Thought for December 9, 2024

•  1621: Deacon Robert Cushman preaches the first recorded sermon in America. It is also the first sermon printed in America.
• 1640: Hugh Bewitt banished from Massachusetts after declaring he was free from original sin.
• 1854: Tennyson's "Charge of the Light Brigade" published
• 1905: Strauss' "Salome" premiers
• 1907: First Christmas seals sold
• 1926: USGA legalizes steel shaft golf clubs
• 1941: Hitler orders U.S. ships torpedoed
• 1946: Communists burn a group of Christians in a seminary at Xiwanzi China
• 1965: "A Charlie Brown Christmas" premiers
• 1990: Lech Walesa wins first Polish presidential election
• Born:John Milton, Joel Chandler Harris, Clarence Birdseye, Emmett Kelly [clown], Margaret Hamilton [Wicked Witch of the West], Grace Hopper [Navy admiral invented the first compiler for universal computer programming language and coined the term "debugging"], Broderick Crawford, Tip O'Neill, Kirk Douglas, Redd Foxx, Judi Dench, Dick Butkus
• Died: William Harvey Carney [first black awarded the Medal of Honor], Ralph Bunche, Fulton Sheen, Leon Jaworski [Watergate prosecutor], Mary Leakey [earliest human footprint], Archie Moore

Thought:

Reading 1 Corinthians 15 today, specifically verses 1-11. My translation has a heading for this passage--"The Fact of Christ's Resurrection." For Paul, this fact was foundational in the faith. In verse 3, he calls it of first importance. Christ died an atoning death for our sins. But if He was not raised from the dead, where does that leave us--forgiven, but still facing death. His resurrection is proof that He conquered death and just as he was raised to life everlasting, so shall those who are in Christ be raised. That is the power of God!

Paul wants the Corinthians to be assured that the resurrection was a fact. So, he reminds them of the many post-resurrection appearances of the Lord. And he doesn't even list them all. The women saw the empty tomb and heard the proclamation from the angel--He is risen! Mary Magdalene saw him. We are told  that Peter saw Him and the apostles saw Him on consecutive Sundays. Five hundred saw Him at the same time. Paul had plenty of sightings to tell them about, but then he adds--He appeared to me. This passage made me think about our testimonies. We have studied the Bible and we have friends who know Jesus. So we can tell others about the encounters of these with the Master. But the important thing we can share is that we have seen Jesus personally. Perhaps not bodily as the apostles did. Perhaps not the Damascus Road experience of Paul, but we have had a personal encounter with the risen Lord. And that is how we know the resurrection is a fact. Jesus is not in a tomb in Palestine--He is on a throne in glory. Paul says this is of first importance because without the resurrection we of all people are to be pitied. 

And like Paul, we can say we are among the least of His followers, but by God's grace, we are,  and through His grace we serve.

Blessings

Larry