On the evening of that first day of the week, when the disciples were together, with the doors locked for fear of the Jewish leaders, Jesus came and stood among them and said,“Peace be with you!” (John 20:19; Mark 16:14; Luke 24:36 NIV)
They were startled and frightened, thinking they saw a ghost. He said to them, “Why are you troubled, and why do doubts rise in your minds? (Luke 24:37-38; Mark 16:14 NIV) he rebuked them for their lack of faith and their stubborn refusal to believe those who had seen him after he had risen. (Mark 16:14 NIV) Look at my hands and my feet. It is I myself! Touch me and see; a ghost does not have flesh and bones, as you see I have.” When he had said this, he showed them his hands and feet. And while they still did not believe it because of joy and amazement, he asked them, “Do you have anything here to eat?” They gave him a piece of broiled fish, and he took it and ate it in their presence. (Luke 24:39-43 NIV)
In the previous study, Jesus appeared to Mary Magdalene, and She went and told those who had been with him and who were mourning and weeping. When they heard that Jesus was alive and that she had seen him, they did not believe it. (Mark 16:9-11 NIV) He also appeared to two other followers; These returned and reported it to the rest; but they did not believe them either. (Mark 16:13 NIV) (see THE GOSPEL: Jesus Appears to His Caregivers and Two Disciples)
Of all people, we would assume that the eleven disciples would believe Jesus had risen without actually seeing, based on all that He had told them before He was crucified. Especially Peter, because From that time Jesus began to show to His disciples that He must go to Jerusalem, and suffer many things from the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be killed, and be raised the third day. Then Peter took Him aside and began to rebuke Him, saying, “Far be it from You, Lord; this shall not happen to You!” But He turned and said to Peter, “Get behind Me, Satan! You are an offense to Me, for you are not mindful of the things of God, but the things of men.” (Matthew 16:21-23; see THE GOSPEL: "The Rock" vs. rocks)
But even with all the foreknowledge, warning and teaching Jesus had given them, even though He was standing there in a physical body, and ate their food, they still had difficulty believing. After he said this, he showed them his hands and side. The disciples were overjoyed when they saw the Lord. Again Jesus said, “Peace be with you! As the Father has sent me, I am sending you.” And with that he breathed on them and said, “Receive the Holy Spirit. If you forgive anyone’s sins, their sins are forgiven; if you do not forgive them, they are not forgiven.” (John 20:23 NIV) WOW! We've said it many times before, that Jesus never says or does something that He won't empower us to do.
He gives us the example, but He also gives us the ability to do the same things. Just as He had received the Holy Spirit from the Father the day of His baptism by John, we who believe in Him as our Savior and Lord will receive the Holy Spirit also. (see THE GOSPEL: Jesus Baptized, then Tempted) Through the Holy Spirit, we will have access to the kingdom of heaven while here on earth, and He will instruct us regarding conviction, correction and judgment. (John 16:5-15; see THE GOSPEL: Kingdom of God is With Us, Who Believe) Jesus was saying, as He had said before, "I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven; and whatever you bind (declare to be improper and unlawful) on earth must be what is already bound in heaven; and whatever you loose (declare lawful) on earth must be what is already loosed in heaven." (Matthew 16:19 AMP)
Now Thomas (also known as Didymus), one of the Twelve, was not with the disciples when Jesus came. So the other disciples told him, “We have seen the Lord!” But he said to them, “Unless I see the nail marks in his hands and put my finger where the nails were, and put my hand into his side, I will not believe.” A week later his disciples were in the house again, and Thomas was with them. Though the doors were locked, Jesus came and stood among them and said, “Peace be with you!” Then he said to Thomas, “Put your finger here; see my hands. Reach out your hand and put it into my side. Stop doubting and believe.” Thomas said to him, “My Lord and my God!” Then Jesus told him, “Because you have seen me, you have believed; blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed.” (John 20:24-29 NIV)
And all of us, from before Christ's physically came to the earth and since His resurrection, are the blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed. We may not have seen Him with our physical eyes, but we have "seen" Him. Just like the disciples, and the Jewish religious leaders, although they refused to believe what they saw, we have seen Him through the Word of God, because "You search the Scriptures, for in them you think you have eternal life; and these are they which testify of Me [the Christ]." (John 5:39)
If we believe the Word of God and accept Christ Jesus as our Savior and Lord, we will receive the Holy Spirit, and "...when the Helper comes, whom I shall send to you from the Father, the Spirit of truth who proceeds from the Father, He will testify of Me [the Christ]." (John 15:26) Christ Jesus is real, He is alive and He has made Himself clearly known to all of us; all we have to do is believe! Jesus performed many other signs in the presence of his disciples, which are not recorded in this book. But these are written that you may believe that Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in his name. (John 20:30-31 NIV) AMEN!
No comments:
Post a Comment