If you are new to this blog, “welcome!” We have been following the last week of Jesus on earth, His death and resurrection, and now, we are revisiting the 40 days he stayed on earth after He rose from the grave. It’s a topic you don’t hear much about these days. But the Scriptures show that Jesus popped in and out of a few places for about a six week period after that miraculous Sunday morning.
He appeared to His disciples in the upper room that same night. And even thought the angels at the tomb had specifically said, “go tell the disciples to go ahead to Galilee, He will meet them there…” 8 days later, we still find the disciples in that same upper room in Jerusalem!
Galilee was about 68 miles north. So, they obviously had feared for their own lives and had hunkered down. Jesus wasn’t too pleased, and once again, popped in on them (eight days later) to address the situation.
Mark 16:14 tells it like this, Later Jesus appeared to the Eleven as they were eating; he rebuked them for their lack of faith and their stubborn refusal to believe those who had seen him after he had risen.”
John tells it like this:
John 20:26 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!” 27 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.” 28 Thomas said to him, “My Lord and my God!”
It’s hard for us to imagine that these 12, who were closest to Him for three years, living with him, watching miracle after miracle, still didn’t get it. I guess that just goes to prove how human we all are. Comforting really, that these rabble rousers we consider to be so holy struggled in their spiritual sides just like we do. Jesus knew that, and said something very interesting to Thomas after his “aha” moment, as they say.
John 20: 29 Then Jesus told him, “Because you have seen me, you have believed; blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed.”
That was a word for us. If those guys had a hard time believing, Jesus knew we would too. And He showed us some major grace in that statement.
Come back later, we’ll look to see where Jesus showed up next.
S.
