WATCHWORD:
50 Then Jesus shouted out again, and he released his spirit. 51 At that moment the curtain in the sanctuary of the Temple was torn in two, from top to bottom. The earth shook, rocks split apart, 52 and tombs opened. The bodies of many godly men and women who had died were raised from the dead. 53 They left the cemetery after Jesus’ resurrection, went into the holy city of Jerusalem, and appeared to many people. 54 The Roman officer[a] and the other soldiers at the crucifixion were terrified by the earthquake and all that had happened. They said, “This man truly was the Son of God!” Matthew 27:50-54
This is the Good News about Jesus the Messiah, the Son of God. Mark 1:1
The angel replied, “The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you. So the baby to be born will be holy, and he will be called the Son of God. Luke 1:35
Meditation:
I Believe in Jesus Christ…
We can’t transport ourselves back to first Century Judea or enter the temple in Jerusalem at that moment of Pentecost. It must have been an amazing event, the sudden rush of wind, the tongues of fire, the babble of multiple languages and all present understood what was said.
For the disciples, it was a moment of realization. Yes, they had followed the Master these many years, had witnessed miracles, healings and teachings, but this was something else. Fifty days prior, the Resurrection had occurred before their very eyes, and then their master had met with them. This was the Messiah, long promised.
But who would believe? Certainly, not the Sadducees, and probably not the Pharisees. There had been too much anger and negative thought towards this Carpenter-teacher-miracle worker. So, who would believe His story?
Perhaps all of that served as motivation, as the Twelve filed out of the temple and gathered to digest and understand what had happened to them. Was that really the Breath of God? How do we process this? How do we go and ‘make disciples’? How do we keep this fresh in mind? And so they committed themselves, one to the other, a promise, a commitment to their Master and to the Creator God, A Creed.
I believe in God, the Father almighty,
Creator of heaven and earth.
I believe in Jesus Christ,
God’s only Son, our Lord.
who was conceived by the Holy Spirit,
born of the Virgin Mary,
suffered under Pontius Pilate,
was crucified, died and was buried;
he descended into hell;
on the third day he rose again from the dead;
he ascended into heaven,
and is seated at the right hand of God the Father almighty;
from there he will come to judge the living and the dead.
I believe in the Holy Spirit,
the holy catholic Church,
the communion of saints,
the forgiveness of sins,
the resurrection of the body,
and life everlasting. Amen.
What sets Christianity apart from Hindus, Muslims, and Jews, is its specific beliefs about Jesus. These other religions give Jesus prominent place as a prophet, and important teacher, or a religious reformer. Even among atheists there is general agreement that Jesus was, as atheist Richard Dawkins says, a “great moral teacher.” Of course, Christians believe that Jesus was indeed a prophet, religious reformer, and a great moral teacher, but our faith says he was far more.
So, within the Creed, we are reminded who Jesus is, His birth through the Holy Spirit, His death and Resurrection, His presence with God, and His role as judge in our lives. When the Creed says that Jesus “descended into hell, or to the dead” the idea is that Jesus experienced what we experience when we die. But, there is more to this. In the Resurrection, we have the image of Jesus defeating death, and we have the promise.
In the Resurrection, we have proof of changed lives. Here were the disciples, the majority being simple men, like the common fishermen that many were. Yet, following Pentecost, what amazing lives they lived spreading Christianity.
Eight years ago, I was invited to attend the Passover Seder at Temple Lubavitch in Little Rock Arkansas. During that sacred experience I was told that the Passover Seder was the Jewish people’s defining story.
The story of Jesus is Christianity’s defining story, encapsulated in the Creed. For the Jew, living is its own meaning, when you die, you are transformed from a being to a non-being. But faith in Jesus offers a very different perspective. We are born with purpose, our lives have meaning, and when we die, we’ve only just begun to live. Amen.
Closing Prayer:
Almighty God, You have made Yourself known to us as Father, Son and Holy Spirit. Make Yourself known to us in such away that we may understand Your will and purpose for our lives today. We offer our prayers in the Name and Spirit of Christ. Amen.
