Luke 24:44-53; Ascension of Our Lord; June 2, 2019;
Life in Christ Lutheran Church, Grand Marais, MN
Then he said to them, “These
are my words that I spoke to you while I was still with you, that everything
written about me in the Law of Moses and the Prophets and the Psalms must be
fulfilled.” Then he opened their minds to understand
the Scriptures, and said to them, “Thus it
is written, that the Christ should suffer and on the third day rise from the
dead, and that repentance and forgiveness of
sins should be proclaimed in his name to all nations, beginning from Jerusalem Bethany Jerusalem
Grace and peace to you from Our Lord and Savior, Jesus
Christ. Amen.
“You are my witnesses of these
things.” Jesus said to them.
Well, it was easy for them
to be witnesses wasn’t it? After all they had seen Jesus, right there in the
upper room. He miraculously appeared standing in the middle of them, even with
the doors locked. It was easy for them, they had walked and talked with
Jesus for 3 years, seeing all that He did, great signs and wonders, healing,
multiplying food, casting out demons, walking on the water. It was easy for them,
He told them about all about what would happen, in fact, He told them just how
it would happen. It was easy for them because they were eyewitnesses.
They were there with Jesus the whole time. It was easy for them, wasn’t
it?
It’s not easy for me. I’m
afraid I’m not a very good witness. I sweat just thinking about it. I can’t
mention Jesus to my neighbors; I’ve already had a fight with them about the
trash in their yard. I’ve already called the cops on their dog. It’s not easy
for me; I’ve known my friend for years and we’ve done some things
together that I can’t talk about in church. Now I can’t mention Jesus to him,
he wouldn’t believe that I believe. It’s not easy for me. I don’t know
what to say. My tongue gets tied up in knots and what I do say doesn’t make
sense. It’s not easy for me. I don’t know the bible well enough to tell
the story. I haven’t cracked the pages of it for years. I haven’t seen Jesus
like the disciples did. It was easy for them. It’s not easy for me,
is it?
When it comes to being a witness of
these things, we often think that the disciples had all the advantages.
It’s easy to think that they were good witnesses because of what they had seen,
because they saw Jesus in flesh and blood. It’s not unusual for Christians to
think that their faith would be stronger if they could just have a boost, if
something miraculous would just happen to them. We can all think that if we had
seen Jesus our faith would have been strong. It must have been easy for the
disciples to believe. They had seen Jesus. The lived then and there when it all
happened. But St. Luke really tells us a different story. Throughout his book
he makes it very clear that the disciples had a very difficult time believing. They
failed Jesus. The abandoned him when he was arrested. And on Easter Sunday when
he rose from death, they seem to forget all the times that he said he would do
just that. Right before this text for today, in fact, several people have seen
Jesus, and they hurry to tell the disciples. But, instead of being filled with
faith, they were filled with fear and doubt. On the day we remember as Jesus
great victory over death and the grave, the disciples weren’t joyful at all.
They were hiding in a dark upper room. Doubting the stories they were being
told. Jesus appeared right there in the middle of them when they were talking
about Jesus appearance to the disciples on the Emmaus road. He offered them
peace, but peace wasn’t what they were thinking about. They were afraid: startled
and frightened the text says. They were afraid of the very thing they were
just talking about. They thought they were seeing a ghost. Here they were
followers of Jesus, not believing that He was alive even though He stood right
there in front of them. Jesus asks them why they were afraid, why did they
doubt. “Look it’s me!” He says, “but don’t believe your eyes, touch me, and
handle me. I’m here. Here are my hands. These are the very same hands you saw
heal the sick; the very same hands you saw raise the dead; the very same hands
you saw pinned to the cross.” And even though they wished it to be true, still
they couldn’t believe what they were seeing. Jesus even ate some fish to show
that He was there and not some kind of vision. As if to say “See, Ghosts done
eat fish!” The disciples had all the advantages we sometimes wish for and yet
on that first Easter Sunday, the disciples of Jesus had trouble believing.
We don’t see Jesus like they did.
And sometimes we have trouble believing. It’s easy to have doubts especially
when we are wracked with troubles. “If Jesus is really God, why do I have to
suffer?” We say. “God if you’re really out there, help me through this!” “If I
really believed what Jesus did for me, I be a bold witness in this community.” We think we that our doubts are because
we don’t have Jesus to touch and feel. We think we have doubts because Jesus
doesn’t seem real to us. He’s only a story that we’ve heard. We want to see
Jesus, like the disciples did. But despite the popular saying, seeing isn’t believing. Remember Easter
Sunday, the disciples had all the seeing they could handle. Yet, doubt reigned
there. We need more than seeing, the disciples needed more than seeing. And gracious
giving God gives us exactly what we need.
Listen to the Witness, St. John’s
That
which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our
eyes, which we looked upon and have touched with our hands, concerning the word
of life— the life was made manifest, and we have seen
it, and testify to it and proclaim to you the eternal life, which was with the
Father and was made manifest to us— that
which we have seen and heard we proclaim also to you, so that you too may have
fellowship with us; and indeed our fellowship is with the Father and with his
Son Jesus Christ. And we are writing these
things so that our joy may be complete. (1 John 1:1-4, ESV)
Notice how he uses all the senses.
He heard, he saw, he touched… But that’s not how he says that we can believe.
It’s the Word that we hear that brings us faith. In fact, that’s what Jesus
told the disciples that Easter Sunday, too. Then [Jesus] opened their minds
to understand the Scriptures, (Luke 24:45, ESV) Jesus taught them how to
read and understand the Word of God. “It’s all about me and what I have done to
bring forgiveness of sins to people.” We come to faith by the work of the Word
of God, not by seeing but by hearing. It’s comes to us through witnesses telling
the story of Jesus Christ. We just heard that again a moment ago.
But
how are they to call on him in whom they have not believed? And how are they to
believe in him of whom they have never heard? And how are they to hear without
someone preaching? And how are they to preach
unless they are sent? As it is written, “How beautiful are the feet of those
who preach the good news!” But they have not all obeyed
the gospel. For Isaiah says, “Lord, who has believed what he has heard from
us?” So faith comes from hearing, and hearing
through the word of Christ.
(Romans 10:14-17, ESV)
Jesus told the disciples they would
be His witnesses of these things. That’s the word that we have heard
that brings us faith. It’s the word that tells us that Jesus Christ died to
bring us forgiveness of sins. That He lived and died and rose again to bring us
Peace. You see, seeing isn’t
believing. But hearing is believing.
“You are witnesses of these
things. (Luke 24:48, ESV)” Jesus didn’t just say that to that room of
frightened men that first Easter. He says it us you and me. But… it’s hard for
me… we say… because I haven’t seen Jesus, like they did. But we aren’t called
to witness to things we’ve seen; we are called to witness to what is written.
“These things” are right here in God’s word. That’s the things that we are to
witness about. So faith comes from hearing, and hearing through
the word of Christ. (Romans
10:17, ESV) That’s the way that God works to bring people to faith
in Jesus Christ. You see our witness isn’t about who we are or what we’ve done,
you don’t have to have some miraculous event in your life to take about,
because that’s not what our faith is about. It is about Jesus Christ. It’s
about who He is and what He has done. It’s about proclaiming repentance and
forgiveness of sins just like Jesus told the disciples. It’s about telling
people that Jesus lived, died and rose again for them.
But still we think it would be
easier if we had seen Jesus. We think we don’t have the advantages of the
disciples. But is it true that we don’t see Jesus? I’m not sure about that. I’m
pretty sure I’ve seen him all over the place… in you. Aren’t we, God’s baptized
children of God? The body of Christ? Just look around you and you see Jesus.
He’s here in the physical touch, friend to friend at the hospital bed. He’s
here in the less than confident teaching of a Sunday school teacher. He’s here
in the warm handshake for first time visitor. So maybe you haven’t seen Jesus exactly
the way the disciples did but you’ve seen Him here in your brothers and sisters
in Christ. And on top of that, ever time you hear God’s Word in this very room,
Jesus promises to be there present in it.
He comes to you in that Word, telling you again and again of His great
love for you. It’s that story of forgiveness of sins that Christ won for you!
To take care of your sins, your failures, and your shortcomings. And just when
you think God has given you all there is to give he gives even more. His
addition is to give you everything and then give you even more. Jesus comes to
you in his Word connected to water. Holy Baptism is encountering Jesus. You are
connected to all that Jesus did. His life and salvation are given to you, and
your sin is given to him, washed away. He also comes to you in, with and under
bread and wine. It is Jesus way of saying to you “Look it’s me!” Jesus says,
“This is my body. This is my blood. Touch me and handle me. I’m really here for
you, for the forgiveness of your sin.”
Really when you think about it,
we’ve got all the advantages that the disciples had. Jesus does appear to us in
miraculous ways every time we gather here in this place. These might even be
bigger miracles the disciples saw.
There’s a piece of art that I
really like. It’s a picture of the crucifixion. Jesus on the cross, his body
bloody and beaten. In the foreground is John the Baptizer. What I really like
about the picture is what John is doing. He’s a witness, holding a lamb and
pointing to it. It’s simple. Without saying a word he’s pointing to Jesus
Christ, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world. That’s how you and I are to be witnesses,
too. We don’t have to be eloquent. We
don’t have to point to great big changes in our life to prove Jesus is working.
We just point people to Jesus.
Is it easy to be a witness to
Jesus? Not always. But you don’t have to be walking down the street screaming
it at the top of your lungs either. You can start small in the ways and places
that God has given you. Can’t tell your friend about Jesus? Well, maybe you can
invite him to church, where God’s Word can do what God promises it will do.
Can’t witness to your neighbor? Well, maybe you can change your relationship
from antagonism to friendship. Start by lending a helping hand. Maybe that will
lead to an opportunity to share what Jesus did for them. Don’t feel comfortable
telling the story of Jesus? Start by tell the story to children, perhaps your
children or grandchildren. You see, the power isn’t in you. It’s in God’s Word.
You aren’t supposed to witness to you anyway. You are witness of these things that God has done and is
doing right now. Amen.
The Peace of God that passes all
understanding, keep your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus. Amen.
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