This way keeps pointing towards Jesus
Every day we’re asking four questions about part of the Bible. Today Bern Leckie answers:
What did I like about today’s passage?
I love how watching Jesus’ freshly empowered followers at work is just like watching Jesus. Can you imagine how people felt about this? I’m thinking about the people who had so much hope in Jesus, brought their biggest problems and vulnerabilities to him believing that God’s kingdom could be coming and good news for them. When they saw Jesus die, wouldn’t that shake them? When they heard he lived again, could they dare to believe?
Only a few got to see Jesus again in the flesh, but here is his power. It’s unmistakable.
I’m also loving how Peter reacts when the crowd are noticing miracles. If you were Peter, after all you’d been through and learned on the journey with Jesus, wouldn’t you be tempted to take at least a bit of the credit? What he does instead is remarkable. He flat out denies that anything has happened by his own power or godliness. Instead, “it is Jesus’ name and the faith that comes through him that has completely healed” the man who needed it.
It’s all about Jesus. Remarkable because he is clearly not there in the flesh. Even more so because he is fresh in people’s minds as the person they demanded be killed for blaspheming God. What mix of emotions would you feel if you had been in that crowd shouting, but now started to believe that Jesus was right, and you were wrong? It would be worse than realising you’d mixed up your answers in a history test, right? Maybe I wouldn’t know what to think about anything now. If I got stuff like that so wrong, maybe the problem isn’t stuff but me. Many did realise that and turned to Jesus for a change of mind, a new way of life.
But that is a big ask, and clearly not everyone was ready for that. The Sadducees didn’t believe in life after death and so would struggle the most with the idea that Jesus could be resurrected or promising eternal life to followers. I love how the confrontation between their beliefs and the emerging facts brought a Spirit-filled Peter to bring a very Jesus-like spanner to undo their opposition. The Sadducees couldn’t defend their beliefs and were left trying to remove speech about Jesus from the lips of people whose minds he had changed and inspired. Good luck with that! This was the beginning of a Jesus-centred movement.
What did it show me about Father God, Jesus or the Holy Spirit?
God’s power is awesome, even when expressed in seemingly small ways like one man’s faith for healing. The Spirit doesn’t just work miracles like this, but also works through inspiring credit and praise to bring attention back to Jesus, so others can find new life themselves.
What am I going to do differently as a result?
Reflect on how well I let the Spirit speak through me to credit Jesus and not just settle for people thinking I might be some sort of nice person in my own strength. (As if!)
Who am I going to share this with?
I called myself “a Jesus follower” rather than a Christian the other day. That seemed right! I’m going to look for more chances to point to how I see Jesus in work and school relationships.