Focal passage: Luke 24:36-49
In 2006, officials at the Trinity College in Cambridge, UK, received a letter mailed to George Green. It normally wouldn’t seem out of the ordinary, but the letter was mailed 58 years earlier. The note said, “George, will meet at Monty’s next weekend. Is 2pm acceptable? Love, Gwen.”
It’s unclear whether George and Gwen ever met up that day or what their lives might’ve looked like if they had. Perhaps nothing would have changed, or maybe everything would be different. One thing’s for certain: it would have been difficult for George to make that appointment without his invitation.
Jesus understood the power of an invitation. As He prepared to ascend into heaven, Jesus said to His disciples, “This is what is written: The Messiah will suffer and rise from the dead on the third day, and repentance for the forgiveness of sins will be preached in his name to all nations, beginning at Jerusalem. You are witnesses of these things” (vv. 46-48).
The fact that the disciples were witnesses of Jesus’ life, death and resurrection compelled them to tell others what they had seen. While none of us were alive during Jesus’ ministry, we are no less witnesses to the power and truth of His message.
You have a story to tell. Regardless of how you came to know Jesus, whether in prison, through addiction, or because you were raised in a Christian household, God has given you a story.
If you don’t feel like your story is unique, remember that anytime Jesus brings a dead soul back to life, it’s a miracle and a story worth sharing. You never know how your particular story of faith, doubt, and redemption could impact another along their journey.
However, sharing your story isn’t complete unless it leads to an invitation for others to have a redemptive story of their own. If you’ve never considered your story of salvation, I challenge you to spend 10 minutes prayerfully reflecting over the circumstances that led you to faith in Jesus. You might be surprised by what you see, and you may be equally surprised by who relates to it.