Friday 13 July 2012

Background

Jesus appeared to the disciples all gathered together after hisresurrection. He helped them to make sense of the disaster of thecrucifixion and the miracle of the resurrection. He encouraged themto look at the events, not judged according to the values of humanways of understanding, but in the light of God's ways, ways thatare discerned in the stories of Scripture and fulfilled throughJesus.

Jesus reminded the disciples of his words to them while he wasstill alive, and helped them to see that everything that he said tothem, explained the ways of God. His death and resurrectionfulfilled the dynamic of God's love and commitment to the worldunderlying the Law of Moses, the prophets and the psalms. The Lawof Moses outlines the ethical identity of Judaism - a peopleblessed by God to be a blessing. The law was interpreted by theprophets as they recalled a forgetful people to the ways of God.The book of psalms is filled with the prayers of the Jewish people,and reflects their anguish and joy as a dislocated people inslavery and then led to freedom, in exile and then restored totheir land. The psalms are deeply reflected in the spirituality ofJesus.

Jesus helped the disciples to see Scripture in a new way. Heopened their minds to see that the crucifixion and resurrection,the way of the Cross, were a fulfilment of God's ways. That throughresurrection, God brought the possibility to repent, to turn aroundfrom limited and damaged perspectives and start again.

The disciples were the primary witnesses to the truth of theresurrection (verse 48). They lived through the reality of thedeath and resurrection, and were to be empowered for a newbeginning.

The disciples were to wait in Jerusalem to receive "power fromon high" (v. 49) the gift of the Holy Spirit. The spirit wouldempower them to be effective witnesses to the ways of God, to allthe nations. The spirit would give them power to 'be' and to share'good news.'

To Ponder

• Why do you think that Jesus needed to open the minds of thedisciples to understand the Scriptures? What example can you thinkof when your mind has been opened to understand a passage ofScripture in a different way, which has been a powerfulexperience?

• Can you think of an occasion when you have felt empowered tosay just the right word, or do just the right thing? How did itfeel?

• How do you start to make sense of the way of crucifixion andresurrection, the way of the Cross, in your experience of followingJesus?