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Mark 16
Trace the disciples’ faith after the resurrection. I am a bit confused as to the exact sequence of events and people involved in the discovery of Jesus’ resurrection. Best I can figure, it went something like this:
Some number of women in Jesus “pack” went to the tomb to tend to His body. They found it empty. Then two angels appeared and instructed them to have the disciples meet Jesus in Galilee, as previously planned. They did so and met with disbelief. Peter and John are the only two noted who went to see for themselves and verify the women’s report. It seems the women followed them back to the tomb, lingering after Peter and John left. Jesus appeared to them, or at least Mary Magdalene, first (what an honor!). She, or they, returned again to the disciples to report her sighting, a report the others again disbelieved. Jesus then appeared to the two men on the road to Emmaus. They rushed back to give their report, which likewise met with disbelief. That is, until Jesus Himself stepped into the scene.
I don’t know that I have that completely right. I do, however, have enough to see that they all had to see Jesus for themselves to really believe He was alive. This in spite of the fact that their sources were trustworthy and Jesus Himself had told them multiple times beforehand how things would go. Poor Thomas takes the brunt of the accusations of doubt, but in truth his response was no different than the others’. No wonder Jesus said, “Because you have seen me, you have believed; blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed.” (Jn. 20:29).
So we are left with yet another opportunity to learn from those who went before us. God provided us with a record of a multitude of witnesses; witnesses who had to see for themselves to believe what should have been easy for them to believe. Many of these witnesses went on to record a preponderance of evidence to the truth of what they had seen and learned. These records were then collected together with the story of Israel and her history, right back to the creation of the world and the first man, as given to Moses by God – the story that both told and demonstrated what was to be long before it was. We have all of this collaborating evidence in the form of God’s Holy Word – the Bible. All of this so we could believe though we have not seen.
Lam. 3-4
What does Jeremiah remember in the midst of his pain that gives him hope? How does this make you feel? After a lengthy lament over the affliction of the LORD’s wrath, Jeremiah makes this statement about God: “For He does not willingly bring affliction or grief to anyone.” (Lam. 3:33). Yet he also says, “Is it not from the mouth of the Most High that both calamities and good things come?” (Lam. 3:38). Though this seems like a contradiction, it isn’t. God is loving and merciful, yes. But He is also holy and just. Furthermore, He is sovereign, so nothing is out of His control. Therefore, what it comes down to is our choice. We have the option to stay as we are and let God’s holiness consume us. Or we can humble ourselves before Him and allow Him to cover us with His grace.
For those who choose the latter, Jesus becomes the afflicted one. Indeed, much of what we read in Lamentations 3 seems to speak of His suffering and death. Because Jesus is righteous, however, when He stood in our place God’s holiness did not consume Him. Thus, He overcame sin and death. That is why we can now say, “Because of the LORD’s great love we are not consumed” (Jer. 3:22a).