Words are powerful. They can impart life and encouragement, or they can stun and wound. People sometimes downplay their significance with phrases like “Talk is cheap,” or “Words can never hurt me,” – but all of us know that words can have a huge impact.
Some of us can think of things that were said to us years ago, (and it’s been years!) and they still stick around in our heads. On the other hand, the right words of encouragement at the right time can make a huge difference. Praise the Lord for those who speak to us in this way. The Bible is cognizant of the power of words. In Genesis 1:1-31, God spoke the world into existence. God said “Let there be light,” and it happened. Most of us have to turn on the light switch, but not so with God. And the same was true with the other parts of creation: the birds of the air, fish and sea creatures, humanity and all the animals – God spoke them into existence and He said it was all good. In the New Testament, John had all this sequence in mind when He introduced Jesus (in John 1:1-3) as the Word. “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God; all things were made through him, and without him was not anything made that was made.” It helps us to see Christ as being with God from the start, and being instrumental in the created order. Jesus, after all, is so much more than just a significant historical religious leader. This links up to John’s teaching about His incarnation which says, “the Word became flesh and dwelt among us” (John 1:14). I thought of this while studying the resurrection account where Jesus appeared before His disciples in John 20:19-20. It says, “Now when it was evening on that day, the first day of the week, and when the doors were shut where the disciples were together due to fear of the Jews, Jesus came and stood in their midst, and said to them, ‘Peace be to you.’ And when He had said this, He showed them both His hands and His side. The disciples then rejoiced when they saw the Lord” (emphasis mine). Notice the progression from fear to joy. The disciples had shut the doors out of fear – knowing of all the violence on the outside – and being stuck in their disappointment in Jesus. He was supposed to be the Messiah; He was supposed to subdue the evil powers of the world, instead of being conquered by them (cf. Luke 24:21). Yet all this seemed like a false hope, until the resurrection came. Part of what instilled the new resurrection reality was that Jesus spoke peace to them: “Peace be unto you,” He said twice (in John 20:19 and 21). This fit the pattern of how Jesus had spoken to His disciples before – including in some famous passages (e.g. John 14:27, 16:33). In His resurrection, Jesus’ words of peace set the course for the experience of joy. The fact that He next showed them His hands and side (in 20:20) doubled-down on the effect. It made it clear that the resurrection was much more than a ghost appearance (cf. Luke 24:39). Ghost stories can be quite common in older towns with lots of historic buildings. As with many things in life, there’s a lot we can’t explain – but one thing the Bible authors wanted to be clear about was that Jesus’ resurrection was much more than a ghost story. Ghost stories tend to bring out eerie feelings; the resurrection brings out joy. What happened in the resurrection should empower our use of words today. We proclaim the truth of Jesus Christ, and the Holy Spirit brings conviction (John 16:8-11). When people come to a point of Christian confession, it happens by the Holy Spirit (I Corinthians 12:3). Likewise, when we pray to the Lord, somehow the words summon divine power in a way that brings about a blessing. It’s amazing to think of all the prayers that have been answered through the years. God bless you, Andrew McHenry, Pastor First Congregational Church
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
Andrew McHenryI am a husband, a Congregational pastor, and a native Kansan currently living in Thermalito, California. In the past I have also been a prison chaplain and a youth pastor. Interests include reading, railroads, prog rock, KU, and the KC Royals. Archives
March 2024
Categories |