Daily Bread

Then Peter began to speak to them:

‘I truly understand that God shows no partiality, but in every nation anyone who fears him and does what is right is acceptable to him. You know the message he sent to the people of Israel, preaching peace by Jesus Christ—he is Lord of all.

That message spread throughout Judea, beginning in Galilee after the baptism that John announced: how God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and with power; how he went about doing good and healing all who were oppressed by the devil, for God was with him.

We are witnesses to all that he did both in Judea and in Jerusalem. They put him to death by hanging him on a tree; but God raised him on the third day and allowed him to appear, not to all the people but to us who were chosen by God as witnesses, and who ate and drank with him after he rose from the dead.

He commanded us to preach to the people and to testify that he is the one ordained by God as judge of the living and the dead. All the prophets testify about him that everyone who believes in him receives forgiveness of sins through his name.’

Peter had witnessed the resurrection, but more than that, he had been baptised in the Holy Spirit, and he now spoke with confidence, fulfilling the mandate from Jesus to preach to the people that forgiveness of sins was freely available, and that they too could join in with the ongoing mission of God in the world.

I sometimes describe this mandate from Jesus as having two components:

1) Proclaim Jesus Christ as Lord, and
2) be witnesses to God's love.

These can be summed up as Proclamation and Presence. We are to tell people the good news about Jesus and also be the love of Jesus to others, and both, like Peter in the book of Acts, are empowered by the Holy Spirit living in us.

Sometimes we think evangelism is to do one or other other but it is to do both. Proclamation without presence makes us just sound like fog horns, and presence without proclamation means people may miss out on coming to know Jesus as their Lord. The good news is that the Holy Spirit, if we ask, will pour into us both confidence to speak, and love to share.

Today is Resurrection Sunday, so why not join in with the Easter acclamation, "He is risen! He is risen indeed, Alleluia!" and go give someone a massive hug. x

Holy God
Thank you that I have been made holy
through your Son, my Saviour, Jesus Christ.
Thank you that I can be filled with the Spirit
and given confidence to proclaim that Jesus Christ is Lord,
and overflow with your presence
such that I can share your love with others.
He is risen indeed, Alleluia!