JESUS REDUX

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In Christ, Mark

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The scriptures. May God bless the reading of His holy word.

The apostles performed many signs and wonders among the people. And all the believers used to meet together in Solomon’s Colonnade. No one else dared join them, even though they were highly regarded by the people. Nevertheless, more and more men and women believed in the Lord and were added to their number. As a result, people brought the sick into the streets and laid them on beds and mats so that at least Peter’s shadow might fall on some of them as he passed by. Crowds gathered also from the towns around Jerusalem, bringing their sick and those tormented by impure spirits, and all of them were healed.

Acts 5:12-16

This ends today’s reading from God's holy word. Thanks be to God.

Jesus hadn’t been gone for long and if the people thought they would miss a lot of the miraculous works He performed, they soon saw that there was a continuation happening in their very midst as the apostles followed their Master’s command to go and make disciples of all nations. It was definitely a Jesus redux period, a major divine déjà vu taking place before their very eyes.

Indeed, the apostles were doing much of what Jesus had done while He ministered to the masses. Empowered by the Holy Spirit, we read where the similarities included the following:

1. The apostles drew crowds of people.

Everywhere Jesus went, you could be sure He would attract a crowd. People came from all over to hear Him teach or to perform amazing acts, the next thing the apostles had in common with their Master.

2. The apostles performed many signs and wonders.

We have seen in prior messages that the apostles possessed the incredible power to heal others, just as Jesus had shown. And so we see where people responded to this power displayed by the apostles the same as they did when Jesus was doing likewise. The scriptures tell us that the people brought the sick and laid them on beds and mats so that they might be touched and healed by Peter’s shadow falling upon them as he passed by. As I read this, I was reminded about the woman who had long suffered from bleeding and she felt she could be healed if she could just touch Jesus’ clothes. This same power we saw coming out from Jesus to heal people who showed faith was now upon His faithful followers like Peter who was carrying on His work. As this passage closes, we read where the apostles were also driving out impure spirits from possessed people in a way that must have made the ascended Jesus very proud.

3. Finally, the apostles were effective in bringing more and more people to Christ.

The harvest was great and the workers were few as the apostles got to work obediently responding to Jesus’ call. But as we see, the twelve apostles were very effective in making new Jesus disciples. Peter’s opening discourse after Pentecost and the subsequent healing of the lame man near the gate named Beautiful were two specific events that saw thousands dedicate their lives to Christ. As the apostles continued to perform supernatural signs and wonders, their work bore the fruit of “more and more men and women” believing in the Lord and being added to the numbers within the Jerusalem Christian community.      

Christianity was well on its way to becoming a major religious force, even in a place where Judaism was the standard. The Jesus redux movement, fueled by the devoted, obedient work of the apostles, was in full swing and soon this movement would expand well beyond Jerusalem to Judea and Samaria, before spreading to the ends of the earth.

Today, we have the opportunity to continue the amazing work started by Jesus and then carried on by His apostles. For there are still many who haven’t heard the Gospel nor have they developed a personal relationship with the Savior that God sent to redeem through His blood. The time is now to be proactive and partner with the Holy Spirit to find the lost and help them find salvation.

Each day offers us this rich opportunity. We just need to be ready to embrace it.

Amen.

In Christ,

Mark

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