Encounter the Risen Lord
John 20:11-18
John 20:10-18 records the first encounter between the risen Lord Jesus and a human, Mary Magdalene.
When she sees Jesus, she cries out, “Teacher,” and then clings to him. More than 2,000 years later, people are still encountering the risen Lord Jesus. Some encounter him through the preaching of the Word. Others encounter him through their personal reading of the Scriptures, and still others encounter him through the witness of a faithful Christian.
This reality raises an important evangelistic question: “How should one respond when they encounter the truth that Jesus is the risen Lord?” Scripture makes clear that people should respond with repentance, faith and obedience.
Repentance may be understood as a change of mind about one’s sin that leads to a change in behavior (Acts 2:38, 3:19). Changing one’s mind in regard to sin involves acknowledging one’s sin as personal and offensive to a holy God. Changing one’s behavior entails doing all within one’s human ability to follow God’s will as revealed in the Scriptures. Zacchaeus serves as a model of repentance when he offers to pay back four times anyone he cheated (Luke 19:8). The Prodigal (wasteful, extravagant) son serves as a model of repentance when he acknowledges that he has offended both his Heavenly Father and his earthly father (Luke 15:21).
The second appropriate response when one encounters the truth that Jesus is the risen Lord is the response of faith. One may define faith as wholehearted trust in Christ as the Son of God (John 20:31) and in his death as the means for salvation (Ephesians 2:8-9). Faith, then, entails placing one’s total trust in a person and his work rather than one’s own moral goodness. The centurion demonstrated certain aspects of this description of faith when he told Jesus to speak a word of healing on behalf of his servant (Matthew 8:8), as did one of the thieves who hung on a cross near Jesus (Luke 23:42).
The third appropriate response to the truth that Jesus is the risen Lord is the response of obedience. Obedience refers not to a cold, blind allegiance to God’s commands. Rather, genuine biblical obedience entails submitting to God the Father’s divine will as revealed in Scripture in light of one’s participation in a new covenant relationship with him, his Son, and the Holy Spirit (Mark 14:24, Luke 22:20, Jeremiah 31:31-34). Obedience is thus one important aspect of the covenant relation between the Triune God and his people (God worked in a similar manner when he gave the Mosaic Law; see especially Exodus 19:5-6, 24:1-8). Moreover, obedience on the part of the believer should ideally be motivated by a wholehearted love for God and people (Matthew 22:34-40).
As you reflect on the risen Lord Jesus this Easter, make sure that you have personally responded with repentance, faith and obedience. If you have already responded in this way, look for opportunities to help others understand how they should respond.
Bryant– Lessons by Michael Bryant, assistant professor of religion at Charleston Southern University. Bryant has a B.S. in history from Charleston Southern and a Ph.D. in New Testament from Southeastern Seminary.