The Risen Christ Unites

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Well, they say absence makes the heart grow fonder! You've probably experienced this - someone you love is far away, overseas or on a work trip or something, and you miss them and all their bad qualities you put out of your mind. You start to appreciate all the good qualities about them that you love and enjoy, and you miss them and can't wait to see them again. You know, like the wife who complains about her husband snoring but can't sleep when he's gone.

Your affection for someone often grows if you don't see them for a while. And when somebody dies, this pain doesn't get resolved in this life. You think about the things you love about a person, and it almost hurts more because you know that you aren't going to see them again. Even if you are going to see them in the next life, it still hurts not seeing them again in this life.

The Disciples’ Grief

The disciples after Good Friday thought they'd never see Jesus again. I can imagine them just sitting around remembering the things they loved about Him. Forcing a smile, remembering how He spoke, but then tears coming as they remembered the beating, the nails, the cross, the darkness.

But then a miracle! In John 20:19 we read that on that Sunday night the disciples were together and Jesus came, stood among them suddenly and said, “Peace be with you.” And so even though He'd only been absent a few days, oh, the joy when He came back—dizzy with excitement, I'm sure they must have been.

Power of Gathering

Verse 19 said that the disciples were together, and I think there's a lot of meaning in that little phrase. When the disciples were together, Jesus came and stood among them. There is a certain power in meeting Jesus together.

Now, since COVID has happened, many of us are used to worshipping online, and that's been a great privilege and very helpful to many of us. But one of the problems of online worship is that we become individualistic Christians, content to worship by ourselves. And you know, we miss out on the great power of worshipping Jesus together with other people.

I've missed this, to be honest with you. Before my surgery I was still traveling around with Crossroad and being able to worship with others in different churches. But not having that home church is difficult, and you don't feel it at first, but now after a few months of it I miss worshipping with others and worshipping our Saviour in a group with other believers.

Corporate Worship Matters

That's not to say that private worship, individual worship, isn't important. It's vital and it's powerful. But something different happens when we gather to worship together. In fact, when we talk about corporate worship, that word corporate, it comes from the Latin word corpus, which refers to the human body. And Paul would talk about the church as one body with many parts and how. We can't function without each other. In corporate worship, everybody plays a role, and we see that throughout the New Testament, that everybody played a part in worship.

So perhaps, like me, you need to be reminded today of the power of corporate worship when you gather together with a family of believers and enjoy the presence of the risen Christ in a group. Don't neglect worshipping with others, friends, because oh, what joy when Jesus met those disciples on that day in the group! Together they marvelled. Together they fell at His feet. Together they cried. Together they were filled with joy.

Don't miss out on corporate worship, friends, because, as Constance Cherry said, “worship is a team sport.”