Encountering the risen Christ

He is risen! That announcement by the angel at the empty tomb is a powerful truth. But it wasn't the empty tomb that transformed the first followers of Jesus. In fact, it left them afraid and confused. Transformation came as they encountered the risen Christ. In 1 Corinthians 15:3-8, Paul names names. Yes, he mentions that the risen Christ appeared to a group of five hundred. That's impressive! But he also names three individuals. There's Peter: transformed from fear and despair into a bold witness of Christ. There's James: transformed from unbelief into a pillar of faith.  And then there's Paul himself: transformed from a self-righteousness persecutor of Jesus-followers into a passionate messenger of the Good News.


Encounters with the risen Christ still transform people today. Quite some time ago, I was preaching in a particular First Nations community. A man came into one of the services. The pastor was surprised to see him there. He didn't seem like someone who would want to hear the gospel. He got up to leave several times, but he kept coming back. At the end of the service he allowed us to pray for him. He even prayed asking Jesus to come into his life, forgive him, and set him free. I wondered whether it was "for real." I recently heard from the pastor. This man has been at Bible study every week since he prayed that prayer. And it's been quite some time. He says that his life has been turned around. It was "for real." He can add his name to the list of those who have been transformed by encounters with the risen Christ.


What about you?