MY PERSPECTIVE, Gary Damron
Following Easter last week, I became intrigued with the question, what do we do after the big event? There were many momentous occasions surrounding Jesus, so today we'll look at several, and question what should follow.
First was the Transfiguration (Matthew chapter 17:1-8). Six days after Peter's profession that Jesus was the Messiah, Jesus took Peter, James and his brother John to a high mountain. Suddenly, Jesus "was transfigured before them; and his face shone like the sun, and his garments became as white as light. And behold, Moses and Elijah appeared to them, talking with him. And Peter... said to Jesus... 'I will make three tabernacles here'". From a theological view, Peter had missed the point. Three of his misunderstandings: 1) God doesn't need a manmade place. 2) Moses and Elijah were with Jesus, but only he was transfigured, illustrating that the Law and the Prophets were pointing to the Christ. 3) Until the death and resurrection of Jesus, Peter and the others would be telling the "wrong story", so Jesus instructed them on the way down the mountain not to let anyone know about the Transfiguration until after his death.
The second big event was the resurrection itself. John chapter 20 tells us that Peter and John were running together toward the tomb after being told Jesus' body was missing. John "saw and believed", but the next verse clarifies that as yet they did not understand the Scripture..."so the disciples went away again to their own homes" (verses 8-9). Peter had acted impulsively at the Transfiguration, but now both he and John retreated while Mary Magdalene lingered outside the tomb weeping. When Jesus appeared and called her by name, she recognized him, and responded in Hebrew, "'Rabboni!'" (Master). Mark 16:11 adds that when she told the disciples he was alive, they refused to believe it. Also, after two on the Emmaus Road met him and returned to tell of it, the disciples still did not believe (Mark 16:13-14). Though Jesus called it hardness of heart, I'd be inclined to call it hardheadedness. But once they too experienced a personal encounter with the resurrected Jesus (John 20:19), doubt turned to belief.
Big Event Number Three might be the ascension, after Jesus revealed himself alive for forty days to hundreds of people, and he prepared to return to heaven. He said in Acts 1:8, "'you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be my witnesses.... ' And after he had said these things, he was lifted up ... out of their sight" (Acts 1:8-9). Sometimes we can be so distracted in amazement - waiting for the rapture, lost in the scriptures, caught up in music or ritual or a certain minister - that we miss the reason for the event. Two men in white asked why they were gazing into heaven, then instructed them to return to Jerusalem and wait for the promised gift of the Spirit - the same Spirit who is available to lead and guide us still today.
The fourth and final life-changing event to highlight is Pentecost, details of which we discussed in a March 21st article. "When the day of Pentecost had come, they were all together in one place. And suddenly there came from heaven a noise like a violent, rushing wind, and it filled the whole house where they were sitting. And there appeared to them tongues as of fire distributing themselves, and they rested on each one of them. And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit was giving them utterance” (Acts 2:1-4). The languages enabled them to communicate with hundreds of foreigners present in Jerusalem that day, and the Spirit spoke through them.
This filling, the indwelling of the Holy Spirit, accomplished Jesus' promise back in John 14:17. "'He abides with you and will be in you.'" Through the Spirit baptism, we're enabled to be his witnesses, according to John 13:35. "'I am giving you a new commandment, that you love one another; just as I have loved you, that you also love one another.'"
A quote we've used before by J P Moreland is found in Lee Strobel's book "The Case for Easter" regarding Jesus' followers. "[Soon] we see them abandoning their occupations, regathering, and committing themselves to spreading a very specific message - that Jesus Christ was the Messiah of God who died on a cross, returned to life, and was seen alive by them." They knew for a fact, after witnessing several big events, that he was alive. They talked with him, touched him, ate with him, and watched him ascend to heaven. Knowing these truths, they were willing to die for him.
As a result of four big events, we too can respond by thanking Jesus for what he's done for us and who he is. We can ask, what should we do to continue his ministry on earth? We can pray to experience God's filling presence, and go forth with the conviction, strength, and courage to live for him.
