Ministry Musings – April 2018

Good News.....

We all love Good News.

It is personal to each one of us. The birth of a baby, the birth of a first grandchild, success in a final exam , success in finding a job. We want to tell family and friends immediately, it can't wait , it is of immediate importance.

The women were running to the tomb on Easter Day discussing how they were going to move the stone . They intended to anoint the body of Jesus with spices. When they arrived, the stone had already been rolled away. When they looked inside the tomb , the body of Jesus had gone. This wasn't good news. They were perplexed and upset. They were terrified, there was a young man sitting on the right, wearing a white robe. “ Don't be alarmed” he said “ I know you are looking for Jesus of Nazareth , who was crucified. He is not here, He has been raised! “ 

“Go and give this message to his disciples “, including Peter. “He is going to Galilee ahead of you ; there you will see Him, just as He told you”

They left the tomb in a hurry ,afraid yet filled with joy and ran to tell the disciples. Suddenly Jesus met them , He said “Peace be with you”.

They took hold of his feet and worshiped Him.

“Do not be afraid” Jesus said to them,” Go and tell my brothers to go to Galilee, and there they will see me”.

When the women got to the place where the disciples were gathered they couldn't wait to tell them the news of everything that had happened.Jesus had been raised and they had met with Him. The disciples were sceptical but Peter and John ran back to the tomb to see for themselves .

Jesus is Risen, this is Good News. We may say, “Let me see and then I will believe “ . But God says “Believe and you will see “ ( John 11:40) It is only by faith that we come to know God at all and we must believe the good news for ourselves. This involves more than just saying the facts are true, it means resting our lives on them.

’God loved the world so much that He gave his only son, so that everyone who believes in Him may not die but have eternal life’. This is good news. 

The early Christians couldn't stop telling others and sharing the good news with them. 

Today the facts, the promises, the conditions and the blessings are just the same and we need to share the good news with others .

Jesus said, “Go then , to all peoples everywhere and make them my disciples and I will be with you always, to the end of the age”.

Let us all pray that we may experience the blessings of the early church today and to ’Go tell’ the good news to others.

Judith