I had dropped off my car for a routine procedure and would pick it up later. Then came the call from the mechanic: “I have good news and bad news.” The ‘good news’ was that I did not need the procedure I thought. So what was the bad news?
Isn’t that the question always lurking in our thoughts?
Jesus had sent the Disciples into Jerusalem with the money and plans to prepare a room for the Passover, purchase the needed supplies, etc. But the bad news was that thirty pieces of silver were spent to betray their Lord and Master.
He was crucified on the Cross (on a day we call ‘Good Friday’). It seemed like ‘bad news’ to the Disciples. They went away. It seemed like the final ‘bad news’ for Christianity. But then, the Good News:
Luke 24:
8 And they remembered his words, 9 and returning from the tomb they told all these things to the eleven and to all the rest. 10 Now it was Mary Magdalene and Joanna and Mary the mother of James and the other women with them who told these things to the apostles, 11 but these words seemed to them an idle tale, and they did not believe them. 12 But Peter rose and ran to the tomb; stooping and looking in, he saw the linen cloths by themselves; and he went home marveling at what had happened.
On the Road to Emmaus
13 That very day two of them were going to a village named Emmaus, about seven miles from Jerusalem, 14 and they were talking with each other about all these things that had happened. 15 While they were talking and discussing together, Jesus himself drew near and went with them.
Yes, it was the ultimate Good News, the Gospel: Jesus IS risen!
His command to the Apostles after His resurrection and before He is taken up into Heaven once more is quite clear:
Matthew 28:
18 And Jesus came and said to them, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. 19 Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.”
To be clear: “make disciples” … teaching them (these new disciples of Christ Jesus) to observe all that I have commanded you.”
The relationship of Jesus and the Disciples is more than just Jesus as their ‘Teacher.’ Jesus IS the Word of God. Jesus teaches each of us in every word and command of His. Indeed, numerous times, the Disciples refer to Jesus as, “Master.”
It would serve us well to remember Who we serve and to bow down to Jesus as our personal Master when we so flippantly refer to Him as ‘Lord.’
Jesus Christ is not only our Master and Teacher, He IS our God, along with the Father and the Holy Spirit.
So what has Jesus commanded us (as true disciples and servants of our Lord) to teach to others? (It’s all ‘good news,’ right?)
Yes, the Gospel is good news for all who will accept it; however not all will accept the true Lordship of Christ Jesus.
To begin, returning to Luke 24, listen to another charge of Jesus:
45 Then he opened their minds to understand the Scriptures, 46 and said to them, “Thus it is written, that the Christ should suffer and on the third day rise from the dead, 47 and that repentance and forgiveness of sins should be proclaimed in his name to all nations, beginning from Jerusalem. 48 You are witnesses of these things.
“Forgiveness of sins,” good news for all of us sinners, indeed. Yet do you detect that one other call to be “proclaimed in his name…” is not so readily embraced even by those who would like to claim Christ?
Repentance… should be proclaimed. You can’t just keep on sinning, proclaiming remission of your sins without repentance.
Some christians and prospective Christians have had ears to hear His grace of forgiveness of sins, while NOT having ears to hear of their particular sin – a sin or sins of which some christians and prospective disciples will NOT repent.
Is there a sin of which you have not repented which holds you back from receiving the Holy Spirit and the embracing love of Christ?
IF we have received Jesus as our Lord and Master, know that He has commanded us to bear the same fruit of God’s love.
John 15:“I am the true vine, and my Father is the vinedresser. 2 Every branch in me that does not bear fruit he takes away, and every branch that does bear fruit he prunes, that it may bear more fruit. 3 Already you are clean because of the word that I have spoken to you. 4 Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit by itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in me. 5 I am the vine; you are the branches. Whoever abides in me and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing. 6 If anyone does not abide in me he is thrown away like a branch and withers; and the branches are gathered, thrown into the fire, and burned. 7 If you abide in me, and my words abide in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you. 8 By this my Father is glorified, that you bear much fruit and so prove to be my disciples. 9 As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you. Abide in my love. 10 If you keep my commandments, you will abide in my love, just as I have kept my Father’s commandments and abide in his love. 11 These things I have spoken to you, that my joy may be in you, and that your joy may be full.
John 15:“I am the true vine, and my Father is the vinedresser. 2 Every branch in me that does not bear fruit he takes away, and every branch that does bear fruit he prunes, that it may bear more fruit. 3 Already you are clean because of the word that I have spoken to you. 4 Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit by itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in me. 5 I am the vine; you are the branches. Whoever abides in me and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing. 6 If anyone does not abide in me he is thrown away like a branch and withers; and the branches are gathered, thrown into the fire, and burned. 7 If you abide in me, and my words abide in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you. 8 By this my Father is glorified, that you bear much fruit and so prove to be my disciples. 9 As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you. Abide in my love. 10 If you keep my commandments, you will abide in my love, just as I have kept my Father’s commandments and abide in his love. 11 These things I have spoken to you, that my joy may be in you, and that your joy may be full.
12 “This is my commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you.
Quite a command from our Lord to us: Love one another, as Jesus has loved us. And the risen Christ tells the Apostles to go to all nations and teach repentance and forgiveness of sins in His Name.
20 Remember the word that I said to you: ‘A servant is not greater than his master.’ If they persecuted me, they will also persecute you. If they kept my word, they will also keep yours.
Yes, Christians will be persecuted and ridiculed; yet disciples of our loving Lord Jesus must love each other — even as Jesus has loved the Apostles. By this, the world will know that we are His disciples.
John 5: 14b “See, you are well! Sin no more, that nothing worse may happen to you.”
24 Truly, truly, I say to you, whoever hears my word and believes him who sent me has eternal life. He does not come into judgment, but has passed from death to life.
John 6: 27 Do not work for the food that perishes, but for the food that endures to eternal life, which the Son of Man will give to you. For on him God the Father has set his seal.”
John 7: “If anyone thirsts, let him come to me and drink. 38 Whoever believes in me, as[f] the Scripture has said, ‘Out of his heart will flow rivers of living water.’” 39 Now this he said about the Spirit, whom those who believed in him were to receive, for as yet the Spirit had not been given, because Jesus was not yet glorified.
John 8: 11b And Jesus said, “Neither do I condemn you; go, and from now on sin no more.”
Once again, our Lord shows mercy and forgiveness; but calls for repentance: “go, and from now on sin no more.”
John 8: 31b “If you abide in my word, you are truly my disciples, 32 and you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.”
Do you abide in Jesus’ word? Do you cling to the Vine?
John 11:9 Jesus answered, “Are there not twelve hours in the day? If anyone walks in the day, he does not stumble, because he sees the light of this world. 10 But if anyone walks in the night, he stumbles, because the light is not in him.”
Is this not a call to repentance, as some of the Jews would not accept the Light of world?
Do you stumble? Is the Light in you?
John 11: 25 Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life. Whoever believes in me, though he die, yet shall he live, 26 and everyone who lives and believes in me shall never die. Do you believe this?
John 12: 44 And Jesus cried out and said, “Whoever believes in me, believes not in me but in him who sent me. 45 And whoever sees me sees him who sent me. 46 I have come into the world as light, so that whoever believes in me may not remain in darkness. 47 If anyone hears my words and does not keep them, I do not judge him; for I did not come to judge the world but to save the world. 48 The one who rejects me and does not receive my words has a judge; the word that I have spoken will judge him on the last day. 49 For I have not spoken on my own authority, but the Father who sent me has himself given me a commandment—what to say and what to speak. 50 And I know that his commandment is eternal life. What I say, therefore, I say as the Father has told me.”
John 13: 16 Truly, truly, I say to you, a servant is not greater than his master, nor is a messenger greater than the one who sent him. 17 If you know these things, blessed are you if you do them.
Is Jesus your Lord, beloved brother, beloved sister, fellow servant? Is Jesus your Lord?
Blessed are you if you do His commandments. Go into all the world and teach repentance and forgiveness of sins, teaching these new disciples all which He has commanded.
We all seem to have gone off the deep end into the cloud and no message from our communicator can beam us up to the reality of the relationships of this brief life.
Help me, their eyes say. Help me, their silence speaks. Help my emptiness (even their ‘selfie’ stares into your scrolling heart).