"What happens in Jerusalem, doesn't stay in Jerusalem"

Luke 24: 36 – 48, Sunday, April 30, 2006

          I do wish I could recall the name of the man or even the show upon which I saw him.  It wasn’t an intentional thing on my part, I just happened to have the television on for just a moment longer than I had planned.  The news show, or exploratory documentary, which ever or both, did a relatively lengthy interview with a man who had just published a book the premise of which stated that Jesus didn’t actually die on the cross.  The author’s source or at least he claims, is a couple of unpublished ancient documents that he has seen in a secret place.  He wouldn’t divulge their exact content.  He didn’t have a copy of either.  He would not say where they were except in a large city in Europe.  As I recall some private collector had these.  The Vatican knew of them.  A pact had been made by the then Pope to keep the letters secret for a period of decades.  Incidentally, these documents are supposedly original source material from immediately after the time of Jesus.

          The author’s theory is that Jesus actually didn’t die on the cross.  That he was pulled off at the brink of time, was resuscitated, and lived a fairly long life after the cross.  As I said before the author of the book couldn’t, or chose not to verify his source.  The interviewer was kind to him even though she raised some great issues and challenged him on a variety of points besides his lack of proof.

          Now his proposal concerning Jesus recovery from the cross is not a new one.  Even beginning in Jesus’ own time there were those who made such a statement.  Unfortunately the details don’t make for a positive outcome.  The cross, crucifixion, was after all nailing the condemned’s hands and feet with railroad like spikes.  As you remember, prior to the crucifixion Jesus had been severely flogged.  According to all I’ve read this act alone would result in infection and death.  Flesh and skin were pulled away from the body leaving soars that would not heal ones from which the one so punished would not recover.

          And what about the church?  If it was all a great hoax certainly some of the disciples would have known it.  Would they have faced persecution or death as most of them did?  Remember Peter was probably himself crucified, but upside down.  Would anybody go through what the disciples and the early Christians went through if the “cross” was a lie?  The disciples, who were the first Christians by name and the first church, must have truly believed that Jesus died and rose again in three days.  Even though the four Gospels differ on exact details, all tell the story.  Jesus went to the cross.  Jesus died.  Jesus rose again in the same form as the disciples had known him before.  Jesus lived and appeared to his disciples after he had returned to life following the crucifixion.

          What about the persons here mentioned in the text in Luke 24 who considered that Jesus was a ghost?  Whether we believe in ghosts or not, those of Jesus time truly and firmly did.  The scripture doesn’t speak figuratively but truly:   “The disciples were startled and terrified, and thought that they were seeing a ghost.”  No, Jesus wasn’t a vision but was one who could be touched, one who looked like himself.  It wasn’t a post death Elvis like sighting, but an encounter with a real live person, one who had been through the worst, but one who triumphed because of his trust and his choice to follow what God placed before him.  The cross is the one and only place where we all see fully the depth of God’s eternal love.  The resurrection demonstrates God’s surety and power.  It is God’s promise to be with us in death and in life.

          It is important, even crucial, that we believe in the resurrection.  Without it Jesus is only a great prophet, even a religious epic hero, who did great things, encouraged people and then died an unfair and tragic death.  When Jesus stood in the room with his disciples and gave a common greeting of “peace be with you” he changed forever the relationship of God and the world.

          In just about every culture in the world, less so now in our own times than even one hundred years ago, there are children who are tragically displaced.  These orphans are truly left for the state to care for.  In our United Methodist work in Russia there are thousands who wind up in orphanages.  There are parents who have died, parents who are alcoholics and undisciplined or abusive, parents who cannot or choose not to look after their children because of financial restrictions.  I recall visiting an orphanage and working at the same one for a few days and seeing a family of five children.   The oldest was around ten the youngest barely three.  The parents had walked them into the office of the orphanage’s director, said “I cannot afford to feed them,” and walked out.  There are countless children in Russian orphanage system in a like situation.

          To that same orphanage there comes a man referred to as “Papa.”  He doesn’t live at or even near the orphanage.  He is based in one of the larger oil communities in the region.  Papa’s primary life’s purpose is to run one of the more successful independent oil companies in Russia.  His passion, however, is to spend time with the children.  He has much money even by our standards.  He has almost adopted the whole facility; by building buildings, supplying food, shipping in shoes and winter clothes, etc. But the most marvelous thing is that he keeps coming back to be with the children.  The residents see in his actions his commitment to their good.  Not even the harsh Siberian weather deters his presence.  The children and adults as well, not only sense his love for them, but have it secured by his actual presence.

          So it is with Jesus and the disciples.  God’s resurrection, Jesus present in body, soul and spirit, keeps God’s love alive, and gives assurance that God’s love is real and for sure.  In a way, like the Papa in Siberia, God stays  before us, coming to us with love to share and more.

          There is one part of the scripture that always causes me to chuckle a little.  Jesus is there in the Upper Room with the unsuspecting disciples  He didn’t even need a door. Jesus enters, stands in the midst of the disciples and very matter-of-factly says:  “peace be with you,” which is loosely like us saying “howdy.”  Jesus then encourages his disciples to touch him and to explore the wounds of the cross.  Then he does something quite amazing he makes a statement followed by a question.  Jesus probably said something like “Hey guys, I’m starving here.  Do you have anything to eat?”  The scripture adds, “They gave him a piece of broiled fish, he took it and ate in their presence.”

          Why?  First off, he was probably hungry; remember he hadn’t eaten much of anything since the last supper.  Secondly, and more importantly, he did this to prove his presence and his point about not being a ghost.  Ghosts don’t eat fish, nor anything else.  Jesus is no ghost.  The signs of the cross were there on his body.  Jesus died but he was present there after the cross.  “No, he is not here,” the angels said “he has risen.” 

          Jesus is resurrected.  So what next?  Well, for one thing God has made a great inroad into human history and God has stayed.  Jesus resurrected and remained a while.  The Book of Acts says that for forty days Jesus was with his disciples and others who saw him.  During this time Jesus opened up the disciples minds.  He brought God’s love back again.  He brought trust in God’s word.  The people were more apt to listen, more sure to responds, more able to understand and more desirous to be attentive to words of hope, new life, forgiveness, and love because Jesus had come again to share God’s love.

          What are we to do?  Believe in the Good news.  Accept the cross as the only place in all of creation where God’s character and unconditional love are seen in an eternal sense.  Believe in the resurrection.  Jesus wasn’t just taken from the cross alive and resuscitated in a well planned hoax.  Believe Jesus wasn’t just “Casper the friendly prophet.”  Believe that after the resurrection Jesus also was one of substance, spiritual and physical substance.  Believe that Jesus brings all we need for salvation and life at its best.  Believe in the good news.  Believe in the urgency of the task Jesus placed before the disciples and us.  All of Jesus’ disciples of any age and  time are to begin at their own Jerusalem, to start at home wherever home may be, and to travel with the love of God that can be offered to others when we disciples pray, work, struggle, visit, encourage, and continue sharing the Gospel.  Be mission oriented everywhere.  Or as it dawned on me just a while ago to remember that “what happened in Jerusalem didn’t stay in Jerusalem.”  The disciples beheld the resurrected Christ and after experiencing him as a friend, inspiration, teacher, and as God’s love among them, went from the Upper Room into the world.  They experienced new cultures and geography in Jesus’ name.

          I’m sure most of you remember the basketball player of just a few years ago who was called “Spud Webb.”  I certainly do.  By basketball standards he was somewhat diminutive, even short.  But Webb, and I saw him on the basketball court a couple of times, played with intensity and passion.  He was able to use his God given talent to match many of the giants around him.  I remember listening to a game in which he played, one that was broadcast on local radio.  Unfortunately I’m long on quotes today, but short on sources.  The play-by-play guy made one of those “duh” comments.  He said, and I am having to paraphrase here, “Spud Webb has a power about him that causes him to be greater than he might seem to be.”  Webb wasn’t a giant physically, but he was a giant with a heart for the sport he love and to which he gave himself.  He had the power to be driven to succeed.

          You see, the disciples were in such a place.  They were eleven ordinary men who had extraordinary power from beyond themselves.  The power was Jesus in their midst.  The power came because of the resurrection.  They gathered in the Upper Room on the occasion recalled in Luke 24, but they didn’t stay there.  There were people to love.  There was good news of salvation to share.  There were souls to save.  There was a church to build.  There was new geography to cover with the Gospel message of the resurrected Christ. 

          Today the responsibility, the privilege, is still the same.  It can be said of the disciples of Jesus’ time; “what happened in Jerusalem, didn’t stay in Jerusalem.”  And thank the Lord for that.  The power the disciples had in their hearts came from Christ, from God’s eternal, never failing and always sure love which is forever certain and present through the Christ of resurrection.

          May we remain challenged to behold Christ, to celebrate the resurrection and to go from our own “Jerusalem,” wherever our homes may be, to live the life, and offer the love of God that is, was, and shall always be, found in Christ’s presence with us through body and the spirit which are both alive and well for us and for all of God’s great creation.  Amen!!