Living as a "Chosen People"

When Mary Magdalene saw the risen Lord, she immediately cried out, "Rabboni," then ran to tell the apostles all about it (John 20:16-18). That same day, when Jesus revealed himself to two disciples who were walking toward Emmaus, they ran back to Jerusalem to tell the apostles the good news (Luke 24:33-34). That evening, Jesus appeared to the apostles and opened their minds so that they could understand what Scripture said about him (24:45). Upon seeing the Lord themselves, the apostles couldn't wait to tell Thomas, who was absent, about it (John 20:25). Finally, when Thomas saw Jesus himself, he cried out, "My Lord and my God!" (20:28).

Just as he told Thomas, Jesus wants to tell us: "Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have come to believe" (John 20:29). We too have not seen Jesus, yet we believe in him. And so we too have received a blessing that has the power to open our minds, to set our hearts on fire for Jesus, and to transform us into his disciples-just as it did two thousand years ago.

The First Letter of Peter. In this Easter issue of The Word Among Us, we want to take a look at the First Letter of Peter. While theologians continue to debate a number of questions about this letter, there is no question about its intent. 1 Peter was written to people like us-people who did not have a "firsthand" experience of Jesus and yet who had become his followers (1 Peter 1:8). And just like us, these Christians were facing times of difficulty and suffering for their faith.

Part of Peter's letter has to do with the way his readers should conduct themselves in the midst of such trials. But for Peter, this was a secondary issue. His primary concern was that they experience what it means to have an imperishable inheritance. He wanted them all to know that they were part of "a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God's own people" (1 Peter 1:4; 2:9). He knew that if his readers could experience the joy of being chosen and set apart by God himself, they would find their faith rejuvenated, their hope strengthened, and their courage restored.

Brothers and sisters, in our journey, each of us will face times of difficulty and persecution-situations that threaten our confidence and trust in God. But Jesus wants us to know that he can use every situation to reveal to us the glory of his resurrection and the intimacy of his love. He wants us to know that whatever our situation, we can still know the love embedded within the power of his resurrection.

The promise of Easter is that whenever the power of the resurrection touches us, it restores us. As it did for Thomas, it helps us overcome our doubts. As it did for Mary Magdalene, it restores our hope and confidence. As it did for the people to whom Peter wrote, it fills us with "an indescribable and glorious joy" (1 Peter 1:8).

This Easter season, I want to urge you to put your hope in the resurrection of Jesus. Trust in it, and you will find Jesus working in your life, filling you with divine power to love him and to be holy.

May God bless you.

Joe Difato

Publisher

(joe@wau.org)

Copyright Word Among Us 2004
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