Jesus

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A typical Western image of the Pentecost. Ducc...Image via Wikipedia
  • Most of us are unfamiliar with the church calendar.
  • Eastertide happens between the resurrection and Pentecost.
  • We know about Easter and shy away from Pentecost.
  • Seldom do we look at what happened in this period of time between Easter and Pentecost.
  • It was 40 days of Jesus life before He ascended.
  • How would you spend your final 40 days?
  • If you were trying to launch a movement, how would you do that with the final 40 days?
  • Most people would assume you’d need to go to the epicenters of culture and announce yourself and your movement.
  • What Jesus did revealed the tenderness of the heart of God towards the world.
  • Jesus went after the discouraged and unfaithful to build a movement.
The Road to Emmaus
  • A significant battle happened in Emmaus, led by Judas Maccabeeus.
  • He was “the hammer,” the William Wallace of the Jewish culture.
  • That battle led to 100 years of freedom for the Jewish people.
  • 2 people were walking towards Emmaus thinking about the Macabean Revolt.
  • They watched who they thought would bring them freedom [Jesus] killed.
  • They were disappointed with how things turned out.
  • Have you ever put your hope in something that didn’t work out?
  • “We had hoped he would have been the one to deliver Israel?”
  • Jesus started chasing the ones that were disappointed.
  • By using the Scripture, He started to reveal the centrality of Jesus in what God is trying to do in the world.
  • He restored them back.
Thomas
  • Thomas was “the doubter.”
  • There are many things we doubt and don’t understand.
  • We tell people to suppress their doubt.
  • We shame them.
  • God’s goes to reach those who are in doubt and uses shows Himself [and His scars] to them.
Peter 
  • Peter denied Him three times.
  • He failed.
  • He went back to being the person he was before.
  • He felt disqualified.
  • Jesus chose a failure to launch His movement.
The Disciples
  • They were afraid of the Jewish leaders.
  • They were immobilized by fear.
  • Instead of condemning them, He said, “Just as the Father sent me, I am sending you.”
Jesus could have done any high-profile exploit to launch a global movement… but He chose people who were disappointed, doubtful, failures and afraid. People just like you.

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