If we had friends who had let us down badly at the very time when we most needed their help, we should wonder whether we could ever trust them again.  We might take to heart the proverb, “Once bitten, twice shy”.  But no friends let anyone down as badly as the Apostles let Jesus down.

 

The Apostles failed Jesus

After the Last Supper on Maundy Thursday evening, Jesus with his Apostles left the Upper Room, which was situated in the south-west corner of Jerusalem and, in the light of the full moon, walked across the city and so went out by the Fountain Gate near the south-east corner.  Once outside the city walls, they turned north and made their way to the Garden of Gethsemane which was on the slope of the Mount of Olives to the east of Jerusalem.  The whole distance was about a mile, and while they were on their way Jesus turned to Peter, the leader of the Apostles, and said, “…this very night, before the cock crows twice, you will deny me three times” (shall say three times that you do not even know me).  But Peter said vehemently, “Even though I must die with you, I will not deny you” (NRSV, Mark 14:30,31).  And the rest of the Apostles said the same

Well, you know how they kept their word.  When the armed men, with Judas Iscariot at their head, entered the Garden to arrest Jesus, all the disciples deserted him and fled.  Peter, it is true, followed afar off into the courtyard of the high priest’s palace, but it was only to do there what he had said he would never do – to say of Jesus, “I do not know this man…” (NRSV, Mark 14:71).

 

Jesus showed total confidence in the Apostles

And yet, six weeks later, just before he ascended into Heaven, Jesus showed his complete confidence in these men, who had failed so miserably, by giving them this astonishing command: “Go into all the world and proclaim the good news to the whole creation” (NRSV, Mark 16:15).  You may well wonder how these men, who had played the coward when Jesus was with them, were going to behave after he had left them to return to Heaven.  But then, you see, he did not leave them; it was only that they no longer saw him.  So, earlier on Maundy Thursday evening, he had told them, “I am going away, and shall return” (Jerusalem Bible, John 14:28).  And 10 days after his Ascension, at Pentecost (Whitsunday), his words came true.  For then he sent God the Holy Spirit to his Apostles to live in their souls, and when the Holy Spirit came, Jesus came with him so that he was no longer merely with them; he was also within them.

 

In the power of the Holy Spirit

The faithfulness of the Apostles

And it was in the power of the Holy Spirit, and of Jesus’ presence within their innermost souls, that the Apostles went out into the world to preach the Gospel.  And that was why Jesus knew that they would not fail.  So, when he gave them that astonishing command at his Ascension – to go into all the world and preach the Gospel to the whole creation – he also gave his promise which would make it possible for them to carry out that command: “…you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you;” he told them, ”and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth” (NRSV, Acts 1:8).  “And know that I am with you always; yes, to the end of time (Jerusalem Bible, Matthew 28:20).  So at Pentecost the Holy Spirit came to the Apostles and, as St Mark tells us, “…they, going out, preached everywhere, the Lord working with them…” (Jerusalem Bible, Mark 16:20).

And everywhere the Apostles went, they planted the Church and in place after place, men and women, boys and girls were baptised and confirmed, and in this way they too became members of the Church and were given the Holy Spirit of God and the presence of Our Lord within their souls.

And so it is today.  The Church has indeed spread to the ends of the earth, and wherever it is planted, whether here or in distant lands, the Holy Spirit of God is still given through the Sacraments of Baptism and Confirmation.

 

Our call to be courageous and faithful

All of you who have been baptised have received the Holy Spirit’s first gift of himself to you.  Others of you have also been confirmed by the Bishop, and then the Holy Spirit filled your soul completely.  The Sacrament of Confirmation is something which we should look forward to with joy, and then look back on with confidence.

For one day you will have to go out into the world, not perhaps like the Apostles who went far from their homes by the Lake of Galilee into distant lands, but at any rate out to work or to college in the world outside your home.  And when that happens you must be true to Jesus and never let him down.  You may find yourselves with people who actively hate him; others will have no use for him at all.  It is then that Jesus will rely on you to be courageous and fearlessly loyal to him.

Some of you may already know what I am talking about because you have been mocked by bullies at school who know you go to church.  They put pressure on you to stop going to church, or singing in the choir or serving at the Eucharist.  They are probably jealous of you and want to control you because controlling other people makes them feel big.

But you can be brave and loyal to Jesus because at Confirmation you receive the Holy Spirit of God; and every time you make your Communion you renew the Presence of Our Ascended Lord himself within your soul, so that you can say, as did St Paul, “I can do all things through him (that is, Christ) who strengthens me” (NRSV, Philippians 4:13).

 

SUMMARY

1. Although the Apostles had failed Jesus so miserably, he showed his complete confidence in them by commanding them to go into all the world and preach the Gospel to the whole creation.

2. At Pentecost Jesus sent God the Holy Spirit to his Apostles to live in their souls, and when the Holy Spirit came Jesus came with him so that he was no longer merely with them; he was also within them.  That is why the Apostles did not fail in the mission Jesus gave them.

3. We receive the gift of the Holy Spirit in the Sacraments of Baptism and Confirmation, and in Communion we renew the Presence of Jesus within our souls.  And so he gives us, too, the strength to be his courageous and loyal followers.