Have you noticed the number of so-called “energy drinks” that are on the market these days? Some have some pretty interesting names like, “Full Throttle”, “Red Bull”, “Monster”. Their purpose is rather self-explanatory. They are supposed to be able to boost your energy level, help you to stay focused and productive. However, I have yet to discover an energy drink that you just take one time, and you’re set for the rest of your life. No, eventually the affects of the energy drink wears off and you need another one. Has the energy of Easter worn off yet for you? While the sugary Easter candy might be long gone by now, Easter can be a continuous source of energy for Christians. This morning, see how Easter energizes Christians of every age to courageously proclaim Christ our Savior, to confidently pray to him, and to continually live for Christ.
Do you remember what you were doing 10 years ago today? Probably not. A lot can happen during ten years. Acts chapter 12 takes us to about 10 years after Jesus had risen from the dead. A lot of different things had happened during those ten years, but the energy of Easter had not worn off one bit. Jesus’ disciple Peter, who just weeks ago we saw standing in a courtyard on Maundy Thursday evening vehemently denying that he had ever even met Jesus, is now easily recognized by those in Jerusalem as one of Jesus’ leading disciples. However, the circumstances for being a disciple of Jesus were not exactly pleasant.
We heard, “It was about this time that King Herod arrested some who belonged to the church, intending to persecute them. He had James, the brother of John, put to death with the sword” (Acts 12:1,2). The Early Christian Church in Jerusalem was being persecuted. This King Herod in Acts 12 followed in the tradition of his family. His grandfather was the one responsible for killing the baby boys at the time of Jesus’ birth. His uncle was the one who had John the Baptist beheaded and wanted Jesus to perform some miracles while standing trial. King Herod did not have a whole lot of power in the grand scheme of the Roman Empire, but he understood how the system worked. If his Jewish citizens became restless, he would quickly lose his job and his life. So he gave the Jewish people what they wanted. He saw how the people had reacted to the execution of James and thought that if ONE dead disciple of Jesus was good, the death of two disciples would make him even more popular. So he arrested Peter but waited until after the Passover for his trial. If Peter’s trial was anything like Jesus’ trial, it would be a mockery of the judicial system with the outcome decided before the trial began.
As strange as it may sound, isn’t it good to see Peter in this account? Ten years after Jesus’ resurrection and look at what Peter is still doing? Exactly what Jesus had told his disciples to do, “Be my witnesses” (Acts 1:8). Herod seemed to have little trouble finding Peter. He knew who the disciples of Jesus were because they just would not stop talking about Jesus. In Acts 5:42 we’re told, “Day after day, in the temple courts and from house to house, they never stopped teaching and proclaiming the good news that Jesus is the Christ.” But why were they so bold in their proclaiming Jesus?
It goes back to Easter. Easter announced to those disciples that God had given them what they and all people need. Yes, they had failed at times to trust God completely, just as we have. Their sinful pride had caused them to fight amongst themselves at times, just as sinful pride sometimes causes us to do. They felt the guilt of their sin, just as we do when we see what God demands and then look at what we’ve done.
But then Easter happened. The record of sin was immediately and permanently erased. A living Jesus stood before them, holding out his hands and feet for them to see and touch, to assure them that not only was he alive, but that Jesus was their Savior. He had lived for them. He had died for them. They were at peace with God. And this peace was not only for them, but for all people, for us. Easter energizes Christians to courageously proclaim Christ because we know what it means for us and for others. As the Apostle Paul said, “I am not ashamed of the gospel because it is the power of God for the salvation of everyone who believes” (Romans 1:16). Easter announces the power of Christ’s love for us and for all people. And that love of Christ energizes us, as it did Peter, the other Apostles, and Christians of every generation to courageously proclaim Christ Jesus our Savior.
When the Christians found out that Peter had bee put in prison, did you notice what they did? “The church was earnestly praying to God for him” (Acts 12:5). Prayer is one of those activities that the book of Acts shows the Early Christian church regularly doing. The Apostle Paul repeatedly encouraged his fellow Christians to pray in nearly every letter that he writes. It’s no wonder then why Christians throughout the ages have turned to prayer. Just think of the one to whom we pray. We are praying to the risen Lord Jesus of Easter! We sometimes use the phrase, “The power of prayer.” Prayer is powerful, but the power of prayer does not come from the person who offers the prayer, how often the prayer is repeated or how many people are praying. Instead the power is found in the person to whom that prayer is addressed. Christians pray to a living Jesus who did something on Easter morning that no other person in all of history has ever been able to do. He rose from dead. Do you think that Jesus has the POWER to answer our prayers? Absolutely! Christians pray to a living Jesus who KEPT HIS PROMISE to rise from the dead even when it looked rather unlikely. Do you think that Jesus will do what he promises for you? Absolutely! We might have to wait and his answer may not come in the way or time we expected, but he will certainly do what he promises. Christians pray to a living Jesus who was willing to die for us. Do you think we can trust Jesus to answer our prayers in the way he knows is best for us? Absolutely! Easter energizes Christians to pray confidently and boldly, as it shows us a powerful, faithful, and loving Savior to whom we offer our prayers.
Little did the Christians who were praying for Peter know how the Lord was going to answer their prayers. Peter was put under tight security. Multiple guards around the clock “four squads of four soldiers each”, chains on wrists and forced to sleep in between soldiers. You might wonder why such tight security. It might have been that Herod heard what happened years beforehand as described in Acts 5. You see, this wasn’t the first time Peter was arrested for preaching about Jesus. Years earlier Peter and the other Apostles had been put in jail for the same thing. But in the middle of the night an angel came and set them free. Maybe Herod hoped that by tightening up the security he would avoid a similar experience. But as the Proverb says, “Many are the plans in a man's heart, but it is the LORD's purpose that prevails” (Proverbs 19:21). The foolishness that Herod hoped to avoid by heightening security would make him look even more foolish when Peter walked out of the jail unnoticed and unharmed.
Even Peter was caught a little off guard when an angel suddenly appeared in the middle of the night, the chains fell off his wrists and Peter and the angel walked past the guards and out onto the street. Peter was still a little drowsy, maybe thinking this was a really great dream, only to realize that this was no dream. This had really happened to him. Where does Peter immediately go? He goes to where there was a gathering of Christians. At first the people didn’t believe that Peter was really there at the door. Talk about God answering their prayers! That was really quick! He was standing right outside their door. Peter told them what had happened and asked them to tell James, the leader of the Christian church in Jerusalem, that he was alright. And what happened next? “Then he left for another place” (Acts 12:17).
Easter energized the lives of those Early Christians. The risen Savior was the reason that God’s people gathered with one another at each other’s house. They read the Scriptures to hear again and study further God’s plan of salvation perfectly executed by Jesus and culminated on Easter morning. They celebrated the Lord’s Supper, prayed for each other, were strengthened in faith, and encouraged in their Christian lives. For many of them, being a Christian often meant bearing the ridicule of family and friends, sometimes loss of income, property or life. The times they spent together were times for the recharging of their faith.
Do you ever feel worn out as a Christian? There are times when living our Christian life is just plain hard. You defend someone only to hear how they’ve said something negative about you. You help someone out, but they never say thanks or show any appreciation. You try to love that person who seems to be trying as hard as possible to be unloveable. The doctors can’t figure out what’s wrong or how to help you.
I’ve heard it said that “Every Sunday is a little Easter.” It’s true and I’m glad because we need that reenergizing of Easter at every opportunity. Each time we come to worship , we come to worship a living Savior who assures us that our every failure has been forever forgiven. He assures us of his love and his power to provide for our every need. He strengthens our trust in him, leading us again and again back to the empty tomb and saying, “See, I told you could trust me. Trust me today and tomorrow also.” In that Easter message we are reenergized to boldly proclaim Christ our Savior, to confidently go to him in prayer, and continue to live for Christ who lived and died, and lives again. Amen.
