April 15 I Wednesday

1 Samuel 27-29

Luke 13:1-22

“He said to them, ‘Why are you troubled...?’”   —Luke 24:38

On the evening of the first day, or the day of resurrection, the disciples gathered together behind locked doors because they were afraid of the Jewish leaders. It was in this circumstance that Jesus appeared uninvited and unexpected to the disciples. Jesus says, “Peace be with you” (Luke 24:36) but the disciples became afraid and thought they were seeing a ghost. Then Jesus asks, “Why are you troubled, and why do doubts rise in your minds?” (Luke 24:38). In other words, Jesus was asking, “Why are you here? Why are you scared? Why are the doors locked?”

The disciples believed Jesus to be dead, which brings to mind the real question: why in the world would the disciples not know that Jesus would be resurrected? Jesus not only shared with His disciples once or twice but on a number of occasions about what was going to happen. Beginning from their time together in Caesarea Philippi, “…Jesus began to explain to His disciples that He must go to Jerusalem and suffer many things… and that He must be killed and on the third day be raised to life” (Matthew 16:21). Then when they were in Galilee, Jesus said, “The Son of Man is going to be delivered into the hands of men. They will kill Him, and on the third day He will be raised to life” (Matthew 17:22-23). And again, when they were headed for Jerusalem, Jesus said, “…the Son of Man will be delivered over to the chief priests and the teachers of the law. They will condemn Him to death and will hand Him over to the Gentiles to be mocked and flogged and crucified. On the third day He will be raised to life!” (Matthew 20:18-19).

Jesus told his disciples again and again that He would be raised to life on the third day, but why did they not get it? Like some of us, the disciples operated within the rational world. Things that they could see, touch, smell, handle, hear and explain to their neighbour. The disciples were only able to grasp what they already knew and did not dare go beyond the physical and material to something that is bigger but equally true and real. There are things that can only be explained in terms of God and cannot be explained in terms of human expectancy and human experience.

Have we reduced Jesus to being just a historical figure who was raised from the dead, or do we know Him as living and active right now? We do not need to be troubled in this life because Jesus’s resurrection proves He has victory over sin and death. As we place our faith in Him, we also have this victory in life.

Prayer: Dear Jesus, thank You that my heart need not be troubled because You are alive. I have victory over sin and death because You resurrected from the grave.