Where We Go One We Go All!

But as the days of Noah were, so shall also the coming of the Son of man be.

Trust the Plan!

"You ARE still here! Ehrr.. I mean…." James tried to correct his excitement at the sight of his Lord; the risen Christ. "I know You said it would still be several days before You ascend back to Your Father. I mean…. Uh.. I do remember You saying that…."

Jesus nodded, chuckled a bit and held up a quiet hand of greeting.

"Yes! Tell us again about the coming Comforter." John jumped in. "I want to know about the Spirit of the Almighty. I mean I know right in the first words of Moses, He brings water and obeys the command of Your Father to bring forth life." John tried not to exude diarrhea of thought. "But how will He be forever with us? I mean; look at the prophets. Jeremiah believed he was the last saint left on earth and how are we….. " John paused a moment. "I think I'll just shut up and listen." He chuckled to himself.

"Yes, there is so much still." James concurred with John. "We have a lot to learn."

"Tell me about it." A self abating unenthused voice flatly declared from behind them.

James and John turned around. Peter was sitting rather sullenly only staring at the table. He let out a sigh; slapped his hands on the ledge and rose to his feet. He stammered, forcing himself to just look at Jesus a moment, before he stumbled over and stood next to James and John.

"They are so eager." He said to his Lord as he glanced at the other two. "I don't get it. What's wrong with me? How many times have I talked to You since that Sunday morning? How many question have I asked? You're standing right in front of me. I see You. You're real. I know You are really there."

Peter half lunged at his Lord; grabbed Him by the shoulders and shook Him. "You're not a ghost." He shuffled…. Jehovah in front of him. "You see Him right?" He confirmed to the other two disciples as he pointed at the Eternal Son of God, whom he now held in his hands… sort of like… a piece of pottery. "I'm not losing my mind. He really is here!" Peter half growled / half cheered in his own elated exasperation, as he felt Jesus's face and messed His hair.

James and John were caught somewhere between profoundly baffled and amused, as their Lord just stood smirking while Peter attempted to smooth, dress…or braid.. His hair? (What ever it was Peter was doing behind Him? Jesus giggled.)

"See! I'm not crazy; right?" Peter confirmed as he suddenly threw his arms around… God, in a half bear hug / half head lock. "He really Rose From the DEAD!" Peter hollered as he…. attempted to….. pick.. Jesus up?

James and John simultaneously turned dumbfounded and saucer eyed at each other; as the scene played out before them… almost in slow motion. Jesus lost His balance and the two tumbled over. Peter hurriedly trying to amend his mistake, as he found his mortal sinful flesh laying on top of the Eternal Creator of the cosmos.

"Oh, sorry. Sorry." Peter was profusely apologetic, attempting to both get up and assist Jesus, when his brother Andrew having hurried in from the other room suddenly exclaimed:

"Pete?…. PETE! What are you DOING?" Andrew scolded his brother. "That's HIM; not me! You don't body slam the ONE who Rose from the DEAD!"

"It's OK." Jesus sat up, reached out and hugged a now profoundly mortified Peter. "You've aptly demonstrated for the sake of earthly human limitations; that even gravity still works on the risen Son of God." Jesus laughed as He kissed the side of Peter's face and proceeded to get up.

James and John grabbed Peter's arms and pulled him to his feet.

"What's gravity?" James whispered to John.

I don't know. John helplessly shrugged.

"Peter." Jesus addressed his humiliated disciple. "The natural mind does not comprehend these things. They seemingly stand beyond reason." He began to explain. "When the Spirit comes; this will make more sense to you." Jesus sighed in patient, yet pained understanding. "He who's come down from Heaven has even faced the torture of: OK Father, please explain this to me because….. I aint gettin it!" Jesus assured Peter. "We are all limited by our humanity. Even He; the only moral man without sin and not encumbered by the fall, struggles to fully grasp the omniscient nature of His own Father." Jesus sighed.

James, John and Andrew only stared blankly at each other trying to absorb the litany of theological declarations that had just spilled from the lips of the Christ; God's anointed One.

Alas though; all they could do was shrug.

"The first Adam or the last Adam; we're both still human." Jesus raised His hand to lend Peter another reassuring gesture. "But… ouch." He half grimaced and half laughed as He rubbed His elbow. "Don't do that again." He smiled and patted Peter's face.

"Yes, Lord, Sir." Peter instinctively kissed His boo boo.

His Lord only laughed.

"I'm just.. just…" Peter stammered in his feeble attempt to explain his haunting self doubts. "At the point that I should have given it all; I ran away from a little girl, like a scared six year old. I believe You when you say the Spirit will explain all this to us; but how's the Spirit suppose to help me when I can't even bear to look at You?"

"I feel like nothing." Peter turned away as he slinked behind James and John and toppled over onto the matts, cushions and pillows that flanked the table. I've been a faithful Torah observant Jew my entire life and now I feel like one of those filthy gentile…. Romans? The apostate… Greekified… half breeds; or worse yet … Samaritans?" Peter sighed as he rested his chin in his hands. "The cowardly debase centurion who runs away from his faithful caesar? The one time it mattered and I ….. fucked it up." Peter whispered.

Jesus walked between Andrew and James, around John and knelt down leaning on the table gazing intently at Peter. "Behold the lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world." He quoted John.

"But John was martyred." Peter replied nearly in tears. "He knew Herod hated him. You knew Herod hated You. Yet I ran away because I was afraid of…. them! What does a man profit if he gain the world and loose his own soul?"

"But that's why you're here and Judas isn't." Jesus declared before He was momentarily interrupted by John's thinking a'loud.

"Judas….." John whispered as he turned and peered at James.

Jesus glanced up at John and nodded; but Peter James and Andrew only stared at each other blankly. Who's Judas? They seemed to forget.

"Behold the Lamb of God." Jesus returned to Peter. "That's not you." He pointedly confirmed. "You remember: "Lord, we can drink your cup and we can be baptized with your baptism.": Right?" Jesus recollected.

"Yeah." Peter admittedly acknowledged.

"You will bear the shadow of the earthy persecution; but you CAN NOT face the indignation of God Almighty." Jesus spoke plainly. "He would destroy you. Your humanity and your own sin betrayed you; so that in my Father's providence, your life is not lost.

His Lord sighed as Peter sat teary eyed.

"I paid for that life." Jesus almost pleaded. "I know you don't understand that now. You will learn from direct revelation, as well as a zealot pharisee who will be stuck blind, only to become the apostle to the gentiles. This is the New Testament in my blood. The old is past and soon enough; will be done away with. The new is here. This is not your end Peter. This is the new beginning."

"What am I suppose to do now though?" Peter looked pleadingly into the face of … eternity.

"You will go into all the world and preach the good news." Eternity answered. "Every tribe, kindred, tongue and nation. Your Messiah; the only hope for humanity has risen from the dead. Repent and believe; for God has made known His intension to this world. This gospel will fill the earth: Peoples you don't even know exist and tongues you've never heard: Kindreds of your own that you don't know are your own: Entire nations who haven't even been born yet. The Kingdom has dawned. You are at the beginning of the end."

"How long is this going to take?" Peter mumbled in hesitant apprehension.

"Frankly; millennia." Jesus lent a flat out, no frills and painfully pointed answer. "You will live and reign with me for a thousand years before this all comes to a close. All explained in epistles and historic chronicles that haven't been written yet. That's part of your job." Jesus explained. "The words the Holy Spirt will inspire you to record, will be passed down to many many many….. many generations that will come after you."

"Entire nations… who haven't even been born yet?" Peter whimpered.

"Yes." Jesus went on. "You have no idea who the Incas are; the Aztecs, the Byzantines, the Ottomans, the Ming Dynasty, the Mongolians, the British, the Japanese, or the Americans. You have no idea where Australia or North and South America are. There are continents the Roman world doesn't even know exist. You've never heard of Jambudvipa; have you?"

Peter could only look confused.

"It will come to be called India in the end of days." His Lord continued. "Empires will arise that are bigger than Rome. Yet My gospel of the Kingdom will conquer them All."

"But…" Peter whispered. "You said the temple will be destroyed and this generation will see that."

"The gospel is not Judaism." Jesus stated plainly. "The apostle to the gentiles will explain that to you; once the Holy Ghost explains it to him." He chuckled.

"This zealot pharisee?" Peter puzzled.

"Yes, you will come to know him well. You will even come to love him. You won't always like him." Jesus snarked. "But you will know and love him!"

"Who is he?" Peter lent another hesitant inquiry.

"You'll meet him soon." Jesus sighed in curious… near annoyance. "Don't worry. You'll know. He'll be hard to miss." His Lord made a funny face. "Let's just put it that way."

"BUT!" God Almighty completed His admonition. "You are not lost. There is a purpose to all of this."

Peter sat contemplating these things as his Lord got up and mysteriously… excused Himself from the company of the others. They all stood for what seemed like eternity; staring at the open door He'd departed from.

The remainder of the day spent itself; as Peter sat silently propped up next to the table while James, John and Andrew faded into what ever daily tasks they seemed to deem urgent enough to require their attention.

Later that evening when Thomas, Nathanial and several others filtered in; (both to scrounge, as well as prod Peter into eating) Peter unceremoniously stood up and looked about himself.

"I'm going fishing." He declared.

"OK." They all looked about themselves in raised eyebrow of agreement. "We're going with you."

The heathen raged, the kingdoms were moved: He uttered His voice, the earth melted. (Psalm 46:6)

And the seventh angel sounded; and there were great voices in heaven, saying, The kingdoms of this world are become the kingdoms of our Lord, and of his Christ; and he shall reign for ever and ever. (Revelation 11:15)