One of the benefits of modern life is how rapidly news can spread from one part of the world to another. Thanks to the internet, an event in one country can be reported on in another country almost instantaneously. Even news relating to ourselves can be spread far and wide thanks to social media. It’s given rise to a phrase that something has “gone viral” if it spreads far beyond the initial group of friends it was intended for. It’s an unfortunate term these days, as the recent pandemic has shown us just how widespread and rapidly a virus can spread. Covid aside, it’s this concept of the spread of information across the world that we are looking at today in our readings today.
It’s part of our accepted tradition that after the resurrection, Jesus appeared first to Peter before appearing to the twelve apostles. Our reading from Luke recounts the appearance to the twelve in Jerusalem. Appearing among them, He offers proof as to His resurrection. Having satisfied them as to who He is, Jesus then commissions the disciples to act as witnesses to Him in the world. They are to await the gift of the Spirit of God to empower them in their mission to tell all the world about Jesus. Our reading from Acts shows Peter taking this commission to heart by preaching about Jesus to a group of Jews gathered at the Temple. It’s a marked change for Peter who previously denied even knowing Jesus!
While some in our churches are elderly, there’s probably no-one still around who was a witness to that first Easter yet we have been told about Jesus in our time. The original eyewitnesses to the risen Jesus told others who in turn witnessed to those original witnesses. Those who have been told have told others all the way through our history down to us. We were told about Jesus by someone who had also previously been told about Jesus. It’s an unbroken story running for centuries. That same commission to tell others about Jesus applies to us now. There’s a tendency to think that once we’ve heard about Jesus that’s it and we can do as we please. That’s not what Jesus commanded of us. We too have been gifted with the Spirit to empower our witness. It’s up to us to tell the story of Jesus with our words and deeds. It’s up to us to tell others so the story does not end with us.