Eyewitnesses of His Majesty

Second Sunday of Easter

April 7, 2013

Eyewitnesses of His Majesty

2 Peter 1:16

In the name of Jesus. Amen.

What did you do yesterday? Did you eat? Sleep? Walk? Sure. Ordinary day. Did Roger Ebert ring your doorbell? As you may have heard, the famous film critic died this week, so of course not.

But if he did show up on your doorstep, what would you say? Maybe you'd say “No soliciting!” and slam the door, but you'd probably say, “You're supposed dead!”

What would he say? “Says who?”

Your answer: “Everybody.”

Him: “Who's everybody?”

You: “You know, the news said you were dead.”

Him: “Well, did you see me die?”

This is utter nonsense, of course, but consider this. Think about how many historic events you never saw with your own eyes, yet you accept based on the testimony of eyewitnesses who passed along what happened by word of mouth and by writing it down.

Paul Revere's ride. Columbus finding America. The Children's Crusade. Leonidas and the 300 holding Thermopylae. The world accept these events based on the eyewitness testimony of those who were there.

No one doubts that Paul Revere did make his famous ride, but old and new attacks on Jesus persist. These attacks claim that the eyewitnesses to Jesus' life after His death wouldn't hold up in a court of law.

We see how St. Peter anticipates this strategy of doubt.

For we did not follow cleverly devised tales when we made known to you the power and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, but we were eyewitnesses of His majesty. (2 Peter 1:16)

It wasn't reportage of popular scuttlebutt. Their reporting was based on their eyes and ears and fingers. St. John writes:

What was from the beginning, what we have heard, what we have seen with our eyes, what we have looked at and touched with our hands, concerning the Word of Life—and the life was manifested, and we have seen and testify and proclaim to you the eternal life, which was with the Father and was manifested to us—what we have seen and heard we proclaim to you also, so that you too may have fellowship with us; and indeed our fellowship is with the Father, and with His Son Jesus Christ. These things we write, so that our joy may be made complete. (1 John 1:1-4)

St. Luke begins his account of Christ:

Inasmuch as many have undertaken to compile an account of the things accomplished among us, just as they were handed down to us by those who from the beginning were eyewitnesses and servants of the word, it seemed fitting for me as well, having investigated everything carefully from the beginning, to write it out for you in consecutive order, most excellent Theophilus; so that you may know the exact truth about the things you have been taught. (Luke 1:1-4)

Modern critics of Christ love to paint ancient people as a bunch of rubes, who couldn't use logic and would believe anything. How ironic, since we live in the age of the absurd and of the gullible. We live in a time when people are encouraged not to think, but to feel. There have always been backward-thinking people, but never has there been a time when it has been embraced by so many. For example, self-gratification through sex outside of marriage is promoted as the path to long-term relationships. The old do all they can to feel young and the young long to and are allowed to be old.

John and hundreds of others had seen Jesus die. Veteran Roman soldiers had executed their orders well. Jesus was dead. And then He was not dead.

The apostles had seen Him do many ordinary human things before His crucifixion. They had seen Him walk, eat, and talk. But now after His death, He was walking again and eating again and talking to them again.

Jesus had done countless majestic miracles before He died. After His resurrection, we hear of a few miracles. In today's Gospel we noted how He just appeared in the upper room where the apostles were hiding (John 20). He hid His identity from the Emmaus disciples (Luke 24). He had His friends throw out their nets on the right-side of the boat to catch 153 fish (John 21).

But although John reports that many more signs were done by Jesus, no great miracles are reported in Scripture, like the feeding 5,000 or raising up Lazarus a second time from the dead.

Why? Because Jesus being alive again is the Miracle. This was the Majesty of which Peter spoke—simply that God had died and now was alive again.

No famous celebrities, dead or alive, are going to knock on your door. But Jesus does. He knocks and we receive His coming.

Behold, I stand at the door and knock; if anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and will dine with him, and he with Me. (Revelation 3:20)

Come and dine with Him in His Word and at His Supper!

He's risen! He's risen indeed! Alleluia!

In the name of the Father and of the + Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.