Acts 10:34-43:
34Then Peter began
to speak to them: “I truly understand that God shows no partiality, 35but
in every nation anyone who fears him and does what is right is
acceptable to him. 36You
know the message he sent to the people of Israel, preaching peace by Jesus
Christ--he is Lord of all. 37That message spread
throughout Judea, beginning in Galilee after the baptism that John announced:
38how God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy
Spirit and with power; how he went about doing good and healing all who
were oppressed by the devil, for God was with him. 39We
are witnesses to all that he did both in Judea and in Jerusalem.
They put him to death by hanging him on a tree; 40but
God raised him on the third day and allowed him to appear, 41not
to all the people but to us who were chosen by God as witnesses, and who
ate and drank with him after he rose from the dead. 42He
commanded us to preach to the people and to testily that he is the one
ordained by God as judge of the living and the dead. 43All
the prophets testily about him that everyone who believes in him receives
forgiveness of sins through his name.”
This was the reading for the first lesson
on Easter Sunday morning. The Apostle Peter gives this homily at
the home of Cornelius, an officer in the Roman army. These words
encapsulate the fundamental message of Christianity: Everyone who believes
in Jesus receives forgiveness of sins through His name. These words are
still the crucial message of Christianity after more than 2000 Easter morning
celebrations! The proclamation of the Good News at the beginning
of the Apostles' mission to the Gentile people after the resurrection of
Jesus is still the Good News for us as we celebrate another Easter season
in the church!
The powerful words of Peter that Luke records
for us are more than an attempt to justify Jesus as Lord of all to the
members of the Roman officer's home. These words establish a conviction
that is based on the experience and belief of the men and women who witnessed
the events of the life, death and resurrection of our Lord. Peter
steps out on new ground as the movement of the Gospel begins to spread.
He has no Hebrew “proof text” or centuries-old tradition to back him up.
He simply stands before this Roman household and proclaims what he knows
to be truth: Jesus Christ is Lord of all!
Doesn't it feel that way in the church
from time-to-time? With Jesus Christ as Lord of all, we as followers
have the brave and sometimes risky task of living out the implications
of the Gospel. A Gospel that sometimes cannot be predicted until
we are in the moment and faced with something we could not have seen on
our own. A Gospel that sometimes calls us to extend ourselves outside
the zone of comfort we have created for ourselves and explore bold new
ideas. A Gospel that sometimes surprises us much like the followers
of Jesus may have felt on Easter morning!
Pastor Laurie
|