These That Have Turned the World Upside Down

2021-09-14

These that have turned the world upside down are come hither also (Acts 17:6)

Imagine a group of disciples who pledged their lives for Jesus (John 11:16; 13:37), but upon His arrest, “all forsook him, and fled” (Mark 14:50)? They were hiding for their lives (John 20:19), and eventually went back to their vocation as fishermen (John 21:3). The women, even upon seeing an empty tomb, were afraid (Mark 16:8).

Then this same lot, later, had an encounter with the risen Lord. They were forever transformed, preaching before the religious elite. “Now when they saw the boldness of Peter and John, and perceived that they were unlearned and ignorant men, they marvelled; and they took knowledge of them, that they had been with Jesus” (Acts 4:13).

The power of the resurrection is both historical and theological. These men and women were convinced of what they had seen. They could not have all suffered the same delusion. They had a real experience with the Lord. This was a real historical event, in which anyone at the time could have investigated for themselves: the empty tomb, changed lives, and the numerous witnesses. However, being eyewitnesses was not the only motivator. The Holy Spirit, whom they received, was the powerful motivator that went beyond their own senses. Because of what these have seen and experienced, they “turned the world upside down” by starting a movement that could not have been accomplished by force. A group of fishermen and other ordinary people were used by God in such a way that only God could be the cause. They had no other power or influence. They had no wealth. They had no brute force of armies and military might. How could the entire world be affected by Christianity without the power of God and the resurrection of the Lord Jesus Christ? I propose that there was no other way. The quick spread of Christianity testifies of the risen Lord.

This is Exhibit A for the evidence that Jesus rose from the dead.