Imagine what the disciples of Jesus were thinking and feeling after Jesus died that horrible death on the cross. The pain, sorrow, and even disapointment that Jesus was gone. Jesus was the great Teacher. Master. Son of God. The Christ and Messiah. But now He was gone. Although Jesus told them that this would be part of the plan, they couldn’t believe that this was part of the plan.
The women found that Jesus was gone and were told by Jesus Himself that He was risen! They ran to tell the disciples but they were so upset that they couldn’t believe He was risen from the dead. But Jesus appeared to them and seeing Him they believed. Thomas, one of the twelve, was not with them. They tried to tell him but he wouldn’t believe. He wouldn’t believe unless he saw Jesus in person. So, Jesus appeared again to the disciples but this time with Thomas there. Thomas proclaimed Jesus as Lord and God! How awesome it was that Jesus was now alive!
After Thomas showed that he believed, Jesus had this to say: “Have you believed because you have seen Me? Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed” (John 20:29). John then said that we have everything we need in the Bible to believe that Jesus is risen from the dead.
We come to today and find a lot of evidence in the Bible and even in secular history. We don’t have to physically see Jesus to believe. We have the written record and are told by eye witnesses that He is risen from the dead! So the question is, do we believe? I believe that my Savior is risen from the dead. I have hope because He is risen. I rejoice because he is risen. I want to share the good news that He is risen! Up from the grave He arose. Praise the Lord, O my soul!
A Cord of Blue 