​Do you Believe in the Resurrection?!

Do you Believe in the resurrection?!
​​Well of course I do; I was in church this Sunday and agreed with everything we
sang and heard. However, if we look at the lives and initial disbelief of the
​Disciples, we see a progression in their belief.

We must have the same.

Incredulity: Too good to be true; can’t risk any further disappointment or loss.
The first reports that came back from the women did not convince the Disciples.
They dismissed it as some kind of emotionalism. Perhaps the overwrought sorrow
was giving them delusional visions of Jesus. Jesus says to them, “how foolish you
are and slow to believe” (Luke 24). Even with Thomas, Jesus demands that Thomas
carry through by putting his fingers in the nail prints and his hands into Jesus’ side (John 20).

Jesus could not only keep His own word to rise from the grave,
but could prove His Resurrection from Old Testament prophecies
and provide them physical proofs of His Resurrection: “Do not disbelieve but believe!”

Wonder: Amazement and joy – but the
​meaning not sinking in.

Mary Magdalene – and He said to her, “Mary.” Was it that this “stranger” already knew her name, or more probably the way in which Jesus spoke her name brought Mary right back to the pre-Cross conversations: “Rabboni” – my Teacher! Mary, you have to turn me loose;
I am still accomplishing my Father’s will of Exaltation.

“Children, have you caught anything?” Talk about snapping the rubber band of
memory! Cast your nets on the other side. “It must be the Lord!”

Wonder is a very important response. We don’t have enough of wonder.
But wonder must move us onto worship and then obedience. After all,
He is the Lord—the Lord who is still commanding and directing.

Recognition: He is the Risen Lord and Savior who
is still teaching and commanding.

“Peter, do you love me?” Feed my lambs. Peter, follow me – without turning
to look back. I am not done with you, and you will serve me until you die in my Name.

Jesus, will you at this time restore the Kingdom? No, I want you to be witnesses to my
Resurrection and Salvation. The urgency of the Gospel eclipses all other agendas!

Assimilation:

The Resurrection was not for my benefit and agenda but the Resurrection draws
me into the New Creation of Salvation and now purposes my very life to the
preaching of the Gospel – the Good News of the Resurrection.
We especially hear these responses in the testimony of the Disciples in Acts:

• “Of this we are witnesses”
• “We cannot but speak the Name of Jesus”
• “We must obey God rather than man”
• ​“They rejoiced that they suffered for His Name”

Until we hear these words in Acts 8 in response to severe persecution:
​“They who were scattered went about preaching the Word.”

The Resurrection not only gave us Life; the Resurrection is the reason I now live.
The Resurrection is my Life.
The Holy Spirit brings the Resurrection to life inside me.
The Resurrection is my message, and my life is the Testimony to its reality.
The Life of the Resurrection fills His Church as we live out His Life together.
The Resurrection reminds me that my true Home is in Heaven and this life is just temporary.
Jesus is Life; and His Resurrection is His Life in me – until the very day that He Returns!