Food for Friday
And when He had so said, He shewed unto them His hands and His side. Then were the disciples glad when they saw the Lord. John 20:20
For three years, these lads had devoted their lives to their Lord, following Him everywhere He went, listening to His every public sermon and private preachment, helping Him with His work in whatever ways they could. Their devotion was deep and strong, and not even His death could shatter their commitment. With the tragedy of the crucifixion mingling with the incredible reports from Mary Magdalene and others that Jesus was alive, these men were meeting with mixed emotions and uncertainty. We can’t imagine what these faithful disciples were going through until Jesus appeared. From their initial astonishment, they would experience growing belief as He would prove to them that He was indeed alive. Some of them probably cheered, some laughed for joy, and none of them had a dry eye! Our text is wonderful in its understatement that they were glad when they saw the Lord.
It’s difficult to put ourselves into their position, but if we try, we can understand how excited they must have been. After years of training and anticipation, followed by what they thought was an end to their hopes and prayers, here they were once again in the presence of the One Who they had recognized as the Messiah, the Christ of God. That He had proved Victor over death added to their appreciation of Him, even as they recognized that everything they had hoped and prepared for was still valid. The Jews had failed in their efforts to dispose of Him. They had much to learn concerning the purpose of His death, but they were ready to enter into whatever He had planned for them. Our commitment to the Lord Jesus is also deepened when we grasp the significance of His resurrection.
We are glad when we gather to remember the Lord each week. We are glad when His Word is ministered to us and when we can fellowship with His people. We are glad when our meditations on His Word and our prayer seasons bring us into His presence. All these glad times are made more sweet when we grasp that the One Who died for us also rose again for us.
To contemplate the significance of the resurrection is to enter once again into the same joy as those disciples. Let us be glad that we have seen the Lord. – Jim MacIntosh