Rev. Richard Smith
EASTERTIDE: Celebrating The Impact Of The Resurrection
| Acts 1:3 After his suffering, Jesus presented himself to them and gave many convincing proofs that he was alive. He appeared to them over a period of forty days and spoke about the kingdom of God |
The Jewish and Roman authorities of Jesus’ day, following the crucifixion, felt all was settled. This misguided Jewish prophet had been properly silenced; the fledgling Jesus movement had been stopped; the religious talk that the Messiah had come had been put to rest.
You probably know that the Roman governor who sentenced Jesus was Pontius Pilate. Some years ago there was a literary discovery of some letters Pilate evidently wrote to his friend Seneca, the Roman philosopher, in which he references Jesus. In one of the early letters Pilate purportedly writes…
I informed Caiaphas of the reports concerning Jesus that were reaching me and told him that since the Sanhedrim claimed authority even in Galilee, he had better see to it. He reported that they disapproved of him heartily and that they were sending a deputation of learned men to Galilee to summon him for examination. In himself the man is a person of no consequence: the son of a common workman.
Then, we read these words of Pilate after Jesus has been crucified: I tried and condemned the prisoner Jesus. He was crucified at once along with some other prisoners who were awaiting execution…By this time Jesus is buried. The trial was short but in due form and order…I condemned him to death. I could, of course, do nothing else…After all, what does it matter? What does it matter – one Jew more or less?
So, again, for Pilate and the religious and political leaders of that day the case is closed; end of the story; end of the conversation; no more Jesus to worry about.
But God had a different plan. God raised Jesus from the dead in order for the world to know that Jesus was not just some itinerant teacher and preacher, not just some knowledgeable rabbi; no, he was God’s Son. God raised Jesus for the world to know for all time that he was indeed the Son of God.
You know what this means, don’t you? Because Jesus is God’s Son…
What he said we should believe
How he lived we should follow
The people whom he loved we should love!
