Jesus appears to Peter
One of the most touching moments in the Bible occurs when Jesus appears to Peter after He rose from the dead. Why? Because here was a man who needed to see Jesus alive if he was not to spend the rest of his life haunted by the memory of his threefold denial of the Savior. Can you imagine his excitement as his Lord appeared to him? To Peter, we can be sure, this was the most important appearance of the risen Christ. But that was Peter. What about you?
Jesus appears to Thomas
Another dramatic moment was again just after Easter when Jesus appeared to Thomas. It was Thomas who had said “seeing was believing.” So the Lord let him see him alive and insisted that the unbelieving one place his finger into his hands (which had been wounded for his transgressions while on the cross) and quit being faithless. But that was Thomas. What about you?
Hollywood could really do justice to the moment when Jesus chose to return from heaven to appear to Saul on that Damascus Road. Saul, with great hate in his heart toward those who followed “the Way”, was stricken blind by the appearance of the risen Christ. This experience changed Saul to Paul, a persecutor to an apostle, and gave to Christendom one of its greatest heroes. He describes it this way: “And last of all he appeared to me also.”
This is what counts! “He appeared to me also.” You and I can say this by faith when we have discovered this most important appearance of the risen Christ. Until he has appeared to us by faith, all the recorded dramatic appearances are merely historical events with no meaning for us personally. We meet our Lord “face to face” in the Sacrament of the Altar. He comes to us in His Word. All that we may have faith, life and salvation and forgiveness of sins.
Christ in Your Life
We can say, “And…..he appeared to me also,” and all the blessed experiences of Peter, Thomas and Paul are ours, and every day becomes an Easter filled with Alleluias to the living Savior. This is the new life in Christ He has given us! If you have been absent from the Lord’s house….and come for the “special” day on Easter, we miss you the rest of the year! Every Sunday is a “little Easter” where we celebrate the resurrection of Jesus for the forgiveness of our sins. Come and celebrate the feast every Sunday. To God be the glory!
“…….whatever you do, do all to the glory of God.” 1 Corinthians 10:31 (ESV)
CHRIST IS RISEN! HE IS RISEN INDEED! ALLELUIA!!
Serving Christ with you,
Pastor Kumm
The Rev. Dr. Michael L. Kumm serves as Interim Pastor at Pacific Hills Lutheran Church in Omaha Nebraska until Pastor Drebes returns from medical leave. He is a retired LCMS pastor from Dakota Dunes, SD. He currently serves as the Chairman of the LCMS Board of Directors, St. Louis, MO. Dr. Kumm has served churches in South Dakota and Southern Illinois as well as on the professional staff of Concordia Seminary, St. Louis. While serving these local congregations, he has served his community as a law enforcement chaplain and has served as the District Pastoral Advisor for the Lutheran Layman’s League; Circuit Counselor and as a delegate to Synod conventions. Additionally, Dr. Kumm serves as Chairman of the Supervisory Board of the International Lutheran Society of Wittenberg (ILSW), a joint corporation of the LCMS and our German partner Church, the SELK.
