2021-06-12

Jesus Christ - The same (2) – Before and after His resurrection

He is the same before and after His resurrection. As the Risen Lord, He meets His disciples at the Sea of Tiberias and they recognize that it is the Lord. He helps them in a similar way as during His public ministry. He had told Peter (during His public ministry) to draw out into the deep water to fish in the middle of the day. In John 21, He says, "Cast the net on the right side of the ship and ye will find." But not only that: even after His ascension, we read that He supports the disciples' ministry from heaven by working with them (see Mark 16:20).

In Matthew 14 we see Jesus walking on the lake and the disciples crying out in fear because they thought He was a ghost. What does the Lord do? He makes Himself known to them, comes close to them and shows His power over the forces of nature. After His resurrection, He suddenly appears to the disciples and tells them, "Peace be to you." Then it says, "But they, being confounded and being frightened, supposed they beheld a spirit" (Luke 24:37). Again, He then immediately takes away their fear and shows them His pierced hands and feet.

The risen Son of God also appeared to Mary Magdalene - and in this context it is explicitly mentioned that He had cast 7 demons out of her. She recognizes the voice of the good shepherd when He says "Mary" and calls her by her name. She was familiar with His voice.

People change their mind or their behavior. But the Son of God remains the same. One day a crowd shouted, "Hosanna to the Son of David," and a short time later it may have been some of the same people shouting, "Take him away! Crucify him!" The Son of God did not say “yes” in one moment and “no” in another. He came to fulfill the law and all that was written about Him. Paul wrote to the Corinthians, “For the Son of God, Jesus Christ, he who has been preached by us among you … did not become yea and nay, but yea is in him.“ (2 Cor. 1:19). Even today the "yea" is in Him and the "Amen" is in Him - to make the promises of God come true (see 2 Cor. 1:20).

J.P.S.


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