Jesus comes to us in the midst of our ordinary lives. We know him from scripture, in worship, as we pray and sing songs of faith. In this passage, Jesus attempts to establish his identity and dispel his followers’ disbelief and wonder by eating a meal.
Jesus has been absent from his followers for a few days; already their fear has caused much of his teaching to leave their minds. From offering hands and feet and eating fish, he moves to recall what he has told them about his connection to the scriptures. “Everything I told you while I was with you comes to this: All the things written about me in the Law of Moses, in the Prophets, and in the Psalms have to be fulfilled. . . . You’re the first to hear and see it. You’re the witnesses” (The Message). The miracle of the Resurrection does not hinge on Jesus’ physical reappearance after death; the miracle is that God’s plans and purpose as laid out in scripture have come to fruition.
We contemporary Christians have centuries of faithful believers sharing the story of Jesus. We have numerous translations of the Bible, thousands of books written about the Christian faith, opportunities for small-group spiritual growth. Yet even those of us who regularly attend worship and hear the story of Jesus told again and again may have ho-hum moments. Sure, Jesus lived among humanity as an example of how to conduct our lives. Oh, yeah, he died and by the way, rose from the dead. Our familiarity with the story causes us to overlook its power. Like the disciples, we need to be shaken up, to hear Jesus tell us, “You’re the witnesses.”
Who am I? A witness to God’s power.