Open Bible Trust

Gentle readers,
Beneath you'll find a report from some dear friends from the OBT in England, Some of my best times were with these dear people.

Open Bible Trust Bible Study Conference - Nottingham Area, March 24th 2007

Jesus and ... The Effect of the Resurrection

Report by Dawn Purnell

It was a joy to renew contact with Christian friends and to share companionship and fellowship with each other. A warm welcome to Stapleford Methodist Church was given by Cliff and Sandra Richmond. However, we held Vicky and Dave Wilkinson in our prayers who sadly were unable to attend due to family bereavements. Good wishes were sent to Willie Henry who, through illness was unable to be with us and we were indebted to Mike Penny who presented the work Willie had prepared, as well as delivering his own sessions for the day. Pete Mansell also presented two sessions that were well received and appreciated.

In the three sessions we looked at five disciples of Jesus: Peter, James (half-brother of Jesus), John, Thomas and Judas. Four of them had a close relationship with Jesus, both before and after His resurrection, and Judas whose contact with Jesus did not extend beyond the passion of Christ.

A film shown by Pete explained the then accepted meaning of specific words: Rabbi, Teacher, Messiah, disciple and discipleship, giving us an appreciation of the religious background and community structures from which the first disciples of Jesus came. From biblical references a picture was built up of the personalities of these disciples, and their relationship with Jesus Christ.

We saw the outspoken and sometimes erratic Peter prior to the resurrection of Christ, in comparison with the man who experienced forgiveness, and became a man of leadership qualities and matured faith in the post-resurrection days.

We were helped to distinguish between James, the brother of John, and James, the half– brother of Jesus, and to appreciate the change in this James, from being a sceptical unbeliever, to the stable and practical leader of the first Christian Church in Jerusalem.

We met John, known as the disciple beloved of Jesus, the man entrusted with the welfare of Christ’s mother, the man thought to be the writer of the lovely letters telling us of the overwhelming love God has for us, shown through His Son, our Lord.

We came face to face with the enigmatic Judas, once called to follow Jesus, but who ultimately betrayed Him. We felt we were still left with the question ... Why? ... And yet we know that for our salvation, Jesus had to die and be raised.

And lastly we had a brief glimpse of Thomas who, in pre-resurrection days, spoke the ‘negative’ but did the ‘positive’ and who, after the resurrection required proof ... and got it! But who, on bended knee, proclaimed “My Lord and my God.”

For us, as we listened to our speakers, the effect of the resurrection of Jesus on the lives of His disciples was palpable. His resurrection changed them from followers who seemed uncertain at times as to Christ’s purpose and His way of achieving it, to men of certainty, men of deepened and even maturing faith, men to whom Christ entrusted His church.

It was a day of spiritual challenge and refreshment, for which we give thanks and praise. At the end, we were encouraged to give prayerful thought to “Jesus .... And the effect of His resurrection on us”. And that we might say with Thomas, “My Lord and My God”.