Wednesday 3 April 2024

Psalm 114

Background

After Jesus rose from the dead, the 11 disciples made their way from Jerusalem to Galilee, a 70-mile journey following the instructions given to them in Mark 16:6-7 that he would be found in Galilee. The 12th disciple, Judas, had exited himself from them and life after his realisation of his betrayal of Jesus at the time of crucifixion. According to Acts 1:18 Judas died suddenly in a field bought with money he received for betraying Jesus.

The 11 disciples most probably made their way to Mount Arbel which was situated in lower Galilee near Tiberias. From there, there would be views of Mount Hermon and the Golan Heights.

Jesus includes them all as he commissions them to go out into the world taking the good news of his Resurrection.They were ready to be let loose; it was as if a parent had cut the apron strings. It was going to be their time, they were the right people, apprenticed by Jesus. Jesus knew the diversity and the capability of all these disciples. Nevertheless, it must have been reassuring that Jesus would be alongside them. He says: "I will be with you" (v. 20) as they were given responsibility with three strands of mission: in the name of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit they were to make disciples, baptise people and teach them (vs 19-20).

This conversation with Jesus on the mountain would challenge their loyalty as they accepted this great commission. One wonders if they felt adequate for the great task. Matthew does not record any comments from the disciples, so we can only speculate. But hopefully they knew they must say "Yes we will." The rest is history as the New Testament unfolds with how the disciples took knowledge of Jesus into the wider world as they fulfilled this great commission.

To Ponder:

• "Here we are, fill us with your Spirit and send us out to..." Would we say that and would we go?
• It's easier to say to people "Come and see us in church" rather than reach out to people beyond the church walls. Do you have any ideas why this is so?
• When he spoke of baptism do you think Jesus was meaning baptism of children or adult believers?
• There are other mountain experiences in the Bible such as when Abraham nearly sacrificed his son Isaac on Mount Moriah (Genesis 22) or when Moses received the Ten Commandments on Mount Sinai (Exodus 19, 20); or Mount Tabor where Jesus was transfigured, seeing Moses and Elijah (Matthew 17). What would your mountaintop experience look like?
• What would the disciples decide to do first? Call a committee? Research the neighbourhood? Allocate a budget? Draw up a policy?

Prayer:

Keep us silent enough Lord to listen to your voice. Open our ears to hear you calling us by name. Equip us to serve you in our locality and give us the courage to go and meet our neighbours. We ask this in the name of God the Father, Son and Holy Spirit, Amen.

Bible notes author: The Revd Frances Ballantyne

Frances Ballantyne was ordained within the Congregational Federation and transferred to the Methodist Connexion where she served in the South Holland and Mid-Cheshire Circuits and is currently in the Leicester Trinity Circuit. She has been a volunteer for Victim Support and is currently a member of the Methodist Survivors Advisory Group. She has contributed to BBC Radio Leicester's ‘Thought for the Day’ and written articles for 'The Accord Journal' (for Christian counsellors) and prayer poems for several publications. She is currently challenged by a diagnosis of medullary thyroid cancer.