The Forgiveness Of Sins, Get Out There And Do It! Series

Experience counts for a lot it’s one of those things that we give a lot of weight to. Was Edmond Hillary famous for doing the ordinary, being a bee keeper, no but for being the first man to climb Mount Everest, what a man, what an experience, or Neil Armstrong, none of us would remember him if it wasn’t for that one thing, none of us would know of him if it wasn’t for that one first thing he experienced. Mark Twain once said, “I know a man who grabbed a cat by the tail & he learned 40% more about cats than the man who didn’t.” Experience counts for alot we, can all recall experiences that we gained from, that helped with our growth and our knowledge. A meeting, an event, or the first time we meet that special someone.

The experience that the disciples had of Jesus was extraordinary, and it was that experience that allowed them to alter their lives, to engage in mission to the point where their experience of him became foremost in their lives, their story and a story that has become our guiding word.

You’ve probably heard this part of the story before many times if not and this is a first, this could be of interest:

Jesus had been crucified, he was dead, or in Pidgin English he was dead done finished. The spear to the side had ensured that his death was final, John tells it like this, “But when they came to Jesus and found that he was already dead, they did not break his legs, instead one of the soldiers pierced Jesus side with a spear, bringing a sudden flow of blood and water.” (John 19:33-34)

It appears that Jesus had died of a pulmonary edema, and heart failure not that I’m a medical expert. Pulmonary edema which is brought about by fluid build up in the lungs which in turn is brought about by heart failure, in this case due to being crucified.

So when his side was pierced, the fluid contained in his lung and the blood that remained in his blood vessels and most likely heart poured out.

That was Friday on Sunday we have this description of the disciples locked away together in fear of the Jews, though not all Jews, we are talking about those that had Jesus crucified.

It had been a rough week, Jesus had gone from hailed King to tortured corpse. He had been dragged away form the garden, his good mate Peter had denied him, the trial, the angry mob screaming, Judas had hung himself, the torture, the death, the tomb, the disciples had been in fear of their own lives.

Now it was evening and all of a sudden Jesus stood among them. He greeted them as you would greet a friend back in the day, “Peace be with you!” He then showed them the proof, his hands and his side, now I don’t know about you, but put yourself in the disciples place, here is the Lord resurrected from the dead and showing you his scars, he was beaten, he was pierced through his hands, and his side, you wouldn’t want to be the queasy type. You’ve seen a miracle, another to add to his many, he had again broken the laws of nature, this time not turning water into wine, not commanding the waves to be still, not walking on water, but appearing in a locked room now that’s a biggy. Get real that’s impressive but Jesus had just risen from the dead! The miracle to end all miracles and the miracle that preceded every miracle in his name since.

1) Of course the disciples were overjoyed, the pieces of the jigsaw start to fit, Jesus words as he talked about, ‘the miracle of Jonah’, ‘about breaking down the temple and rebuilding it in three days’, his words about ‘having to leave them and then return’, their mire of foggy thoughts starting to clear, the mist was rolling from the hills of their minds, again he said it “peace be with you!”

Up from the grave he arose, he’d already appeared to Mary Magdalene in the garden, she as he had instructed her, had told the disciples that Jesus had appeared but still they were afraid of the Jews.

“Peace be with you” took on a new meaning, not just a greeting of ‘shalom’. These words now, also as did his other words take on a new depth of meaning a body of understanding, for earlier that week he had said, “Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid.” (John 14:27) and just prior to his arrest he said this, “I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.” (John 16:33)