Title: The Gift that the Resurrected Jesus gave
Our Lord Jesus was crucified on the cross for the sins of all mankind but on the 3rd day, He broke the power of death and resurrected. Then, He stayed 40 more days on earth and ascended to heaven finally. During the 40 days when He was staying on the earth, He appeared several times and gave gifts to His disciples. Today, let’s learn what these gifts were and what they mean to us.
- Jesus gave them peace
Lk 24:36 While they were telling these things, He Himself stood in their midst and said to them, “Peace be to you.”
Jesus exulted in killing Jesus on the cross and they decided to do same to the followers of Jesus, so they looked for the followers of Jesus all over the place. The disciples felt they were surrounded and there was nothing they can do but just hide themselves in a house. Even if they hid themselves and locked all the doors and windows, the great fear and worries of how long they can maintain such life and survive overwhelmed them. In this situation, the resurrected Jesus entered into a room without unlocking or opening the door and gave the great gift of “Peace be with you.”
When Jesus said “Peace be with you”, He didn’t just give His disciples the kind wish, but He proclaimed the command of creating peace for the disciples: It was the moment Jesus created peace and spread among the disciples.
- Jesus taught them the Bible
Lk 24:32 And they said to one another, “Were not our hearts burning within us while He was speaking to us on the road, while He was explaining the Scripture to us?”
These two disciples were going back to hometown, Emmaus because they thought the death of Jesus ended everything they wished for and proved that Jesus was a fake God. They followed Jesus with only their reason and head. One thing we must not forget is that faith surpasses reason or logic. Faith must not be limited by our reason or our head.
When they understood the Bible that the Messiah will suffer, crucify and resurrect, they mustn’t go back to Jerusalem because it is the most dangerous place and they may lose their life. However, they acted according to their hearts that they cannot stand without testifying how the Bible explains about Jesus’ death and resurrection. When we don’t understand why God works in such way, we get cold and lose power easily. But when we understand, it gives us the power to spread the news to others who don’t know.
3. Jesus taught them how to fish
Our God loves our flesh and watches over it with care. In the prayer that the Lord taught us, He taught us that we should pray for daily bread. It is because our God knows what man needs for living. In the same way, the resurrected Jesus never ignore bodily things either. According to Jn 21:1 and following, Jesus appeared to the disciples who were at the Sea of Tiberias. Peter and some disciples spent the whole day to fish but there was no profit. When about the night is over, Jesus asked whether they have any fish and they answered no. So, Jesus taught them to throw net to the right hand side of the boat. They obeyed what Jesus said and caught so many fish that the net couldn’t hold it together.
- We have to be faithful to our work
If cannot fish in the morning, then go out again in the afternoon. If failed again, go out in the evening. Even if we fail so many times, do not give up but keep working faithfully. It goes same with the work for the church. We may encounter various hindrances but do not ever stop and give up serving God.
- We have to earn rightly
Jesus taught the disciples to throw the net on the right hand side. If we look at the spiritual side of it, the right hand side means the righteous side (Mt 25:32-33).
Therefore, it teaches us that when we do our business, we have to do it rightly and justly. When we do so, God will bless you and whatever you do.
3) We have to work relying to the Word of God
When the disciples threw the net according to their judgement and knowledge, they caught nothing. But when Jesus said to them, “Launch in to deep water and draw the net”, Peter answered, “I caught nothing all night but I will do as You say.” (Lk 5:4-6)
If we work according to our thoughts, even if we work all the years of life, we may not get anything and all the things we earned may be blown off at once. However, let’s be in partnership with our God and work according to the Word of God, the amazing grace and blessing will be poured upon you, your family and business and upon your church.
The resurrected Jesus still wants to give us the best gifts. If we look at Jn 21:37-39, when Jesus on a boat, there arose a fierce gale of wind and great waves that the boat was about to be sunk. This is the kind of peace that Jesus wants to create in us. Have this peace in you.
If your heart loses heat and becomes colder, let’s open your heart and receive the Word of God. Let’s meditate the Word of God we received before. Through this, our hearts can be burning again, when it burns, as it brings out the refining process naturally, so it makes us holy too.
Work diligently and faithfully so that you may have a lot and your life may be abundant. But most of all, have the resurrected Jesus in you. He is everything and He gives everything.
The Lord's Covenant Church Malaysia 