What Changed the Disciples, and Why Did Jesus Make Such an Impact ?I can't remember ever not believing in God. I was always aware of Him in the majesty of sunset that painted the sky fire red; in the peace of the dawn; in the sound of the water flowing in a river in the African bush; in the power of a thunderstorm that lit up the heavens with lightning, emptying the clouds and leaving the sky clear blue and the earth fresh; and in the way it was all in perfect balance and harmony, from the earth and the sun and the moon and the stars, to the creatures that inhabited the earth. In the 'Introduction' section of my website, under the heading 'My Faith', I outline my search for God and how I see it as a series of stepping stones that led me to the point of recognition and commitment. The recognition and commitment was initially based on prayer and Bible study. However, I was blessed with a husband that, with his legal background and enquiring mind, wanted to dig deeper into the more tangible side of the God that the Bible presented, and Jesus in particular. Keith, who had visited us in response to a card I had filled in at Church, arranged for someone to come over and address some of the questions that Chris had. This man, whose name I, sadly, cannot recall, brought us a book called 'More than a Carpenter'. Josh McDowell, the author of this book, considered himself an agnostic. He was so irritated by Christians on the campus of the university he was attending that he accepted a challenge by Christian students and professors to intellectually examine the claims of the Bible, and prove that they were wrong –specifically the claim that Jesus had been resurrected from the dead. To his surprise, his research convinced him that the Bible and its claims were true, and he became a Christian. His book, 'More than a Carpenter' outlines in a clear and concise way, the answers he found as he looked into the claims the Bible makes. While I found the historical validation interesting, what fascinated me was most was Josh's insight to Jesus' resurrection, and the impact it had on the people who witnessed it. The disciples, who had traveled with Jesus for the three years of his ministry, were disillusioned and devastated at the cruel death of the man they had thought was the messiah. We are told in Matthew 26v56 that '…all the disciples deserted him and fled'. Peter, who had said he would never deny that he knew Jesus, denied him three times before the cock crowed – just as Jesus had foretold. Yet just a few days after Jesus crucifixion, they openly and excitedly began preaching that Jesus was the Messiah, and that he had risen from the dead, just as he had said he would. Something obviously happened to change their lives. Although they were beaten, imprisoned and threatened with death unless they stopped preaching about Jesus, the disciples continued preaching until all but one of them was put to death. The only explanation for this radical change in their lives, is that they knew, absolutely beyond doubt, that what they were preaching was true. In the chapter titled 'Who Would Die for a lie?' Josh McDowell takes the reader through the plot that Pilate and the chief priests and elders concocted; In Matthew 27 v 62–65 we read that, after being advised by the chief priests and the Pharisees that Jesus' disciples may try to steal his body and tell people he had been raised from the dead, Pilate ensured that Jesus tomb was sealed and guarded. When Jesus' body disappears anyway (Matthew 28v11-15), the chief priests and elders gave the soldiers large sums of money to say that the disciples came during the night and took Jesus' body while they were asleep. The soldiers did this. This is where Josh McDowell's logical reasoning fascinated me and built up my faith. Just imagine that you are one of Jesus disciples, meeting with the others after Jesus death. You are all devastated by the events of the day. You are shocked, confused, humiliated and embarrassed that the man you had given up your livelihood for, and followed for three years as his elite group, had been publicly beaten and crucified. Given this scenario, which of the following would be more probable:
SCENARIO ONE
You are shocked, confused, humiliated and embarrassed that the man you had given up your livelihood for, and followed for three years as his elite group, had been publicly beaten and crucified so... You and the other disciples decide to concoct a plan of your own. To avoid further humiliation, you roll the huge stone away from the mouth of the tomb (and manage to do this so silently that none of the guards wake up) and steal Jesus body. Then you all claim that he has risen from the dead. To make sure that people believe you, all of you then spend the rest of your lives preaching this. During this time you, and the people who believe you, are imprisoned, tortured, and killed in horrific ways (early Christians were put to death by the sword, crucified, fed to lions in the Coliseum games, and set on fire as living torches to light banquets). In all this time, none of you breaks down and decides that enough is enough. You all suffer for the rest of your lives until, one by one, you are put to death – all for something you know is a lie. OR SCENARIO TWO You are shocked, confused, humiliated and embarrassed that the man you had given up your livelihood for, and followed for three years as his elite group, had been publicly beaten and crucified so... You gather together in stunned fear. Three days later one of the women in your group, who had gone to Jesus tomb, comes rushing back to say that the tomb is empty. You go to the tomb and confirm this, then go back home. Then the woman comes back again, and excitedly tells you that Jesus is alive and she has spoken to him. As you and the other disciples gather together, Jesus joins you. You see the wounds from his crucifixion. You know it is him, and that everything he told you is true. This knowledge gives you the confidence to preach the message of salvation he has given you, even in the face of incredible hardship, persecution and, finally, death. Think about which of the two scenarios is more probable. Would you suffer and die if you knew you would be left in peace if you just admitted it was a lie? When the disciples continued teaching about Jesus after being ordered not to, they were brought to the Sanhedrin (this is the full assembly of the elders of Israel) to be questioned by the high priest. When the high priest asked them why they would not stop talking about Jesus, the disciples stated that they continued preaching because needed to obey God rather than men. The high priest and his associates were furious, and wanted them put to death. At this point a Pharisee named Gamaliel, who was a teacher of the law and was respected by all the people, asked for the disciples to be put outside while he addressed the Sanhedrin. He then proceeded to say that men had come in the past, claiming to be 'somebody', but their movements had eventually come to nothing. He advised the Sanhedrin to let the disciples go, saying that if what they preached was of human origin it would fail, but if it was from God, then it would not be able to be stopped and in trying to stop it, they (the Sanhedrin) would find themselves fighting against God. Again, looking at it logically, why did Jesus make such an impact? Why does he still make an impact today? He was raised in a modest family, and worked as a carpenter before he began preaching. Although he traveled around as he preached for three years before being put to death, he never traveled more than 200 miles from his birthplace. Before and since Jesus, preachers have come and gone without being remembered for long. Yet every time we write the date, we acknowledge the fact that he was born and changed history. I believe it is because, as Gamaliel said all those years ago, 'if what the disciples are teaching is from God, it will not be able to be stopped' – and it is still true today. |
