"Simple" Truths

In Sunday School, we're doing a sprint through the book of Acts during January and February, specifically focusing on the nuances of how the early church did evangelism. This is the second time I've really "studied" the book, and I'm amazed once again at this book, specifically how the first eleven verses of the book are so integral to everything that happens. Those forty days that Christ spent with his disciples in between his resurrection and ascension become so crucial to everything they do after the Holy Spirit comes.

For example, in 1:3 Luke writes, "To them [the disciples] he [Christ] presented himself alive after his suffering by many proofs, appearing to them during forty days and speaking about the kingdom of God." In other words, Christ spent a significant amount of time making sure his disciples knew that he was the real deal, he really was the Messiah that had been promised for so long. This is what he taught them.

Then, you flip over to chapter 2, and read verses 14-36 (Peter's sermon to the crowd), and you realize that what he's doing for the crowd is the same thing Christ did for the disciples, showing that the Jesus who was crucified is the Messiah, the real deal.

Here's the thing: I've been through a lot of different "evangelism training" courses, but I don't ever remember one that talked about presenting Christ as true, as the risen Messiah. In the midst of all the different tactics that are sometimes used to share Christ with those around us, I wonder if we've lost the profound wonder of talking about the risen Christ and showing non-Christians how the biblical promises of the Old Testament are fulfilled in this carpenter from Nazareth.