Christian faith is not a matter of mere knowledge or information. Acts 1 talks about “convincing proofs” of the resurrection. What convincing proofs are present in us?
Scripture:
Exodus, chapters 12-13; Psalm 21; Acts, chapter 1
Acts 1:1-11 (CEB):
Theophilus, the first scroll I wrote concerned everything Jesus did and taught from the beginning, right up to the day when he was taken up into heaven. Before he was taken up, working in the power of the Holy Spirit, Jesus instructed the apostles he had chosen. After his suffering, he showed them that he was alive with many convincing proofs. He appeared to them over a period of forty days, speaking to them about God’s kingdom.
While they were eating together, he ordered them not to leave Jerusalem but to wait for what the Father had promised. He said, “This is what you heard from me: John baptized with water, but in only a few days you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit.” As a result, those who had gathered together asked Jesus, “Lord, are you going to restore the kingdom to Israel now?” Jesus replied, “It isn’t for you to know the times or seasons that the Father has set by his own authority. Rather, you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.”
After Jesus said these things, as they were watching, he was lifted up and a cloud took him out of their sight. While he was going away and as they were staring toward heaven, suddenly two men in white robes stood next to them. They said, “Galileans, why are you standing here, looking toward heaven? This Jesus, who was taken up from you into heaven, will come in the same way that you saw him go into heaven.”
Observations:
“Convincing Proofs”
In verse 3, Luke writes that Jesus showed them he was live with many convincing proofs. Unfortunately, he does not list all of these convincing proofs for us. But as we see in verse 1, he is writing to Theophilus – the same person he referenced at the beginning of his gospel (Luke 1:3). We also don’t know who Theophilus was, but the assumption is that he believed in Jesus. “I want you to have confidence in the soundness of the instruction you received” (Luke 1:4). His name, “Theophilus,” comes from Greek words that mean “God-lover.” Perhaps Luke refers to him as Theophilus to affirm his faith in Jesus.
But what about the convincing proofs? In Luke 24, Luke relates the encounter between Jesus and two disciples on the road to Emmaus. (See my previous post, “Your Dull Minds.”) After they encountered Jesus and recognized him, they ran back to Jerusalem to tell the other disciples. When they arrived, they heard, “The Lord really has risen! He appeared to Simon!” (Luke 24:34). As they were talking, Jesus appeared among them and said, “Peace be with you!” (Luke 24:36). He invited them to touch his hands and his feet. He ate a piece of fish, to demonstrate that he wasn’t a ghost.
More importantly, Luke tells us that “he opened their minds to understand the scriptures” (Luke 24:45). As he explained, their faith connected with what he told them to enable them to understand what they had not understood before. He told them, “This is what is written: the Christ will suffer and rise from the dead on the third day, and a change of heart and life for the forgiveness of sins must be preached in his name to all nations, beginning from Jerusalem” (Luke 24:46-47).
They Were Convinced
These disciples were convinced. First, they had heard that Jesus was risen, though they didn’t believe it. Then, then encountered the risen Christ. Finally, he appeared to them together and explained the Scriptures to them. Only when all of these things happened could they fully understand. The proofs were convincing because they connected the disciples’ faith with facts.
Application – “Convincing Proofs”
It’s important for followers of Jesus to remember that the proofs were convincing because of the faith of the disciples. Where there is no faith, there is always room for disbelief. The proof is not so overwhelming that no one can deny it. That’s why we’re called to be witnesses. The first disciples were witnesses to Jesus’s resurrection. They had known him before his crucifixion; they recognized him after his resurrection. They were able to make a positive identification: he is risen!
But there were many who refused to believe, just as there are still many who refuse to believe. The convincing proofs are not just what is written in Scripture. Rather, they include the evidence of transformed hearts and lives through the power of the Holy Spirit. As Paul writes in Galatians 5, there is fruit that the Holy Spirit brings forth in our lives. “But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control” (Galatians 5:22-23). Those qualities are the convincing proofs that others need to see to believe in the Jesus we proclaim.
We can know Scripture forward and backward. We can be theologically trained and able to discuss all sorts of concepts. But if there’s no fruit of the Spirit, our knowledge doesn’t “prove” anything. As Jesus said, “You will know them by their fruit” (Matthew 7:16). The fruit is the proof of what’s going on inside!
Prayer:
Father, thank you for reminding us that it is our fruit which demonstrates the truth of your work in us. Of course, it’s good for us to study your Word. It’s helpful for us to try to learn more about you and how to live for you. But knowledge on its own doesn’t lead us to you; we have to have faith. If we believe, the Spirit of truth leads us into the truth. If we don’t believe, you won’t force faith onto us.
And you won’t force faith onto others, either. You call us to be witnesses, and the convincing proof of what we proclaim is the fruit of the Spirit in our lives. Work in us today to bring forth your fruit in us. Amen.
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