Bringing Christ To Others

𝐀𝐏𝐑𝐈𝐋 𝟐𝟒, 𝟐𝟎𝟐𝟓: 𝐓𝐇𝐔𝐑𝐒𝐃𝐀𝐘 𝐎𝐅 𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐎𝐂𝐓𝐀𝐕𝐄 𝐎𝐅 𝐄𝐀𝐒𝐓𝐄𝐑

𝟏𝐬𝐭 𝐑𝐞𝐚𝐝𝐢𝐧𝐠: 𝐀𝐜 𝟑:𝟏𝟏-𝟐𝟔

𝐑𝐞𝐬𝐩𝐨𝐧𝐬𝐨𝐫𝐢𝐚𝐥 𝐏𝐬𝐚𝐥𝐦: 𝐏𝐬𝐚 𝟖:𝟐𝐚𝐛, 𝟓-𝟗 “𝐎 𝐋𝐨𝐫𝐝, 𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐆𝐨𝐝, 𝐡𝐨𝐰 𝐰𝐨𝐧𝐝𝐞𝐫𝐟𝐮𝐥 𝐲𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐧𝐚𝐦𝐞 𝐢𝐧 𝐚𝐥𝐥 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐞𝐚𝐫𝐭𝐡.”

𝐆𝐎𝐒𝐏𝐄𝐋: 𝐋𝐊 𝟐𝟒:𝟑𝟓-𝟒𝟖

𝑲𝒆𝒚 𝑽𝒆𝒓𝒔𝒆: “𝑷𝒆𝒂𝒄𝒆 𝒃𝒆 𝒘𝒊𝒕𝒉 𝒚𝒐𝒖.” (𝒗.36)

To see is to believe is an expression we often hear from people who would not believe anything unless they can see them with their own eyes, touch and feel them or for that matter speak to them.

Too often we also have this same tendency of wanting to see some hard evidence before we will accept something as true and this is predominantly so in legal disputes or in cases in which concrete evidence is necessary.

Notwithstanding the fact that the body wasn’t there when Mary Magdalene, Peter and John rushed to the tomb on Easter Sunday should have been enough reason for the disciples of Jesus to accept and believe that he has resurrected.

But his death on the cross so depressed his disciples that they not only felt defeated, but they forgot altogether all about what the Scriptures said and what Jesus preached and now the bigger problem was that they are in danger of being rounded up and suffer the same fate as Jesus.

Cleopas and another disciple went home to Emmaus in exasperation and amidst their dwindling faith Jesus appeared to them whom they recognized as he broke the bread and gave it to them, and this reignited their faith that they rushed back to Jerusalem to share with the other disciples their experience.

But the disciples still feared for their lives despite what had been told of his appearance to Mary Magdalene (𝐉𝐧 𝟐𝟎:𝟏𝟔-𝟏𝟕) , to the two disciples in Emmaus (𝐋𝐤 𝟐𝟒:𝟏𝟑-𝟑𝟓) and to Peter (𝟏 𝐂𝐨𝐫 𝟏𝟓:𝟓) which by the way was not written in any of the four Gospels.

As we read through this beautiful Gospel narrative let us ask ourselves why the disciples are having difficulty believing that Jesus has fulfilled his promise to resurrect on the third day? Wasn’t there enough evidence or not enough faith?

Imagine yourself to be in that Upper Room in the middle of all the ifs and buts and the confusion that reigned among the disciples and Jesus appears saying: “𝑷𝒆𝒂𝒄𝒆 𝒃𝒆 𝒘𝒊𝒕𝒉 𝒚𝒐𝒖.” (𝒗.36) a salutary greeting that was said in a most assuring way. Wouldn’t that erase whatever fears you may have at that moment when everything else seemed hopeless?

This is what Jesus Christ does even today as his presence brings peace amidst the troubled circumstances of our life. The reality of his resurrection provides us not only with the inspiration to restructure our lives and make it compatible with the standards of the Heavenly Kingdom but also the assurance that we too will be resurrected with him in glory (𝟏 𝐂𝐨𝐫 𝟏𝟓:𝟒𝟐-𝟓𝟎).

His resurrection also reinforces our belief that the cross was not a spur of the moment decision by Jesus nor by God, but the crucifixion was part of the plan of God for it is the cross that gives concrete evidence of the eternal love of God for us.

In other words, Jesus Christ the Living God brings peace and joy into our troubled lives in contrast to the strife, confusion, crass materialism, the senseless and disordered priorities of the world around us. As Jesus opened the minds of his disciples that they may understand the Scriptures (𝐯.𝟒𝟓) we too must make it a daily habit to dwell into the Sacred Texts because it is in them that we will find the reason and the purpose why we were created.

This is what the Holy Spirit does whenever we apportion a regular time to read the Scriptures. There will be times when you meet difficulty understanding a Bible passage. Besides sharing the Word with others and learning from their own experiences, you must pray that the Holy Spirit open your mind to understand the Scriptures and the Holy Spirit will respond by giving you the insight to put God’s Word into action in your life.

There shouldn’t be any doubt that the Scriptures from the Old Testament to the New Testament bear witness to Jesus Christ as the Messiah. The writings of Moses, the other prophets and the Psalms in the Old Testament points to the Messiah (𝐯𝐯.𝟒𝟓-𝟒𝟔) which has been fulfilled in the New Testament.

And his appearance before his disciples gives us an insight into what his disciples then and now us the modern-day disciples are to do now that we know Jesus Christ has risen. The experience of the disciples is not meant to remain in the Upper Room but is to be shared with the world. Beginning in Jerusalem and to where we are now the repentance and forgiveness of sins is to be preached in His Name to all nations (𝐯.𝟒𝟕).

Our faith experiences culled from our encounter and meeting Jesus makes us witnesses of these things and Jesus gives us the privilege and the responsibility to tell the Good News about his gift of forgiveness and eternal life to all who will choose to listen.

Our relatives and friends must know what Christ has done for them and what he continues to do in their lives and in us the new breed of disciples and it would be a terrible act of omission if we will deprive them of hearing the Gospel of Love.

The cross is the centerpiece of the Gospel because it is on the cross from where love flows to the world. It is through the cross that we pass from death to life in glory and we need to tell others about it. To ignore the cross and or to run away from it would be the height of ingratitude towards a person who laid down his life for our sakes.

In closing let me bring you to an excerpt from the homily of Pope Francis during the first mass that he celebrated at the Sistine Chapel following his election as Pope during the Conclave and this is what the Holy Father said: “𝑾𝒉𝒆𝒏 𝒘𝒆 𝒘𝒂𝒍𝒌 𝒘𝒊𝒕𝒉𝒐𝒖𝒕 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝑪𝒓𝒐𝒔𝒔, 𝒘𝒉𝒆𝒏 𝒘𝒆 𝒃𝒖𝒊𝒍𝒅 𝒘𝒊𝒕𝒉𝒐𝒖𝒕 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝑪𝒓𝒐𝒔𝒔, 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝒘𝒉𝒆𝒏 𝒘𝒆 𝒄𝒐𝒏𝒇𝒆𝒔𝒔 𝒂 𝑪𝒉𝒓𝒊𝒔𝒕 𝒘𝒊𝒕𝒉𝒐𝒖𝒕 𝒂 𝑪𝒓𝒐𝒔𝒔, 𝒘𝒆 𝒂𝒓𝒆 𝒏𝒐 𝒍𝒐𝒏𝒈𝒆𝒓 𝒅𝒊𝒔𝒄𝒊𝒑𝒍𝒆𝒔 𝒐𝒇 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝑳𝒐𝒓𝒅. 𝑾𝒆 𝒂𝒓𝒆 𝒎𝒖𝒏𝒅𝒂𝒏𝒆. 𝑾𝒆 𝒂𝒓𝒆 𝒃𝒊𝒔𝒉𝒐𝒑𝒔, 𝒑𝒓𝒊𝒆𝒔𝒕𝒔, 𝒄𝒂𝒓𝒅𝒊𝒏𝒂𝒍𝒔, 𝑷𝒐𝒑𝒆𝒔, 𝒆𝒗𝒆𝒓𝒚𝒐𝒏𝒆, 𝒃𝒖𝒕 𝒘𝒆 𝒂𝒓𝒆 𝒏𝒐 𝒍𝒐𝒏𝒈𝒆𝒓 𝒅𝒊𝒔𝒄𝒊𝒑𝒍𝒆𝒔 𝒐𝒇 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝑳𝒐𝒓𝒅.”

How true indeed because the cross is the mark of every Christian. The cross is the seal that unites us with Christ because our lives have been grafted to the cross for it is also on the cross where our old selves died, and a new life was infused into us.

Today, we who have seen Christ with our own eyes are given the mandate to testify so that the world will know who Jesus Christ is. “You are witnesses of these things.” (v.48) This falls squarely on our shoulders, and it would be an act of betrayal if we will let this golden opportunity to speak for and on behalf of Our Lord and Savior pass from our midst. (𝘌𝘥 𝘔𝘢𝘭𝘢𝘺 – 𝘈𝘱𝘳𝘪𝘭 24, 2025)