Why Are You Just Standing Around?
Notes
Transcript
I. When What You Know Is Too Much
I. When What You Know Is Too Much
Not too much knowledge, but too much to understand. Too much to deal with. When what you know is too much about the mysteries and not enough about the reasons why, you just might get stuck, freeze, go catatonic and get real useless. There becomes an overload of disbelief that overrules the acts of faith that allowed them to hang in there so far.
In the months after the resurrection of Jesus, his disciples knew too much wonder, too much mystery, too much miracle, to really process any of it.
Their faith was drowning in disbelief because they mysteries of the miracles were overwhelming their power to cope.
Jesus, in Luke 24, visited the disciples in Jerusalem after the resurrection, showing up among them after the two disciples from Emmaus return to tell about how Jesus was on the road with them, and was revealed in the breaking of bread at their table.
Because of their disbelieving brains, after he materialized in the locked room, he asked for something to eat, was given a fish, and when he chewed and swallowed the did not end up on the floor but in his stomach.
So, Jesus is not just a phantasm. He is a bodily-resurrected human, He is not simply a spirit or a dream. But what do you do with that?
The bad news was,
They didn’t know what to think.
They didn’t know what to think.
They didn’t know what to do.
This happened at least once way before the Crucifixion.
Jesus took his closest disciples, his inner circle, Peter, James and John, on a hike into the hills. When they got to the top, Jesus went a bit away from them, and something totally unexpected and amazing happened. It was time for Jesus to let these guys in on his true nature, and to prove to them that he was the answer to all the prophecies about the Messiah.
2 And he was transfigured before them, and his face shone like the sun, and his clothes became white as light. 3 And behold, there appeared to them Moses and Elijah, talking with him. 4 And Peter said to Jesus, “Lord, it is good that we are here. If you wish, I will make three tents here, one for you and one for Moses and one for Elijah.”
There’s a common reaction to amazement and miracle. Let’s build some shrines to commemorate this! When you don’t know what to think, maybe there’s something you can do. Let’s make a monument. At least, let’s put up some shelters so when this happens again you have your own rooms.
Building Monuments, Shrines and Temples is something we do for ourselves, and call it our work for the Lord. It often takes our time and attention away from what the real mission is.
So that’s not quite the end of the story of the Transfiguration in Matthew’s Gospel. God decides to interrupt Peter’s plan of action with his undeniable glory.
5 He was still speaking when, behold, a bright cloud overshadowed them, and a voice from the cloud said, “This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased; listen to him.” 6 When the disciples heard this, they fell on their faces and were terrified.
Suddenly, they were men who knew too much to know anything about what to think and certainly didn’t know what to do.
7 But Jesus came and touched them, saying, “Rise, and have no fear.” 8 And when they lifted up their eyes, they saw no one but Jesus only.
Still in shock, still in awe, like what happens when the military brings all its might down with a mighty blow, Jesus gives them an instruction:
9 And as they were coming down the mountain, Jesus commanded them, “Tell no one the vision, until the Son of Man is raised from the dead.”
Oh, well, if that’s the answer, no problem. We’ll just keep our lips sealed until…wait…WHAT DID YOU SAY? After you are raised from the dead?
Clearly this wasn’t helping much when they were coming down the mountain. So they changed the subject.
Now, back to where we started this morning, with Jesus appearing to the disciples after the resurrection, and eating something in front of them to show he was real.
They didn’t know what to think, and
They Didn’t Know What to Do
They Didn’t Know What to Do
The good news is, this is the resurrected Jesus. And Jesus knew what they needed to break them out of their stunned state.
He did some mental transformation in them:
45 Then he opened their minds to understand the Scriptures, 46 and said to them, “Thus it is written, that the Christ should suffer and on the third day rise from the dead,
So now, at least, they might have a chance to know what to think. But what to think isn’t the whole answer.
They Needed to Know What to Do
So Jesus gave them
A Purpose and a Goal
A Purpose and a Goal
47 and that repentance for the forgiveness of sins should be proclaimed in his name to all nations, beginning from Jerusalem.
But not yet, he told them. You aren’t quite ready. You need some time to soak it all in. And you will need some help from God to do anything with it.
After all, if you guys can’t absorb what all is going on, how is anyone going to believe your story? You can’t quite believe I’m standing here in front of you.
So let it soak for a while. And
Wait For It
Wait For It
48 You are witnesses of these things. 49 And behold, I am sending the promise of my Father upon you. But stay in the city until you are clothed with power from on high.”
A Parting Gift
A Parting Gift
to Keep Them Talking until it was time:
50 And he led them out as far as Bethany, and lifting up his hands he blessed them. 51 While he blessed them, he parted from them and was carried up into heaven. 52 And they worshiped him and returned to Jerusalem with great joy,
II. Experience Makes a Difference
II. Experience Makes a Difference
When we have never encountered miracle, or wonder, or we have just been given too much to think about, we need time and experience to help make sense of things.
Luke opens his second volume, the Book of Acts, with these words:
1 In the first book, O Theophilus, I have dealt with all that Jesus began to do and teach, 2 until the day when he was taken up, after he had given commands through the Holy Spirit to the apostles whom he had chosen.
Resurrection was Proven to Them
Resurrection was Proven to Them
Through his appearing, talking, touching, eating. Of course, there was that “transporter” thing where he would just appear and disappear. But he also gave them some windows into his new nature, able rise not just from the grave but from earth to heaven.
3 He presented himself alive to them after his suffering by many proofs, appearing to them during forty days and speaking about the kingdom of God.
Forty Days of Teaching
Forty Days of Teaching
And this time around, he seems to have had their attention. That happens, I suppose, after a resurrection.
Luke recaps the end statements of his Gospel, as we have already shared, which included “Wait”
And then the promise of his command to wait is given some additional content as to why:
The Holy Spirit Will Come
The Holy Spirit Will Come
4 And while staying with them he ordered them not to depart from Jerusalem, but to wait for the promise of the Father, which, he said, “you heard from me; 5 for John baptized with water, but you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit not many days from now.”
Effective witness needs our submission to the Holy Spirit.
Don’t Think Politics
Don’t Think Politics
6 So when they had come together, they asked him, “Lord, will you at this time restore the kingdom to Israel?” 7 He said to them, “It is not for you to know times or seasons that the Father has fixed by his own authority.
Wait, Then Witness
Wait, Then Witness
8 But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.”
9 And when he had said these things, as they were looking on, he was lifted up, and a cloud took him out of their sight.
Why Are You Just Standing Around?
Why Are You Just Standing Around?
10 And while they were gazing into heaven as he went, behold, two men stood by them in white robes, 11 and said, “Men of Galilee, why do you stand looking into heaven? This Jesus, who was taken up from you into heaven, will come in the same way as you saw him go into heaven.”
Jesus Is Coming Back
Jesus Is Coming Back
So get busy