Reading, primarily, from the Book of Acts, chapter 2, verses 14a and 22-32, this was given at the Lynnville (IL) UMC on April 3, 2005…

       “You’re going to have to slow down… you’re making me look bad!” I had been at the Case dealer in Springfield for about two months when the kid who considered himself lead mechanic at that time came from the office and accosted me with these words! And the fact was, I could split one of the big 1370’s, remove, rebuild and replace the power-shift assembly, then slide the whole thing back together and be driving it around the lot in about three working days… and that was almost half the time it took him to do the same thing!

       I did know my way around a Case tractor back then! To this day, I think I could draw you a picture of most of what one looked like on the inside from the front weights to the three-point hitch. But all of that knowledge and ability that I had up to that time was from practical learning… that is, from actually doing! It wasn’t until I worked for the dealer in Auburn some years later that I got to go to school on those tractors and learn the theory and science behind why all of it worked… or didn’t work… the way it did! And it was that knowledge that led me to become one of the best troubleshooters in the area! For Many years after my self-imposed retirement, there are still people who’d wish I would come out of it to figure out some odd-ball problem they might be having with one of those older tractors.

       Now, as you might expect, when I completed each one of those schools I went to over the years, I received a nice, handsome piece of parchment, suitable for framing, that stated that I had completed the course and was certified to work on that particular brand or type of equipment. In fact, I used to have a whole box of such certificates from Buick, American Motors, J. I. Case, Briggs & Stratton, Kubota… well, you get the picture. Yet, as I’ve already said, many of those things I already knew before I went… but, just as the scarecrow in ‘The Wizard of Oz’ felt that the diploma given him by the wizard certified he had a brain, many people were more impressed by seeing the certificates on the wall than they were by my actual abilities.

Indeed, one employer hired me to become his shop foreman on the basis of all of those diplomas… which I would have been very capable of handling… but without asking, instead put me to actually working on small engines and lawn mowers. And while it is true that I had needed to go to all of those schools for various reasons and had the certificates to prove that I had, my actual work experience had almost always been on larger equipment! Hence, neither of us were very satisfied with the resulting situation, and I soon left! So, it would seem that just having that accreditation doesn’t always mean what you think it might… I’m sure that most of you have heard the phrase about being ‘book smart and dirt dumb’, or something very similar… but in general, I have always prided myself on being dirt-smart about many things long before I ever got to be book-smart about them!

And yet, when Peter talks about Jesus of Nazareth being accredited, I have to believe he means in every way… because He was accredited by God! So… what did he mean by that? Well, Webster’s Dictionary describes ‘accredit’ as meaning to give credence to… in fact, the first two definitions are…

1 : to give official authorization to or approval of: 

a : to provide with credentials; esp : to send (an envoy) with letters of authorization 

       Let’s listen again to what Peter said… “Men of Israel, listen to this: Jesus of Nazareth was a man accredited by God to you by miracles, wonders and signs, which God did among you through him, as you yourselves know.” These people knew the man, Jesus of Nazareth… many of them were eye-witnesses to His miracles and ‘wonders’ and so forth… but most still considered Him as just a remarkable man! Peter is telling them that this man they knew as Jesus was, in fact, the promised Messiah! He quotes David, from Psalm 16, as saying… “‘I saw the Lord always before me. Because he is at my right hand, I will not be shaken. Therefore my heart is glad and my tongue rejoices; my body also will live in hope, because you will not abandon me to the grave, nor will you let your Holy One see decay.’”

Then Peter says, “Brothers, I can tell you confidently that the patriarch David died and was buried, and his tomb is here to this day. But he was a prophet and knew that God had promised him on oath that he would place one of his descendants on his throne. Seeing what was ahead, he spoke of the resurrection of the Christ, that he was not abandoned to the grave, nor did his body see decay. God has raised this Jesus to life, and we are all witnesses of the fact.”

Verses 19-31 in the 20^th chapter of John tell us the story of how Thomas, not having been present when Jesus first appeared to them, said, “Unless I see the nail marks in his hands and put my finger where the nails were, and put my hand into his side, I will not believe it.”

A week later his disciples were in the house again, and Thomas was with them. Though the doors were locked, Jesus came and stood among them and said, “Peace be with you!” Then he said to Thomas, “Put your finger here; see my hands. Reach out your hand and put it into my side. Stop doubting and believe.” 

Thomas said to him, “My Lord and my God!”

Then Jesus told him, “Because you have seen me, you have believed; blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed.” 

Thomas doubted! Can you really blame him? After all, to any normal person, this had to seem like an incredible story! And yet, Jesus not only appeared to all of them again, He took Thomas’ words and threw them back to him… “Put your finger here; see my hands. Reach out your hand and put it into my side.” And that is why Peter says with such authority… “God has raised this Jesus to life, and we are all witnesses of the fact.”

Jesus was NOT just a man from Nazareth… He was accredited by God to be the Christ… the Messiah… the promised one! In fact, God acknowledged Him as His Son! And many, many witnesses have testified that He did, indeed, rise from the dead… He conquered death!! Our Saviour lives today!!!

And so it is that when Peter wrote his first letter to all believers, what we call 1 Peter, he says, in chapter 1, verses 3 – 9… “All honor to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, for it is by his boundless mercy that God has given us the privilege of being born again. Now we live with a wonderful expectation because Jesus Christ rose again from the dead. For God has reserved a priceless inheritance for his children. It is kept in heaven for you, pure and undefiled, beyond the reach of change and decay. And God, in his mighty power, will protect you until you receive this salvation, because you are trusting him. It will be revealed on the last day for all to see. So be truly glad! There is wonderful joy ahead, even though it is necessary for you to endure many trials for a while.

These trials are only to test your faith, to show that it is strong and pure. It is being tested as fire tests and purifies gold — and your faith is far more precious to God than mere gold. So if your faith remains strong after being tried by fiery trials, it will bring you much praise and glory and honor on the day when Jesus Christ is revealed to the whole world.

You love him even though you have never seen him. Though you do not see him, you trust him; and even now you are happy with a glorious, inexpressible joy. Your reward for trusting him will be the salvation of your souls.”