Photo by...Photo by Rémi Walle on Unsplash
Paul’s in prison when he writes to Timothy, his young friend and co-worker. Acts 28 tells us Paul was in Rome at the time, under house-arrest guarded by a soldier. It wasn’t two weeks of quarantine in a hotel to wait for any signs of a virus but two years under house arrest.
During this time and close to the end of his life, Paul writes and describes some disappointment in those he considered friends.
16 When I was first put on trial, no one helped me. In fact, everyone deserted me. I hope it won’t be held against them. 17 But the Lord stood beside me. He gave me the strength to tell his full message, so that all Gentiles would hear it. And I was kept safe from hungry lions. 18 The Lord will always keep me from being harmed by evil, and he will bring me safely into his heavenly kingdom. Praise him forever and ever! Amen. 2 Timothy 4:16-18
I’ve highlighted the beautiful words of good news for Paul and for us. Jesus stood beside him.
Jesus’ disciples had a very interesting experience of the Lord standing beside them on the first Easter day. Jesus surprised them. Jesus came to bring peace and comfort to them in their fear.
But Thomas was missing and when they told him he wouldn’t believe it. Perhaps he thought it was too good to be true.
Many a sermon has been preached about Thomas and his doubting - with strong encouragement not to doubt like him. I wonder how many sceptic’s lives have been changed by those sermons.
It hit me this year (maybe it’s the isolation), Thomas isn’t the main character in this story, Jesus is. It’s about Jesus and his unending desire and determination to come alongside and help. He came and stood beside the group of disciples and they got it, he was alive. He came again, just for Thomas, and he got it.. Jesus didn’t want Thomas to be left in the dark of uncertainty. Jesus loved Thomas and wanted him to know the good news of his resurrection.
Jesus comes and stands beside us. He’s not satisfied till he knows that we know he’s alive, and that he loves us and is with us.
This is the good news of Easter!
People of God
by Dianne Eckermann
Click here to download your printable verse to carry with you today.
Once you were not a people, but now you are the people of God; once you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy (1 Peter 2:10).
Read 1 Peter 2:4–10
In the 2,000 years since these words were written, Christianity has grown throughout the world. The concept of Christianity is not new to us. It is not unfamiliar, even to non-Christians.
In today’s passage, we read of Christ as the living stone, referring to the resurrected Christ. His followers are like living stones, as they too have life – through the crucifixion, death and resurrection of Jesus. Through the images in this passage, people who believe are given a new identity. They are a chosen people, special to God, called into his wonderful light. They are early Christians united with God through Jesus.
This must have been a wonderful revelation to the early church. Before they knew Jesus, the rejected cornerstone, there was nothing to bind them together, but now they know who they are and whose they are. Now, through God’s unearned mercy, they are people of God and are precious to him.
The followers of Christ today have grown from these early beginnings and live in a different world, spiritually, culturally, politically and technologically. Different denominations have emerged over the centuries. However, these differences change nothing – it is still a world in need of mercy. Despite divisions in the church, we are given a beautiful, unifying statement in verse 10: ‘… now you are the people of God …’ This is our identity as Christians. We are all people of God.
Merciful God, we come to you with thanks that you do not treat us as we deserve but offer us your great mercy. Help us to show your mercy and love to people around us each day. In Jesus’ name, we pray. Amen.
Dianne has served in Lutheran education as a teacher, school leader and system leader at Lutheran Education Australia. Now retired from full-time work, she continues to volunteer on several committees and as a school board member. She lives in the Adelaide Hills with her husband, Robert, and is in strong demand as a babysitter for her three grandchildren.
Short time or long
by Dianne Eckermann
Click here to download your printable verse to carry with you today.
Paul replied, ‘Short time or long – I pray to God that not only you but all who are listening to me today may become what I am, except for these chains’ (Acts 26:29).
Read Acts 26:18–29
Arachnophobia, a fear of spiders, is allegedly the most common phobia in the world, followed by glossophobia, the fear of public speaking. There is also a relatively new phobia, nomophobia, or the fear of being without your mobile phone, which is catching up. St Paul’s attitude towards spiders is not recorded; however, he is known for his ability to craft and deliver his amazing message about Jesus and his victory over death.
In today’s reading, Paul is again speaking up, not just in public, but before King Agrippa. Paul is a notable orator, and his speech on this occasion displays just how well he can deliver his message, even though the Jewish leaders arrested him and he stands before the king in chains. He is not overawed by authority or the presence of the king and, with the help of God, he stands to ‘testify to small and great alike’ (verse 22).
The end of Paul’s speech is about how his message about Jesus is consistent with the teachings of Moses and the prophets. When he is interrupted and accused of being mad, he responds calmly and politely, yet again stressing that nothing he says is new to those familiar with the prophets and flattering King Agrippa by including him among the knowledgeable.
Paul’s response to Agrippa at the end of his speech is most powerful. ‘Short time or long,’ he begins. In other words, time does not matter, as he will continue to preach about Jesus for as long as it takes. He continues, ‘I pray to God.’ It is God’s message he is sharing, and through God’s help that he can stand before Agrippa and his accusers and speak. His message also is not just in response to Agrippa, but to all who are listening to him. It is not a message just for the powerful or for leaders; God is for everyone. Finally, we can imagine a wry smile when Paul says he prays that all will be like him, except, of course, for his chains.
We, too, can thank God that if Paul ever had a fear of public speaking, he overcame it, and many years later his voice is still heard.
Heavenly Father, thank you for all who share your message and for helping us to understand the full extent of your love for us all. Guide us through your Holy Spirit as we live out your truth and love in our world. Amen.
Dianne has served in Lutheran education as a teacher, school leader and system leader at Lutheran Education Australia. Now retired from full-time work, she continues to volunteer on several committees and as a school board member. She lives in the Adelaide Hills with her husband, Robert, and is in strong demand as a babysitter for her three grandchildren.
Obey God above all
by Dianne Eckermann
Click here to download your printable verse to carry with you today.
Peter and the other apostles replied, ‘We must obey God rather than human beings!’ (Acts 5:29).
Read Acts 5:27–32
Peter was never afraid to speak up. On this occasion, he is appearing before the Jewish court, the Sanhedrin, and not for the first time. He has been imprisoned twice and has just escaped. He and the other disciples are determined to pass on the good news about Jesus, and they are not letting the authorities stand in their way. Their message was threatening to those in power; however, despite all attempts to keep Peter and his message locked away, both Peter and the message escaped.
Living in Australia and New Zealand, we are unlikely to be arrested for attending church or sharing the love of God. We can, however, be subjected to more subtle pressures such as scornful rejection of Christianity, attempts to ridicule believers or other belittling comments that are intended to humiliate. This is a form of persecution different from the imprisonment and suffering of Peter but is still a barrier to overcome. Even if we are not confident in speaking up for our faith, we can all be empowered by listening to the word of God rather than being discouraged by others’ words.
There has never been a time in history when so much information has been available to almost everyone as it is today through the far-reaching resources of the internet. With the limited resources available to them, we read how the followers of Jesus in these early years of the church did all they could to bring the compelling message of God at work in his world to others. They were not self-serving or projecting their own desires or a wish for fame. Instead, they were led by the Holy Spirit to proclaim all they knew about the story of Jesus and the hope it brought to the world in the early years of the church – a hope that continues to this day.
Heavenly Father, we thank you for sending your Spirit into our lives and ask that you help us to keep our focus on you and all you have done and continue to do in our lives. We also ask that you help us to follow the example of the apostles and obey you rather than human beings as we live out your word each day. Amen.
Dianne has served in Lutheran education as a teacher, school leader and system leader at Lutheran Education Australia. Now retired from full-time work, she continues to volunteer on several committees and as a school board member. She lives in the Adelaide Hills with her husband, Robert, and is in strong demand as a babysitter for her three grandchildren.