296
September, 1933
T H E K I N G ’ S B U S I N E S S
■ he RISEN ■ trid (^ti isi Q/.]fi ir C IT I y f t V . C S /OA j ' S
J MISSIONS
B y MERRILL C. TENNEY* Boston, MassC
e n u n n e r v e d and dis- heartened men sat brooding in an upper room in the city
T h e R isen C h r ist , t h e M essage of M issions This message concerning the risen Christ constitutes the very heart o f missionary preaching. In Acts, the one book o f the New Testament which purports to give to us an ordered account o f apostolic missions, there are some fourteen sermons, spoken to Jewish or pagan audiences with the avowed objective o f bringing them to repentance and salvation. O f these, ten mention the resurrection defi nitely ; two imply it ; and in two it is not mentioned explic itly, since the point o f approach was from an angle that did not necessitate immediate reference to it. It is worthy o f note, however, that in the majority o f these addresses, the resurrection is not simply stated as an historic fact, but is stressed as the vital and distinguishing characteristic o f the new doctrine. The risen Christ is the proof o f our sin. The very word salvation implies a situation from which men are to be rescued. According to the New Testament, that situa tion is the condition o f sin. Had Jesus remained in the tomb, the crucifixion might have been regarded as the judi cial removal o f a troublesome demagogue, or, possibly, as the tragic death o f a beloved teacher, or at the worst as a gross miscarriage o f justice. Whatever view be taken under the circumstances, His execution might have been regarded as the blunder o f an ignorant and bigoted age. His resurrection from the dead proved conclusively that Jesus o f Nazareth was the Messiah o f the Jewish nation, foretold by the prophets ; that His claims to be the Son of God were not the idle boast o f an impostor; and that the man whom Jew and Gentile had scorned and crucified was the Lord o f glory. “ Ye . . . . killed the Prince o f life, whom God raised from the dead,” said Peter to the council (Acts 3 :15 ). In that one act, God reversed the verdict o f humanity concerning Jesus, and revealed His everlast ing condemnation o f those human traits and passions which sent Him to His death. “ He showed unto them his hands and his side”—mute but convincing evidence of human sin. The risen Christ is the guarantee o f salvation. His scars speak o f a finished atonement for sin. In the thir teenth chapter of Acts is Paul’s well-known sermon in the synagogue o f Antioch o f Pisidia, probably à representative specimen o f his usual missionary addresses. A fter a long historical argument, culminating in the narration o f the death and resurrection o f Christ, Paul brings his message to this climax : “ Be it known unto you therefore, men and brethren, that through this man is preached unto you the forgive ness o f sins; and by him all that believe are justified from all things, from which ye could not be justified by the law of Moses.”
M r . T enn ey
o f Jerusalem late one Sunday afternoon. Three days before, Jesus, their beloved teacher and trusted leader, had been crucified by the joint action o f the Jewish hierarchy and the Roman procurator, and they had been left to mourn His untimely fate. Fear, failure, and futility were written on their countenances. The joyous fellowship of yesterday was only a hallowed memory. The pointed para bles, the sharp criticism o f injustices, the penetrating im peratives of His teaching were of the past. The promises which He had made to them o f the forgiveness o f sin, of lasting peace o f heart, and o f a coming kingdom seemed valueless. How could One who had been “ numbered with the transgressors” forgive sins? How could He give -peace o f heart who had died in agony on a cross o f shame? What right had He to talk of a coming kingdom when He ,could not save His own life ? Even their faith in eternal righteousness may have been shaken; for how could a righteous and sovereign God allow so perfect and holy a life to suffer such*a death? Suddenly, in the gathering gloom, they became aware of a Presence. A familiar voice sounded in their ears: “ Peace be unto you’ — and Jesus stood before them. Scarcely daring to trust their senses, they stared at Him _aghast, and then at each other, wondering whether they had been seized by some strange hallucination. But n o ! “ In His hands and feet are wound-prints, and His side.” Recognizing the scars, “ then were the disciples glad when they saw the Lord.” The reality o f the risen Christ changed their attitude completely. Sorrow was exchanged for gladness,- fear for faith, and hope for despair. Past experience with Him was now a dynamic power rather than a haunting memory, because He lived. Yet, though the effect o f the risen Christ on the lives o f these despondent men is o f great importance, the com mission which He gave to them is o f still greater value. Evidently His appearance was intended not only to restore their joy and to reestablish their faith, but also was very definitely the beginning o f a new enterprise. All four Gospels agree in telling us that Jesus’ major concern after His resurrection was the proclamation o f the good tidings to all nations, and that almost His first greeting was the mandate, “ Go.” With this experience, and the others that followed in the forty days before His ascension, began the enterprise of Christian missions. This undertaking is therefore closely linked with the risen Christ.' In fact, without the resur rection, there could have been no missions. The connec tion between them mav be stated in three wavs.. I *Assistant Professor of Greek and N ew Testament Interpreta tion, Gordon College of Theology and Missions.
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