“The Evidence of Life”

Acts 2:14a, 22-32

March 30, 2008 – ©Rev. Dr. Linnea E. Carnes

Introduction

Doubt occurs in almost every Christian’s life at some point when a crisis happens or when they read something in the Bible that just doesn’t add up to them.

One pastor saw a little girl standing outside the preschool Sunday school room between Sunday school and worship, waiting for her parents to come and pick her up for “big church.” The pastor noticed that she had a big storybook under her arm entitle “Jonah and the Whale.” Feeling mischievous, he knelt beside the girl and asked, “What’s that you have in your hand.” “This is my storybook about Jonah and the whale,” she answered.

“Tell me,” he said, “do you believe that story about Jonah and the whale?” The girl said, “Why, of course I believe it!” The pastor then asked, “You really believe a man can be swallowed up by a big whale, stay inside him all that time, and come out okay?” She declared, “Yes! This story is in the Bible, and we talked about it in Sunday school today.”

Then the pastor asked, “Can you prove to me this story is true?” She though for a moment and then said, “Well, when I get to heaven, I’ll ask Jonah.” Finally the pastor asked, “What if Jonah’s not in heaven?” The girl put her hands on her hips and sternly declared, “Then YOU can ask him!” [PreachingToday.com, “Believing the Bible” submitted by Rich Tatum, Carol Stream, IL].

The pastor found himself up against a child who didn’t doubt that God could do what he said. She believed God could keep a man who was in a whale for 3 days alive.

Thomas’s Proof

Thomas, one of the apostles, is known for doubting that Jesus really was alive. “Unless I see the nail marks in his hands and put my finger where the nails were, and put my hand into his side, I will not believe.” [Jn.20:25]. Good, old doubting Thomas wanted proof, real data. He wanted to see the evidence himself that Jesus was alive.

Thomas’ doubts about Jesus’ resurrection make us all feel better when we have doubts. We don’t feel so guilty for having doubts about God since even Thomas doubted.

Thomas didn’t stay a doubter, though. Just seeing Jesus was enough proof to turn his doubt into belief. He didn’t have to see the nail marks in his hand or put his finger where the nails were. When Jesus appeared to him, Thomas proclaimed, “My Lord and my God!” [Jn.20:28].

Jesus said to him, “Because you have seen me, you have believed; blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed.” [Jn.20:29].

Peter’s Proclamation

Acts 2 tells us that 50 days later, at Pentecost, Thomas, Peter and the other disciples proclaimed the glories of God to people from many nations, in their own languages. Not all of these people had seen Jesus. However, they had heard about Jesus.

They had heard how Jesus had healed people of diseases and disabilities, had fed the 5,000 people with 5 loaves of bread and 2 fish, had cast out demons, had walked on the Sea of Galilee and calmed the storm. They had heard of his powerful teaching, his wisdom about the things of God, his compassion and love for the lost and the least, and his forgiveness.

They had heard how Jesus was handed over to the Roman authorities by the Jewish leaders. All the people had demanded that Jesus be crucified. Perhaps some of those present on Pentecost had been among those shouting “Crucify him!”

Jesus had been crucified, though he had done nothing to deserve death. Peter now believed that this was God’s plan from the beginning. For without Jesus’ death on the cross, all people were without hope of being forgiven of sin and being made right with God.

Peter said, “But God raised him from the dead, freeing him from the agony of death, because it was impossible for death to keep its hold on him.” [Acts2:24].

Peter then quoted from Psalm 16, which David wrote, and “speaks of a ‘way of life’ in which one who dies will not be abandoned,” and their flesh will not decay in the ground. Instead, because of God’s faithfulness, “the person in question will somehow come through death and out the other side” [N. T. Wright, Acts for Everyone, Part 1 (Louisville, KY: Westminster John Knox Press, 2008) 37].

David couldn’t have been writing this about himself for David died and was buried. His body decayed and his bones were still in a tomb in Jerusalem. David’s Psalm was a prophecy of the king who would come and fulfill this.

David’s prophecy was fulfilled in Jesus, who “was not abandoned to the realm of the dead, nor did his body see decay. God raised this Jesus to life.” [Acts 2:31-32].

Peter and the other disciples were witnesses of this fact. The evidence that Jesus was alive was that Peter, Thomas, and as many as five hundred disciples had seen the risen Lord after his resurrection. Jesus was alive!

You and I are limited since we were not there to see Jesus after he had risen from the dead. We were not present to hear Peter’s passionate message to the people on Pentecost. We have to decide whether the evidence convinces us that Jesus is alive!

Jesus Pursues Us

The disciples knew Jesus better than anyone because of the three years they spent with him. But they didn’t really understand what it meant to be born spiritually, or born again, as Jesus had told Nicodemus in John 3:3. Until that day of Pentecost the disciples didn’t know what it meant to be alive in the Sprit.

Jesus had earlier breathed the Holy Spirit into them, but when the Holy Spirit descended with fire, the power of God was suddenly unleashed in each of them. Peter was transformed from a brash fisherman who followed Jesus into a powerful preacher. Peter would never be the same because the Spirit of Christ was alive within him.

The evidence of this life in Peter was that 3,000 people believed in Jesus that day, it says in Acts 2:41. In Acts 3 Peter and John healed a lame beggar. Peter also did other miracles that Jesus had done. The other disciples also were transformed by the Spirit of Christ in them. They too were telling people about Jesus and performing miracles in his name. There was evidence of life, new life, in each person who believed in Jesus Christ. The strongest evidence of life was their transformed lives.

The most powerful testimony that Christ is alive is that people who believe in him turn from their sinful ways and live new lives following Jesus. People are changed. They are known as followers of Jesus Christ because of their love for one another. The walls of hatred between people of different religions, races, and classes are broken down.

Sometimes people say that they believe in Jesus. But there is no evidence of new life in Christ in them. James wrote, “You believe that there is one God. Good! Even the demons believe that—and shudder.” [James 2:19].

The difference is that when people truly believe and submit their lives to the Lord Jesus Christ, as Thomas did, they are transformed. They are “new creations.” [2Cor5:17]. They will never be the same. The Spirit of Christ in them makes them to want to live for Christ.

“Christianity is not, and never has been, about finding the right combination of words! It is about encountering the living and loving God,” writes Alister McGrath. [PreachingToday.com, “Experience—Not Language” by Alister E. McGrath in Understanding Doctrine: What It Is].

Sometimes the evidence that Jesus is alive comes from a testimony from someone who has met Jesus, who has experienced personally the living Christ. In November of 2003 a 19-year-old woman was baptized and told this story.

She had been a Christian for 5 month. When she was 7 years old, she moved to Pakistan, she was injured, and was in a coma. After 8 month, she came out of the coma. and was in a wheelchair. Her eyes were open, but she couldn’t move or talk at all. During this time she saw her 18 year old brother die in front of her. Every Friday, she went to the mosque and slept there because she had no hope from the doctors that she would walk or talk again.

One night she was very upset, and went straight to the picture of Jesus [who is recognized as a prophet in Islam]. She started talking to him: “Why did you keep me alive? Why didn’t you just kill me? Why did you keep me alive so I could see my brother die in front of me?” Her head on the floor, she was crying. Suddenly somebody squeezed her shoulder and said, “I kept you for something special.” She looked back and it was the same person who was in the picture. She fainted.

In the morning her grandpa woke her up. She had slept all night on the floor. She looked at him and said, “He was here. He was right here.” Her grandpa said, “Who?” Then he realized she had just talked. She said, “He was right here. Where is he now?” Her grandpa said, “Who?” “This guy [pointing to the picture of Jesus]. He told me he kept me for something special.” Her grandpa said, “Sweetie, that’s not true, because he died a long time ago. Remember, I told you that story.” But she said, “No, I saw what I saw,” and then she stood up.

Her grandpa had a hard time believing her, but there was a part of him that wondered because he saw her talk and walk again. She kept that memory in her heart, just a vision; no one believed her at all. Everyone laughed at her. That’s why she chose to get baptized in the name of Jesus, but in her heart she said she was already baptized in the Holy Spirit. [PreachingToday.com, “Vision of Jesus Brings Muslim Girl to Faith”].

She had an encounter with the living God – Jesus Christ. She knew Jesus was alive. She had no doubt about that. She had not seen Jesus after his resurrection, as Thomas or Peter had, but she had met him in that mosque. And her life was not only healed but transformed.

An encounter with Christ changes our lives and gives us new life!

Wolfhart Pannenberg wrote, “The evidence for Jesus’ resurrection is so strong that nobody would question it except for two things: First, it is a very unusual event. And second, if you believe it happened, you have to change the way you live.” [PreachingToday.com, “An Odd and challenging Resurrection”].

The evidence that Jesus is alive is that many of his followers saw him.

The evidence that Jesus is alive is that those who believe in him are transformed because they have met Jesus.

If you are a sports’ fan, you’ll root for your favorite team or player. You will watch them play and tell others about them. You’ll wear a shirt or cap that tells people who you follow.

If you’re into US politics, you have probably chosen the candidate you want to win. You’ll defend your candidate’s position. You’ll tell others who you favor.

People get very passionate about sports and politics. Yet, these are only humans.

If Jesus is alive and you believe in him, you have to start living in a way that tells others you’re a follower of Jesus, for Jesus is not merely human – he is our Lord and God!

We cannot say we believe in Jesus and continue to live for ourselves.

· To be a follower of Jesus is to let the transforming power of his Spirit fill you and change you.

· To be a follower of Jesus is to submit your life to him and live for him.

Conclusion

The evidence is in: Jesus is alive! Christ is risen! He is risen indeed! Alleluia!!

And because Christ is risen, we too shall rise.

Because Christ is alive we too shall live.

· Jesus, who died for our sins, has set us free from sin so we can live for God.

· Jesus, who rose from the dead has given us new life, life that changes us forever, and makes it possible for us to live for God.

The gospels are written for us, those who have not seen Jesus in person, but desire to know him.

The gospels are written “that you may believe that Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in his name.” [John 20:31].

Have no doubts. Jesus is alive. Amen.

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This sermon is copyright ©2008 by Rev. Dr. Linnea E. Carnes, Immanuel Evangelical Covenant Church, Chicago, Illinois.