it is that comes, the coming is seen to be the LordÌs doing, since the messenger is on the LordÌs side.
3. What The Disciples Did. They went right back to the streets with the same message except this time they get the opportunity to speak that message to their opponents. See verses 29-32.
Conclusion. It is not always an easy thing to be a witness. Most of us think we are witnessing if we are seen going to church or signing a petition favoring something good in the community or being good parents, etc. All of that is good, of course, but what about witnessing that costs something, in places where it isn't accepted, on issues where our views are not popular, regarding activities supported by the majority who oppose us. How ready are we to witness then, to follow the model of these earliest witnesses, whose stand cost a great deal?
OUTLINE II
Thomas: A Man to Emulate
John 20:19-31
Introduction: We ought to begin any consideration of Thomas by going back to a few other places in the record and recalling something about this interesting man. First turn to John 11:1-16 -- the story of the raising of Lazarus. Then turn to John 14:1-7 which portrays Jesus making assurances regarding his leaving the disciples. Now you can begin to see some other characteristics of this often-mentioned disciple.
1. John 11:1-16. First of all, Thomas was a man of conviction who was willing to die for what he believed. That set him apart from the others, who ran when the going got tough. Thomas could see that the raising of Lazarus was the ultimate challenge. They would never let him get away with that. He knew there was a price to be paid.
2. John 14:1-7. In the John 14 selection, Thomas is the ultimate realist. He can look Jesus in the eye and ask him to explain what sounds great but seems a bit ethereal. Thomas was willing to pursue the facts to their bitter end.
3. John 20:24. Now you are ready to call him Doubting Thomas. But that doubting is seen in a new light. Here is a realist, a hardheaded man ready to make a commitment and then pay the price that went with it. He wanted no dreams and no fairy tales. He knew there would be enough of them. John would want to tell his story most of all since, by his day, the Gnostics were everywhere with their spiritualist stories. Thomas asked for real evidence and he got it.
Conclusion. Perhaps we ought to give up the phrase 'doubting Thomas.' Perhaps we ought to give this man the acclaim he deserves. Best of all, we can recommend to our people that they ought to emulate him -- to be willing to stand for their convictions, to be realistic in their expectations, and to ask questions.
They have no need to worry. The Lord won't be displeased. He didn't put Thomas down. He answered his question. And he can answer ours.
OUTLINE III
Ours is a Piece of Cake
Revelation 1:4-18
Introduction:Set the scene. Remind your hearers of the times of Domitian. Read BarclayÌs introductory remarks to Revelation and let your congregation know what those first readers were facing. We sit in our comfortable church pews on Sunday and imagine these words were written to us, telling us of a second coming and our going to heaven, where all is going to be wonderful. Compared to their circumstance, we are already in heaven. We ought to be ashamed to forget their plight. They were desperate for a word of certainty, a word of witness, a word of hope.
A. Certainty. The certain word is from the risen Lord himself. It came to his churches and dealt with their circumstances. This was no made-up book. It was no fantasy. They knew it was real because it dealt with their real lives. And they heard its word of certainty rooted in their heritage. The symbols were meaningful to them and the references to the Scriptures they knew led them to accept the Word as from the Lord.
B. Witness. The Word apparently came from one they knew and trusted. How easily he identifies himself as John, their brother. They knew. They knew about his exile to Patmos. Although we wish we knew who he was, it is clear, from the fact that he offers no detailed identification, they knew him well and his witness brought the renewed courage.
C. Hope. Domitian was a formidable opponent. But one thing he had not done. He had not faced death and won. Jesus had. (See verses 17 and 18.) If they were convinced that death was not the end, that even Domitian could not sever their tie to hope for a new world and new life, they were undefeatable. They knew who the real victor was. By such a word they are prepared to face the worst and be victorious. Psalm 2 is a word of warning to all the Domitians who arise.
Conclusion. If this life is all there is, then we ought to keep all we can at all costs. But if it is not, if there is victory, if there is more (and we have his word that there is) then who can threaten us? Surely, with the little difficulties we face from day to day, compared with theirs, living out our faith ought to be a piece of cake. Check out Psalms 118 and 149 for the joy of those who have heard this message.
