April 6 2008    Third Sunday after Easter

Theme: Our deepening fellowship with Christ

The apostle Paul was a prisoner in the great fortress down at Caesarea on the coast. He was being held there under the orders of the Roman Governor, Governur Festus. A Royal Visit to Caesarea had been organised, the city was to be visited by King Agrippa and Queen Bernice, as the Governor’s guests. We can imagine the royal procession through the streets, the trumpeters,

the horses, the King and Queen making their way through the gates.

And a week of official appointments, visits and banqueting followed.

But on the second afternoon of the official visit, realising that there was nothing arranged, Governor Festus asked the King and Queen if they would like to hear from a quite exceptional man who was being held in the cells of the fortress. A man called Paul…. a follower of Jesus.

The book of Acts tells us that Paul was brought up from the cells,

And King Agrippa said to him, You have permission to speak………

Paul told him that one day, on a journey to track down and capture followers of Jesus with the authority of the High Priests in Jerusalem, he was nearing Damascus, just outside the city, towards noon. Let’s take it up in Paul’s own words….

About noon, O king, as I was on the road, I saw a light from heaven brighter than the sun, blazing around me and my companions. We all fell to the ground and I heard a voice saying to me Saul, Saul why do you persecute me ?.... Then I asked,

Who are you Lord ? I am Jesus………

There in the Palace, as Agrippa and Bernice listened, Paul went on to speak of Jesus, and who Jesus is, His death and resurrection……..

Paul speaking of his fellowship with Jesus Christ.

Fellowship with Jesus Christ. We learn from the New Testament of the reality of fellowship with Jesus, arising out of our unique relationship with Him,

in which we come to know, love and trust Jesus Christ.

This is a reality, says the New Testament, central to Christian life, So, what does it mean “Fellowship with Jesus Christ” ? what is it like ?

What is this fellowship with Jesus, what do we learn of it ?

Well, fellowship with Jesus is a relationship with Him. This is a relationship which may begin in a simple way, but one which deepens as our lives unfold. This relationship has a beginning, when Jesus Christ meets us, and calls us follow Him. A relationship which goes on to deepen throughout our lives.

How does this relationship with Jesus begin ? Well, let’s take Matthew, for example. In the 2nd. chapter of Mark, we read that he is sitting in the tax office, one day, in the Customs and Revenue department. Jesus arrives and simply says to him, Follow me. Mark tells us that Matthew got up from his desk, stepped out of the door, of the counting house and went with Jesus, and gathering his friends together invited Jesus to a meal that evening. This is what happens again and again. Jesus comes along the sea shore, comes and calls Andrew, Peter, James, John. They are called straight from work, from the family fishing business.

This is the beginning. Matthew just comes the way he is, to follow Jesus, to become a disciple of His. From this simple beginning, Matthew follows Jesus. Matthew begins to understand something of the kingdom. Like the other disciples, he stumblingly learns to pray, and to trust in God for everything. He begins to know more of who Jesus is, and the power that He has. Growing slowly in understanding.

Matthew, as time goes on, is called to a deeper commitment. Instead of putting himself first, Jesus now challenges him to put the kingdom of God. He may still struggle to understand, he may not grasp entirely what is being asked of him: and like the other disciples Matthew still probably did not grasp who Jesus is – at the Transfiguration, the Cross, or even at the Resurrection. But the relationship with Jesus was there.

What of us ? where did we begin in our relationship with Jesus Christ ?

Did we at the beginning know something of what Jesus teaches. Did we begin by trying to love others, to be humble, to do right ?

Carl Conner, a preacher in the United States, writes that a few winters back, heavy snows hit North Carolina. Following a six-inch snowfall, he says, it was interesting to see the effect along the main highway - Interstate 40. Next to the highway stood several large, tall, young pine trees. Where trees stood alone, the effect of the heavy snow was different. The branches had become heavier and heavier, and since there were no other trees to lean against, the branches snapped. They lay on the ground, he says, in the snow.

But, where the trees were close together the branches bowed down with the heavy snow, were leaning against the trunk or branches of the tree next to them, supported, held up by the one next to them.

Is this not like our fellowship with Christ ?

That we are held up by Him ?

Close to Jesus, our burdens are shared………..

We come to know Jesus Christ, as the One close beside us.

As time goes on…………..

But we will discover, as time goes on, that our relationship with Jesus deepens. In Luke’s gospel, chapter 24, we read of the disciples walking along a road in the twilight and gathering darkness. They are walking towards the village of Emmaus, a few days after the crucifixion. Two disciples, Cleopas and the other. As they walk they are discussing the recent events they have been caught up in. A stranger catches up with them and they speak him about the crucifixion and their hopes that Israel would become great again.

We can see that these two disciples have understood very little about the cross, or what it means. But the ‘stranger’ unfolds the Old Testament scriptures to them and shows them that Jesus is in fact the One spoken of by Isaiah.

When they invite Him to share a meal with them, they recognise that in fact, this is Jesus. The One who walked beside them.

They now know Jesus as the One who journeys with us.

The One who walks beside us, on life’s journey, walks with us. So that prayer, is simply speaking to Him, as He, in love, walks with us, in the midst of our difficulties, and sorrows. He speaks to us, gives us comfort.

We come to know, Jesus Christ who was crucified and is now risen. His nearness to us deepens and our closeness to Him.

So, long years ago, we began perhaps by simply trying to follow Jesus’ teachings, trying to love others, trying to pray. We come to know Him as One who walks alongside us.

But there is deeper yet.

We find this in John 15, where Jesus speaks of Himself as the Vine. Here it is in John 15.5 Jesus says I am the vine, and you are the branches…whoever remains in me and I in them, will bear much fruit………… To put it at its very simplest, and most sublime Jesus is saying here – that His life is ours, that the life we draw on is His life, and just as the rich fruit grows on the vine, we rest in Him, trust in Him, abide in Him. This is yet deeper than simply following His teachings, or knowing Him as the One who journeys with us. Here Jesus speaks of Himself as our very life, and here we come to know more deeply Jesus Himself as our life, we come to know what He has done for us !

And He becomes life itself, the foundation of life. Here, there is the deepest relationship. His life is ours, and everything in our own lives depends utterly on Him. Here we have gone beyond knowing His presence, near us, or with us, or alongside us. We now know Him working within us, by His Spirit, drawing us to the Father.

And it may be now that we truly begin to understand what He has done for us.

That Jesus, at the cross, as the Lamb of God, has taken our sin and guilt upon Himself. And has taken our sin away.

And so, deeper still, we come to share Christ’s death and resurrection in our own lives – we die to sin and live to Him. This is why Paul says in Romans 6.11: .. count yourselves dead to sin but alive to God in Christ Jesus.

We come to share His sorrows for this world, and His concern for the Church,

in fellowship with Him………

We may know Jesus in very simple ways,

We may know Him walking with us as He does, each moment of our lives,

We may know Him as life itself, as the true Vine,

but the New Testament declares to us,

that our relationship with Him,

our fellowship with Him will deepen

our life with Him will deepen,

until we see Him face to face.

AMEN.