“And as they thus spake, Jesus himself stood in the midst of them, and saith unto them, Peace be unto you,” Luke 24:36.
Yesterday morning, in the morning meeting of Kilskeery Free Presbyterian Church, Rev Paul Hanna preached a very profitable and stirring message from the verse 6 of Luke 24. “He is not here, but is risen: remember how he spake unto you when he was yet in Galilee.” I would commend the message to all. The service may be watched at here. I trust you will view the message.
While Rev Hanna read from Luke 24, my eyes were drawn to verse 36, which heads this article. The words are familiar to me yet they came with freshness to my soul and I determined that after the meeting I would look more closely at them.
I particularly noticed the opening words of the verse. “And as they thus spake, Jesus himself stood in the midst of them”. As I contemplated this statement it occurred to me that here we have:
I. WHAT IT IS THAT DRAWS THE SAVIOUR INTO THE MIDST OF HIS PEOPLE
The giving witness to His resurrection drew the Saviour into the midst of the little gathering.
1. The smallness of the gathering of disciples does not deter the Saviour coming amongst His people. There were only “eleven gathered together, and them that were with them,” verse 33, when they were joined by the two who had seen the Saviour. Many throughout the world can empathise with such numbers!
This is a comfort to us in Kilskeery and to many, many like gatherings across the world in these evil times when the cause of Christ is despised and ridiculed as it has not been in living memory.
Smallness is always a cause of concern for the believer who wishes ever that more of their neighbours and friends, indeed enemies, would come in under the sounds of the Word of God. However that distresses the Christian, it is clear from the text that it does not in the least deter the Saviour from coming amongst such a small gathering. (more…)
