2 Corinthians 4:14 (ESV)
Knowing that he who raised the Lord Jesus will
raise us also with Jesus and bring us with you into his presence.
Knowing!
The Apostles did not upend their lives for something they imagined, or for
something the made up. Today is Maundy Thursday. The word maundy is likely derived
from the Latin word mandatum, from which we get our word mandate. Maundy
Thursday is the day we remember when Jesus ate the Last Supper with his
disciples and mandated that we, as believers, eat the Lord’s Supper to
remember. It is what we do every time we take communion.
The
disciples, sitting around that table with Jesus could hardly have imagined what
was going to happen over the next few days. They would see Jesus arrested that
night, put on trial, and crucified within 24 hours. They never saw it coming
even though they had been warned. On the third day Jesus would rise from the
dead. That was unbelievable. Sitting around the table with Jesus on Thursday
evening all these events never crossed their minds. What was it that moved these
men from being unschooled followers of Jesus to being the leaders of a world
changing faith who were willing to give their lives for what they taught?
Peter
would have preferred fishing. Paul would have preferred following his Jewish
mentor. James would have preferred fishing with his buddy Peter over being
killed by Herod. They would never have chosen the life they followed unless
they knew for certain that Jesus was raised from the dead. They never would
have chosen the life they followed unless they were certain that God would
raise them as well. They were there. They saw him. They talked with him. They
ate with him. They touched him. They never would have chosen the life they
followed without the certainty that there was eternal value to what they were doing.
They knew that Jesus had risen from the dead. It is what gave them purpose,
meaning, and motivation. He is risen! He is risen indeed!
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