This might have been preached at 8am. I’m not sure. based off Acts 10.34-43
Jesus Christ is Risen! He is risen indeed Hallelujah.
I was proud of my son who has been learning modern Greek so when I texted him – Christe aneste – he replied: Alethos anesti! Truly He is Risen!
I thought for this service we could have a look at Peter’s gospel, Peter’s summary of the resurrection as seen in Acts 10.
Point 1 is the shocking lack of Favouritism. It seems an odd way to start a sermon on the Resurrection which is fair because the context is that Peter has had a vision of sheets being lowered with unclean animals and a call to eat them followed by a knock on the door and a call to go preach to a house full of gentiles, of non-Jews, outsiders.
But it still fits nicely – remember Jesus saying that “God so loved the World that He gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.” SO there’s a healthy reminder to us to not write anyone off. Not to say Well they’re too young, too naughty, too wilfully sinful – too whatever – to hear the Gospel.
Peter goes on to say You know, You know. And he reminds them of a bunch of stuff that they know. So I want to ask you over the coming weeks to check in on your children, grandchildren, great grandchildren, that actually they do know. Stefan and I have had the joys of going into Cradle and into Chyngton to explain to them Why Good Friday is Good Friday – and that’s required quite a lot of going over of old stories before we can get to an explanation. One of the questions I asked was Tell me anything that happened between Jesus being a baby at Christmas and before Jesus dying on Good Friday – tell me a miracle, a parable. Now to be fair, when you think someone is going to talk to you about Easter and starts asking you about Christmas then it might take a while for your brain to engage – but all the same – do your best to see that you children have a good bible – maybe with pictures in – something that fits their reading age.
God shows no favouritism. That’s a healthy reminder to us in a world of isms, ageism, racism, homophobia and all that.
Peter says You know, you know. So do check that your offspring to know and buy them a bible that fits.
Peter’s summary of the life of Jesus is pretty thin. You know that Jesus came to preach Peace. That this is a real person in real history in real geography. You know that Jesus did good and healed lots of people, including all those held under the power of the devil. And that Jesus is the one who will be our judge. And that everyone who believes in Jesus receives forgiveness of sins.
I’m hoping that you’re sitting there thinking Yes I knew that. Good. So then what are you doing to take your understanding a bit deeper? Keep reading your bibles. We are in the year of the NT so you could set yourself the task of reading the whole NT in a year. I bet that you could do it by reading 2 chapters a day from here on.
In our reading we had the word Witness said three times. So I think its important. Peter explains how he was a witness of all that Jesus did. He actually said We. We are witnesses. I like this – maybe the We includes the team who have come with him. Maybe the We includes his listeners because the stories about Jesus were so well known and circulated at this point and some of those perhaps had been there for some of the miracles and parables and even Good Friday.
This gives us confidence as we read our Gospels to know that they were being written with the help of eye-witnesses – and Acts of the Apostles by eye witnesses – and for that matter all the letters they are written by people who had been witnesses of all that Jesus did and taught at various levels.
So this gives us confidence as we read our Gospels. They know what they know.
Peter points to the witnesses of the resurrection. I used to think that perhaps it was unfair that only those who knew Jesus got to see the resurrected Jesus. He didn’t appear to everyone but only to those who knew him, ate and drank with him. But then I thought actually if the Late Queen were to knock on my door to have a cuppa tea – I would have some real problems. I could easily be fooled I’m sure there’s some excellent look a-likes but alas I never actually met the queen. I saw her from a distance at a garden party, I’ve seen her a lot on TV but I would not make for a very good witness because I didn’t really know her.
But Jesus appeared to those people who really knew Jesus and their testimony, witness would be credible.
So this gives again gives us confidence as we read our Gospels.
And then Peter says we are to be witnesses – the NIV says we are to Testify – but the Greek is the same – Martyr – we are to be witnesses.
And so this begs the question to you What have you seen, have you heard, that has transformed your life, given you that peace that Jesus preached.
Peter ends his sermon by saying that Everyone who believes in Jesus receives forgiveness of sins through His name. So think about how this gospel has transformed you in terms of the peace and forgiveness that you have known.
This simple phrase – Forgiveness of Sins – it includes quite a lot – it includes being reconciled with your maker, being at one with your judge, being connected to the one who gives you life and breath and hope and joy.
To receive Forgiveness of Sins is to have a transformed life, a change in how you see Death – Death has lost its sting, the grave has lost its victory, because you know that Jesus is in heaven preparing a place for you.
Life now has a colour and a purpose to it because you have a calling which is to live this life of peace and forgiveness that Jesus gives us, to witness to the light that has shone in your darkness and the hope that you have now received.
Remember that God shows no favouritism. And that is good news indeed. It means that even you are included in the saving love of God!
You know you know – so check on those you love to see that they do know, that they have a bible they can read
You know – so check on yourself that you are growing in that knowledge as you pray and study and read your bibles.
Receive afresh that forgiveness of sins that we have as we believe in Jesus’ name.
As you come to take Holy Communion and receive the body and blood of Christ – remember that it is through His love, His Sacrifice that we receive this life changing peace, this forgiveness that reconciles us to our God
And that calls us to live a life that witnesses to what it is we do know, and what it is we have witnessed of God at work in our lives.