Sunday 23rd April 2017 - Good News in Doubt and Faith
May I speak in the name of the Father, of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen. Just imagine being there. Back then, when it happened. Imagine being a disciple, one of those in the locked room. Being a follower of Christ then certainly wasn’t easy or simple, it had been wonderful, now it was dangerous, frightening. Even today, it can be dangerous in some places for people to be openly Christian. The Apostles had experienced three years of life changing events. They had heard stories, learnt new ways of understanding God, seen remarkable miracles and watched Jesus change in completely unexpected ways. Only three days ago, they had experienced one of the most traumatic days of their lives. Their friend had been betrayed, he was arrested, he had faced a biased trial, he was found guilty by a mob, and then he was humiliated and beaten. Jesus, the man who had called each one of them by name, was tortured and crucified. He died and was buried. It was all so quick,