When Jesus comes near to you, and takes away your sin, and gives you a new identity there is no longer a need for anything but faith in him. There is nothing you can contribute but love, to come and sit at his feet and allow him to tell you who you are, not Legion but child and heir. This is what it means to be free.
Jesus has departed and yet we know that the disciples did not experience this as a loss. How? Because the text tells us that they were full of joy at his departure. That’s strange don’t you think? It’s not what we would have expected. For the disciples the world is unchanged and now on top of that Jesus is gone. Why are they not sad? It can only be because whatever the case may be they obviously do not feel abandoned.
"After his suffering he presented himself alive to them by many convincing proofs, appearing to them during forty days and speaking about the kingdom of God," (Acts 1:3). Easter is a season of forty days commemorating the time that Jesus spent with his disciples after rising from the dead. Which begs the question, "Well, what … Continue reading Because of the Ascension
Feast Day: The Sixth Sunday After Easter Readings: Acts 16:9-15; Psalm 67; Revelation 21:10, 22-22:5; John 14:23-29 “I have said these things to you while I am still with you. But the Advocate, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you everything, and remind you of all that I … Continue reading How We Know the Risen and Living Jesus
One of the things that Jesus wants to do is help us recover a sense of the giftedness of the world and a strong and lively sense of the goodness of our heavenly Father, the creator of the world. Perhaps this is in part what Jesus means when he encourages us to come to him as little children. Jesus is inviting you to give up worrying and share in his happiness.
