April 10, 2010

Christ's Empty Tomb Leads to an Empty Jail!

2nd Sunday of Easter, 4/11/10
Acts 5:12, 17-32


Christ’s Empty Tomb Leads to an Empty Jail!
I. That’s the power of the risen Lord.
II. That’s the power behind his saving message.


We often refer to them as a flash in the pan. I’m sure you’re familiar with that metaphor. We use it for people or events that enjoy a moment of greatness but that’s all. They showed huge potential and actually realized that potential. We may have even celebrated that pinnacle in their personal lives or in their business efforts. And we expected to see more of the same. In fact, as we celebrated with them we may have heard or made comments such as, “This is just the beginning,” or, “This is the first of many victories.”

But those comments proved to be woefully inaccurate. Instead of staying at the top and enjoying success after success, the person or the business venture slipped into mediocrity or worse. They had a moment of greatness but now they were gone from the scene.

Last Sunday we celebrated the resurrection of Jesus from the dead. Of all his miracles, without a doubt, that one was his greatest, most impressive. He even repeatedly foretold that he would do it and he did it exactly as he said. But then we don’t hear too much more about him. 40 days after his resurrection he ascends into heaven and the Bible writers then focus on what his apostles and the rest of his believers did—in other words, the history of the early Christian church on earth. We don’t hear much more about Christ’s power.

So, was Jesus what some would call a flash in the pan? Did they expect more great things from him but instead he fades from the scene? Not at all and the words of this morning’s sermon text from Acts 5 prove it.

Jesus hadn’t checked out of the lives of his people at all. In fact, he was still very active and powerful. He gave his early believers exactly what they needed. In this case, it was an empty jail. Last week we heard about his empty tomb. This week we hear about an empty jail. The two are closely linked and they both show the power of our risen Lord Jesus in our lives today. Christ’s empty tomb leads to an empty jail. May that truth fill us with confidence over his power in our lives as we focus on this account this morning.

Part I.

Occasionally you still see large billboard-type signs with a black background and white lettering. The signs display the initials “MIA” which is a reference to those military personnel who are classified as “missing in action,” usually from the Vietnam War of the late 1960s and early 1970s. At the bottom of the sign you might see the statement, “Gone but not forgotten.” And that’s very true, especially for their family members. They don’t even have a gravesite to visit, but these family members vow never to forget their loved ones.

The event of Acts 5 takes place weeks—maybe months—after Jesus had not only risen from the dead but also ascended into heaven. Was it possible at this time for his followers to conclude that Jesus was gone from their lives but they would try hard not to forget him?

Not a chance. Jesus wasn’t even gone from their lives. Remember some of his final words to his followers, “Surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age” (Mt. 28:20). He had removed his visible presence from them but he was still very much with them. Because Jesus is now exalted in eternal glory, his almighty power in our lives does not depend on his visible presence.

And he showed that in dramatic fashion by what’s described in Acts 5. I know our attention gets drawn to the empty jail, but don’t overlook the opening verse of our text when you’re looking for his power in the lives of his people. That verse reads, “The apostles performed many miraculous signs and wonders among the people.” Jesus first revealed his power through his followers. Although this verse doesn’t state it exactly, we assume these miracles mainly involved healing people of sickness and disease and perhaps freeing them from demon possession. Those are exactly the miracles mentioned in the next few verses. Every one of those miracles was not done to point to the greatness of the sinful individual performing them, but to the greatness of the crucified and risen Lord Jesus Christ, the world’s only Savior from sin. He revealed his power through them to draw others to him.

But he also revealed his power to these very apostles. That’s what the empty jail was all about. In the previous chapter we read about how Peter and John were jailed for preaching about Jesus. They were released and told not to preach about Jesus anymore. But that didn’t stop them or any of the other apostles. So now the Jewish leaders jailed all the apostles. That might have been enough for some of the apostles to start having their doubts about doing the work Jesus had sent them to do. But the risen Lord Jesus quickly dispelled all doubts. He sent his angel to release all the apostles from jail. In doing so, he revealed his power to them.

And in doing so he also revealed his power once again to the very men who had crucified him. These men had taken steps to make sure his tomb was secure. It didn’t matter. Jesus raised himself from the dead. They had also taken steps to secure his apostles in jail. It didn’t matter. Jesus used his angel to create a holy jail break.

Christ’s empty tomb leads to an empty jail. That’s the power of the risen Lord.

As far as we know, Jesus isn’t using his power to empty jails today. In fact, we don’t want him to. We have no need for him to empty jails for us. But we would like him to empty our lives of some other things that have our lives in shackles. And he doesn’t even need to send an angel like he did here for the apostles. Just free us, Lord, from pain or stress or worry or our frustration with ourselves or others. Lord, give us some financial freedom or freedom from the problems in our relationships. Free us from messy politics, war, and natural and man-made disasters. While we may pray fervently for those things, Jesus doesn’t always do them. He freed the apostle James here in this event but seven chapters later he didn’t stop Herod from murdering him. He didn’t use his power to stop his own enemies from murdering him. Thank God he didn’t, for through that terrible deed God brought about our salvation. And now he calls for us to trust that our risen Lord will use that power as he sees best for us. And that’s why he graciously allows us to see that the empty tomb leads to an empty jail. That’s the power of the risen Lord in our lives.

Part II.

You hear and read stories about people who have experienced a life-changing event. Maybe it was a close call in an accident. Maybe it was making it through a very risky surgery. Whatever it was, they tell you that their life has been so different from that point on.

The resurrection of Jesus was a life-changing event for the apostles. I realize that one of the gifts the Holy Spirit bestowed on the apostles at Pentecost was their spiritual courage, but without the resurrection of Jesus there would be no Pentecost. Without the resurrection of Jesus there would be nothing to preach about and no reason to preach at all.

The risen Jesus had changed them. Instead of concealing their identity with Jesus, they boldly proclaimed it. Even the high priest admitted, “You have filled Jerusalem with your teaching.” It’s hard to imagine that there was a single Jewish person in Jerusalem that hadn’t heard what the apostles were preaching—that Jesus had been crucified but had risen and they were eyewitnesses of it. Jesus had been put to death just as the Old Testament had foretold and he had risen just as the Old Testament foretold. Indeed, he was the promised Messiah. And thousands of Jews in Jerusalem believed their message, even some of the Jewish priests.

But the Jews in power refused to believe what the apostles were saying. What’s more, they had given orders for this preaching to stop. The high priest reiterated, “We gave you strict orders not to teach in this name.” He wanted this preaching to stop and yet the apostles to a man refused. Peter replied for them all when he said, “We must obey God rather than men!” What a change from the cowards the apostles had been in the days after Jesus’ death!

And then Peter takes the boldest of moves. He confronts the high priest and the other religious leaders with their sin. He reminds them that they killed Jesus but God raised him from the dead. That’s the kind of message that could have gotten Peter killed. Some years later it did get him killed. But Peter wasn’t concerned. The risen Jesus had changed his life.

He’s changed your life and mine all the same. No, we haven’t witnessed with our own eyes Jesus rising from the dead. But at our baptisms Jesus gave us faith in his death and resurrection—the very same faith that the apostles had. As the Apostle Paul explained, our baptisms buried our sins and our sinful nature with Jesus into death and a new person arose by faith in Jesus just as Jesus rose from the dead. We’re now connected eternally with Christ.

And the power of the risen Lord that changes our lives comes to us every time we hear his saving word and receive his Holy Supper. We’re changed people. We walk out of here different people. We don’t think and act the way our world thinks and acts. And the power of the risen Lord goes with us through the week as we commit ourselves to living for him to his glory. Without a doubt, we are the people of God!

People of God, go now in the power of the risen Lord Jesus, knowing that his death and resurrection assure you of your forgiveness and empower you for godly living, the same type of courageous godly living the apostles displayed here. And it’s all because Christ’s empty tomb leads to an empty jail. Amen.