…“All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptising them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.”– Matthew 28:18-19 (NIV)
The Resurrection Sunday gathering at First Assembly of God Church, Wortmanville, was power charged by the Presiding Bishop, Dr Murtland Massiah, CCH. Shouts of exuberance were heard in the sanctuary as the congregation was charged with the declaration of “He is risen! He is risen! He is risen!”
Dr Massiah immediately followed that charge with a probing rhetorical question, “If a loved one of yours was vilified publicly, murdered with complicity by the authorities, and they were warning you about how you should live, telling you things you didn’t understand while they lived, and then that person died, and you woke up. Then, there is this person inviting you to a meeting, to tell you how now you should live (again). Would you turn up?” As the congregants pondered upon that question, Dr Massiah’s positive affirmation of the said question captured the essence of what it means to someone who overcame death and the grave. He would want to hear what that person has to say because there was no precedence. Important to note though, that this will happen once again when Jesus returns in the rapture. This would be #breakingnews.
Using the biblical text Matthew 27:45-65, Dr Massiah reminded the hybrid congregation that the night of Good Friday (2000 years ago) was a difficult night in Israel when Jesus was hung on the cross. Jesus cried out in a loud voice, “Eli, Eli, lema sabachthani?” which means “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?” This was the main event in Jerusalem. Everyone was gathered there. Due to the (Covid-19) pandemic, however, we can spread this message to the world through the technology available to us today. This platform allows us to say Jesus is alive, and He’s risen not only to the ones we know but also to people we don’t know.
As Jesus agonised on the cross, and was given vinegar wine to drink, the veil of the temple was rent in two from top to bottom, indicating no human instrumentality. The earth shifted. Darkness came upon it. Tombs flew open. Continuing to exegete the text, he explained that the bodies of many holy people who had died came out of the grave and after Jesus’ resurrection went into the holy city, appearing to many. This was #unbelievable. Similarly, the centurion, trained not to fear, experienced the earthquake and all that happened. He became terrified and exclaimed, “Surely, He was the son of God!”
Garnered from those Scriptures, Dr Massiah highlighted some nuggets:
- If you are functioning in a public office, you must be able to think constantly.
- In a marriage, don’t get comfortable. It is time to work.
- When you achieve, you have to maintain your momentum.
- Women are leaders and are committed, like Mary Magdalene, Mary, the mother of James and Joseph, and the mother of Zebedee’s sons.
- If you are delivered from much, your loyalty will be greater.
As he delved further into the Scripture, in Matthew 28, he explained how the women encountered an angel that appeared and said to them, “do not be afraid, …He is not here; He is risen from the dead and is going ahead of you into Galilee. There you will see Him”. Dr Massiah suggested that once you are a leader, you must strategise, just like the women who saw the evidence and hurried away from the tomb to tell the disciples.
The theme resonated with all as Dr Massiah resounded the fact that Jesus didn’t just come to die, He came so you and I can GO AND TELL! This is the resurrection; this is the reason for the resurrection. The resurrection is not the end, but #strategyforthefuture. Jesus is now being seen as the Son of God. This is why in this 21st century people are still leaving lucrative jobs and careers to answer the call of God.
As Bishop Massiah continued, he pointed out that this message is for each one to go, irrespective of whether you are an engineer, banker, teacher, policeman, politician, administrator; whatever your career. Go and make disciples of all nations by the grace of God.
He culminated by stating that this season is not about kites, it’s about Jesus. Wherever you are employed, go to your world and tell your world about Jesus. This is what Easter is about. You have a message, take your message, go and disciple the world!
