It's Better Than You Expected

I thought I was going to enjoy a nice spring day sitting in the sunshine and look what I got – 3 inches of the white stuff and it’s still coming down. There’s going to be a bright side to this snow, but I have to wait . . . and trust.

That’s something the disciples didn’t do after the crucifixion. They locked themselves up and feared that what had happened to their Lord would happen to them.

But then Mary Magdalene saw and spoke to a risen Christ. She went to the disciples and told them she had seen Jesus. They couldn’t believe it.

Peter saw Him and told the others. Cleopas and a traveling companion saw Jesus on the road to Emmaus; they hurried back to tell the rest.

This was astounding news. But why did they doubt? Hadn’t they paid attention when Jesus Himself told them He had to die and be raised on the third day?

Jesus appeared to ten of the disciples on the evening of the first day of the week. He greeted them, showed them His hands where He had been nailed and His side where the sword had pierced Him. They believed.

Thomas wasn’t there that night, and when he heard what had happened he said he wouldn’t believe it unless he saw for himself the nail marks and the wound. Poor Thomas has gotten a bad reputation all these centuries. He is known as Doubting Thomas. But honestly, was he asking for any more proof than the others had received?

A week later Thomas was with the other disciples when Jesus appeared to them again. Jesus offered to Thomas the same proof that the others had had. Thomas believed. In fact, he said to Jesus, “My Lord and my God!” And Jesus did not rebuke him at all.

Then Jesus said, “Because you have seen me, you have believed; blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed.”