Cast off your fears and bear witness to what you have seen and heard.

CHRISTIAN, SHAKE OFF YOUR FEARS OF BEARING WITNESS TO YOUR SAVIOR WITH THE POWER OF THE HOLY SPIRIT.

"While they [Disciples] were still speaking about this, Jesus stood in their midst and said to them, “Peace be with you.” But they were startled and terrified and thought that they were seeing a ghost. Then he said to them, “Why are you troubled? And why do questions arise in your hearts? Look at my hands and my feet, that it is I myself. Touch me and see, because a ghost does not have flesh and bones as you can see I have.” And as he said this, he showed them his hands and his feet." (Luke 24: 35.... 48).

Easter Thursday 21st April in the Octave of Easter.

The Apostles gathered in the Upper Room could still not shake off the gruesome events of Good Friday by now three days ago. Jesus had since appeared to Mary Magdalene and some women, to Peter and some Apostles, to Cleopas friend and his on the road to Emmaus. In spite of all these, the Apostles were still frightened and many questions and doubts agitate them.

Jesus said two weighty and important things to His disciples gathered in the Upper Room the very Sunday of the Resurrection:
#1. “Peace be with you.” (Luke 24: 36).
#2. "You are witnesses of these things." (Luke 24: 48).

Peace is the dominant post-Resurrection greeting of Jesus. Peace here means Shalom, the sum total of all graces and mercies flowing from the heart of God to men of good will who are now fully redeemed by the death and Resurrection of Jesus. No more recriminations or remembrance of denials and cowardly flight from the scene of the crime. All sins are washed away. Enjoy My Shalom!

At the end of His brief speech, the Risen Lord said: "You are witnesses of these things." "You" means we Christians singing the Easter Alleluia are His witnesses. We are to bear testimonies with our life and work to Jesus, to His Good News. As we bear testimony to the power of the name of Jesus with faith, miracles will happen as we hear in the first Reading Acts 3: 11 - 26.

"O chosen people, proclaim the mighty works of him,
who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light, alleluia." (1 Peter 2: 9).

Daily Bible Verse @ SeekFirstcommunity.com