Today in God's Word—May 2023
East Tallassee Church of Christ
May 26, Mark 16
Most Bible readers know something about the resurrection. A casual acquaintance with Jesus’ story would likely include some knowledge of the empty tomb and the fear and astonishment it brought to the first disciples to discover it. Because we’ve had a lot longer to think about it, it’s not fair to judge the disciples whose first response to the resurrection news was unbelief.
True, Jesus told them (many times) it was going to happen. True, Mary Magdalene should have been a reliable witness, since she knew Jesus and the disciples knew her. Even after the next witnesses confirmed what Mary said, the disciples still didn’t believe.
Perhaps the traumatic past three days had clouded their thinking. From the arrest in the garden to the trial, crucifixion and burial, it had spiraled down from bad to worse. Judas had killed himself. They had run away or watched what happened from a distance. Maybe the horror of witnessing the torture and death of Jesus left them so numb they couldn’t remember all Jesus had said.
The women who went to the tomb did not expect Jesus to be gone. They brought the spices to finish the burial, not to check on the resurrection. The disciples were gathered to mourn his death, not to celebrate his resurrection. Mary’s news and the other early reports that came to the disciples were incredible in the truest sense of that word. After Jesus appeared to the eleven, he rebuked them because they had refused to believe the first eyewitnesses. It’s interesting that the eleven would become witnesses themselves, telling others the
same good news as Jesus sent them out to preach the gospel.
What can we take away from all this? For one thing, let’s take it easy on Thomas. He’s not mentioned here, but in John we learn he was missing the first time the apostles saw Jesus. He refused to believe it until he saw it for himself. That’s no different from any of his apostolic brothers, is it? They didn’t believe the first reports, either. It seems unfair to call him Doubting Thomas. (Jesus told Thomas there was a blessing for those who believed without seeing. That includes you and me.)
Also, let’s give people time to examine the evidence and sort out what they think when they hear about Jesus’ death and resurrection. Across the Roman Empire, audiences scoffed at the story of a God who died and dismissed the story of the resurrection as folly. It takes time to process the information.
And let’s take courage if we’ve ever struggled in our faith. The apostles overcame their initial unbelief to be bold preachers of the resurrection. Peter had denied Jesus, but the angel specifically sent word to him that Jesus would meet him in Galilee. We are blessed with plenty of evidence to come to faith. Faith in the resurrection should change us and motivate us, just as it did the first followers.
From The Abiding Companion: A Friendly Guide for Your Journey Through the New Testament,
Copyright © 2010 by Michael B. McElroy. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
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