Dear Christian friends:

Two weeks ago, we celebrated Easter, Jesus' resurrection. Today, is the Third Sunday of Easter. The Easter season continues until Pentecost Sunday which will be on June 3. There are seven Sundays in the Faster season, almost two months. Why do we celebrate Easter so long? Because Jesus' resurrection is very important for us Christians, and we must impress that again and again. We almost cannot believe it. On Easter Sunday, when Jesus arose from death, His disciples had a very hard time believing that Jesus had really risen from death, that He who had died was now alive. So Jesus came to them and appeared to them many times after Easter. He stayed here on earth 40 days before He ascended into heaven. During those 40 days, He came to them many times to strengthen their faith and to teach them about the work He wanted them to do.

We are like these first disciples. We, too, have a hard time to believe in Jesus that He is alive and real. So Jesus comes to us also to strengthen us and to remind us of our most important work.


We may argue that we have not seen the risen, living Christ as the first disciples here in our text and we may ask how can we believe? How does Jesus come to us and appear to us? It is true that Jesus does not come to us and appear to us in the same way that He came to His disciples on Easter evening and other times during the forty days. But nevertheless, Jesus does come to us today to strengthen us and give us new life. We have just as much proof about Jesus' resurrection as those first disciples. They had no advantage over us.

Although Jesus came and stood among them, they did not believe He had really risen from death. They thought He was a ghost. Even after Jesus showed them the nail prints in His hands and feet and the spear wound in His side, they still doubted. (verses 36-41) They needed faith the same as we need it. It was just as hard for them to believe in Jesus' resurrection as it is for us today.

Sometimes, people say, “If Jesus would come to me and appear to me as He did to those first disciples on Easter evening, then I would believe in Him." But those people deceive themselves. If they do not believe God's Word in the Bible about Jesus' death and resurrection, they will also not believe even though Jesus Himself appears to them. The rich man in hell pleaded with God to send Lazarus to preach to his five brothers and warn them so that they would not go to hell like he did. But God told Him: "Your brothers have Moses and the prophets." The rich man answered, "No, Father Abraham, they won't bother to read then. But if someone is sent to them from the dead, then they will repent from their sins." But Abraham said, "If they won't listen to Moses and the prophets, they won't listen even though someone rises from the dead." (Luke 16:27-31)

So we today, have plenty of proof about Jesus' death and resurrection in the Bible. We have the Old Testament which prophesied about the Savior's death and resurrection and we have the New Testament which shows how all these prophecies happened exactly in Jesus of Nazareth. If we don't believe the Bible, we will not believe even if Jesus Himself comes and appears to us.

The first disciples did not believe that first Easter evening until Jesus opened their minds to see from the Bible, and helped them to understand that "Christ must suffer and die and arise from death on the third day." (verses 44-47)

The crucified and risen Savior comes to us today through the Bible. The Bible shows us our sins and that we deserve God's eternal anger and punishment in hell. The Bible also shows us the good news that although we are lost and condemned sinners God nevertheless loves us and forgives our sins because Jesus died on the cross and arose from death on Easter morning. The Bible tells us to repent and believe in Jesus Christ so that we can be saved. As the first disciples believed through the Bible, so do we. Jesus comes to us and gives us faith and new spiritual life through God's Word and promises in the Bible.

If we do not have faith and new life, it is because we are not listening to the Bible. If we are alive with faith, and joy and hope, it is because we are listening to God's Word in the Bible and the Holy Spirit has given us new birth and new life.

Do you have new life in Christ? If you do not, you have no excuse. God has given you plenty of proof in His Book. Jesus has come to you again and again through the preaching of His Word, through Baptism, and through the Lord's Supper. Are you listening to Him? Are you born again? Are you awake and alive in Christ? Have you died to sin and arised to walk in new and holy ways?

One way you can know if you have a new life or not is by the WITNESS TEST. Are you witnessing to others about Jesus? Or are you not? In our text, Jesus says, “People must preach repentance and forgiveness of sins in Christ's name to all nations..... You are witnesses about these things." (verses 47-48)

If we have new birth and new life in Christ, then our whole life will witness (prove about Jesus to others). How do we prove about Jesus? By telling others of our wonderful Savior. By showing Jesus' love, mercy and kindness to others. By not hating others, not being jealous, etc. Helping the sick, the poor and the needy.

If you are really born again and have a new life, you will be excited about Jesus and eagerly witness to others about Him. Here is a story to help us understand this. In a wealthy residential section of Richmond, Virginia, some new home owners complained that the singing of a small Christian church nearby disturbed them. So they went all around the neighborhood asking the homeowners to sign a petition which they intended to present to the city council to force the church to be more quiet or closed. The solicitors brought the paper with the petition and names already signed to a Jewish house. The Jewish man read the petition and when he had finished reading it, he said to the solicitors, "Gentlemen, I cannot sign it. If I believed, as do these Christians, that my Messiah (Savior) had come, I would shout it from the house tops and on every street in Richmond, and nobody could stop me."

If you really believe in Jesus, if you really are born again, if you really are alive in Christ, you, too, will shout and sing and tell the wonderful good news of Jesus your Savior, and nobody could stop you.

Are you an eager, happy witness of Jesus? If you are, you are alive in Christ, if not, you may still be dead in Sin.

"Awake you that sleep and arise from death, and Christ will give you life." (Ephesians 5:14)

"Jesus lives! For me He died,
Hence will I, to Jesus living,
Pure in heart and act abide,
Praise to Him and glory giving
Freely God does aid dispense;
Jesus Lives! Thy Terrors Now - Hymn

This shall be my confidence.

Amen.