16 But the eleven disciples proceeded to Galilee, to the mountain which Jesus had designated. 17 When they saw Him, they worshiped Him; but some were doubtful. 18 And Jesus came up and spoke to them, saying, “All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth. 19 Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, 20 teaching them to observe all that I commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.” Matthew 28:16-20 (NASB)
Are there things you’ve heard all of your life that in an instant become real????
While traveling in England I was amazed to see evidence of how long Christians had been on that isle knowing it was the end of the earth for the Roman Empire. In fact, according to the good folk at Wikipedia, Saint Aristobulus was sent off to Britan to serve as bishop in 37 AD (37 AD!!!) and within a 150 years names of multiple bishops were recorded.
OK, before that Google search I’d never heard of Aristobulus. My guess is he wasn’t a favorite disciple among those first 70 sent out by the early Church to snag that assignment. But today I want to thank him. You see, as far back as my family tree can be traced we’re all British and given the number of red haired, freckled faces among us it’s easy to believe. Likewise, the lineage is thoroughly Christian, with gratitude to St. Aristobulus.
I thank him because being Christian has always given me a rudder, a true sense of direction and purpose in life, a purpose that began with the resurrection. People have always debated if the resurrection of Jesus really happened. Personally, I am firmly on #TeamResurrection and I’m willing to bet the farm so was Aristobulus. What else but a resurrected Savior and the fulfilled promise of the Holy Spirit could inspire someone to risk everything simply to bear witness? Aristobulus was inspired to share and so were others for generations.
People do love to talk and what they most love to share is a story that inspires awe, according to marketing professor Jonah Berger, author of Contagious: Why Things Catch On. There you have it! A modern confirmation of the history of the spread of the gospel.
The gospel is the good news of God’s love that people cannot get enough of, what could possibly be more awe inspiring?
What do you love to talk about?
Make a point today to let someone know what inspires awe in your life. You may just change their world.