http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=4iyxR8uE9GQ#at=1958
However, when listening to this lecture something struck me. I realised that the disciples must have really struggled with their faith when Jesus died on that cross before he rose again.
Lets put this in context....The disciples give up their jobs, possibly their friends and family, to spend three years following Jesus. They listened to his teachings and watched him perform miracles, claiming that he is God-the Messiah, the one that the Jews had been waiting for. Can you imagine just how they felt that moment that Jesus bowed his head and and cried "It is finished!" Who they thought would be their Saviour, was now dead. Furthermore, the catastrophe was not simply that Jesus was dead, that their leader and friend was gone, but that Jesus had failed to fulfil the Jewish Messianic prophesy.
Jewish Messianic beliefs expected that he would overthrow the Roman government and bring peace. Instead, the man who claimed to be the Messiah brought controversy and was shamefully executed by the Roman authority as a common criminal. If you were a disciple, would your faith still be intact? I don't think mine would...
Here was Peter one of the disciples, who when asked by Jesus "Who do you say Iam? He replies without hesitation, "You are the Messiah, the Son of the Living God!" He had no doubt...until things didn't quite go the way he expected.
To both the Jews and Gentiles (non-Jews), the followers of Jesus must have looked like absolute fools! Jesus' death effectively showed that the Jewish leaders had been right all along, that Jesus was just a heretic trying to stir up trouble.
In those 2 days before Jesus rose, I can just imagine the pain of the disciples. Not only had they lost a friend, but they would have faced so many "what if" questions. What if they'd been fooled or tricked. What if they had given up everything for someone who turned out to be a complete sham. I'm pretty sure the disciples would not only have felt deeply confused but lost, alone and feelings of embarrassment and anger may also have set in. People often critique Thomas for doubting, but when you look at the whole picture, I don't blame him.
I don't think I had realised until now just how much we have in common with the disciples. Often when dark times hit our lives and God doesn't reveal his plan straight away, our faith can very quickly leave us. Again look at Peter, this time when asked by a mere servant girl if he was one of Jesus followers, he denies that he even knew Jesus.
When we don't understand God's plan, we can get angry, bitter and deeply confused, feeling that God has just left us stranded alone in the dark. In our minds this leaves us with a choice; either to trust that God is still good and the Gospel is still true or, that he is neither good nor are his claims true.
The disciples must have also found themselves in a similar predicament after Jesus' death: Do we just forget that we ever thought Jesus was telling the truth about being our Saviour, or do we go on trusting that he is indeed the Messiah, based on what we have seen and know?
I guess what I want to remind whoever may be reading this of is, that even though we may not always understand why God allows certain things to happen, we can know He is able to bring good out of evil, and triumph out of suffering. How can we know this? We know this by looking at the Gospel story! Jesus rose from the dead, he brought good out of evil! It was when Jesus suffered and died that he took upon himself all of the evil in this world in order to restore it back to good again. It is through his resurrection that we can triumph over death because He has defeated it. And it is through his resurrection that we now have the chance to get things right with the living God.
When Jesus rose and appeared to the disciples, God's wonderful plan was revealed and their faith was restored. God's saving work on the cross was more than sufficient for their needs.
And so though our faith may be fragile, we don't admit defeat. Instead we choose to ask God for more because it is Him who can give us the faith to move mountains. I encourage you, cling to the Gospel of Jesus Christ! It is this truth which reminds us of just how glorious God's love is and reminds us that if He has overcome death, then surely he can help us overcome all the trails in life. Nothing is too small for Him.
Hebrews 12v2 says:
"Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before him endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God."
"Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before him endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God."
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=plzxF29AuOQ
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