Resurrection Sunday

Resurrection - what should be central to Easter.

This is one of those stories that all 4 Gospels records. Whether you go to Matthew, Mark, Luke, or John, you are going to find a very similar story centering around Mary Magdalene (especially) and other disciples that went to Jesus' tomb on Sunday morning to find that He was not there. Needless to say, many of these people were shocked. John records that Mary Magdalene ran to Peter saying that someone had taken Jesus' body. But then Jesus appeared to her and told her who He was and that He had risen from the dead just as He said He would. She then runs to the other disciples to let them know of this great miracle. But just as they thought it was all over when Jesus died, doubting (and pretty much not understanding) that He would come back from the dead, many doubted after the Resurrection as well.

It took Jesus speaking directly with Mary Magdalene for her to believe that He had done what He said that He would do. It took Thomas reaching out and touching Jesus' hands and seeing his side for him to believe that it was really Jesus standing before Him. It took Peter actually seeing Jesus, even though He had seen an empty tomb, to fully understand what had happened.

And many times, I find that we criticize these people for doubting. We see that they had spent 3 years with Jesus, and yet at the climax of His life, they doubt. They do not fully grasp the meaning of the resurrection. Now, of course they should not have doubted. They should have understood what had happened since Jesus had been preaching to them for 3 years about it. But who are we to criticize them? How long did it take some of us to accept His free gift of salvation? Do we always trust in God and believe that He will do what He says that He will do? Many times we worry in this life, which in turn is not trusting in God. We doubt that He will care for us, even though He tells us that He watches over us many times in His Word.

Yes, it was wrong of Mary, Peter, and Thomas to doubt Jesus' resurrection. But we must not be so quick to judge them when we find ourselves worrying in life, doubting God's power. In the middle of an economic crisis, hard family circumstances, severe weather, and other problems that arise, it is easy to worry and wonder how we are ever going to make it through those hard times. But by worrying, we limit God's power in our lives, doubting that He can take care of us. I am not saying that our finances will sky rocket or that the storms will always pass over or that family situations will be perfect. But by fully trusting God, He will take care of those situations in the way that He sees fit. And no matter how He handles it, He will take care of us. It is our job to trust Him, believing that He will do what He says He will do.

So when you think about it, our life is much like the disciples on Resurrection Sunday. We have a risen Savior who is providing for us today. But many times we go to the empty tombs of our life and do not see Jesus inside. We wonder if He is even there with us anymore, and we begin to doubt that He is watching over us. Let us not forget that the empty tomb means that He is alive and well looking out for us daily. Christ truly is risen!

Matt