The resurrection of Jesus Christ took His followers on a journey from doubt to total belief.
We know from the Gospels that Mary Magdalene met the risen Lord on the third morning of the Lord’s crucifixion, which was the day of the resurrection. She went back to tell the disciples, but the disciples were not convinced. There were two disciples who met the risen Lord on the road to Emmaus that afternoon. Although they heard the women testifying about how they met the risen Lord, they were still depressed and did not believe – not until they recognized it was the risen Jesus during dinner. Then they got up and hurried back to Jerusalem to inform the other disciples that the Lord is risen.
And how could the disciples who were locked in the room believe the news of the resurrection from the women in the morning and, subsequently, from the two disciples who hurried back?
It was not until the resurrected Lord Jesus appeared to them in person, the disciples saw and touched the risen Lord with their own hands, that they firmly believed that their Jesus had indeed resurrected. They testified to Thomas who was absent that night, that Jesus had risen. Thomas refused to believe what they said until a week later when the risen Lord appeared again to the disciples, including Thomas, that Thomas, upon seeing the risen Lord Jesus, proclaimed Jesus to be his Lord and his God.
For us today, we don’t need to doubt whether Jesus’ resurrection is true. This is because many of the disciples who initially did not believe in Jesus’ resurrection had gone through the journey from doubt to total belief for us, and they had been witnessing to people throughout history that Jesus is truly risen. Therefore, Resurrection Sunday is the day when our faith in the risen Lord is once again strengthened. May the risen Lord Jesus be with you. Amen.
– Bishop Milton Nee
Chinese Methodist Church in Australia
