The Returning Shepherd

"When they saw Him, they worshiped Him; but some were doubtful." NASB: Mt 28:17.

"The black day of the crucifixion is past; the succeeding day, the Jewish Sabbath, when the Weary One slept in His rock-hewn tomb, is also past; the first day of a new week and of a new era has dawned, and the Lord is risen from the dead. The Shepherd has returned to gather His scattered sheep. Surely a happy day for the hapless disciples! What rapturous joy must have thrilled their hearts at the thought of a reunion with their beloved Lord! With what ardent hope must they have looked forward to that resurrection morn!" The Training of the Twelve, A. B. Bruce, pp.488.

But it wasn't...

The actual state of the disciples' mind was much like those who heard from the Babylonian captivity they could return to their native land. They had dreamed for the day when they could return to their land, and prayed for that day to come in their lifetime; but it seemed to too good to be true. "Grief was calm and hope was dead." Bruce, pp. 488. But this was the same attitude of the disciples of Jesus. They thought to themselves, "This was the man who could deliver this nation and now He is dead." The resurrection totally caught them off guard because they were not expecting it. In fact in the Gospel of Mark, when Mary came and told of the resurrection, "They refused to believe it." (Mark 16:11, NASB) Luke records a graphic response to the women who announced the resurrection; "But these words appeared to them as nonsense, and they would not believe them." (Luke 24:11, NASB) In fact, Jesus even presented Himself in the disciples midst and yet they feared He was a ghost and were terrified. It finally took Jesus showing them His hands and feet and encouraging them to touch his body that they finally believed.

How real is Jesus to you today? Is He simply someone who brought good teachings and then died; or is He the Man-God who resurrects Himself from the power of death and gives eternal life to those who believe on His name? Each one of us would say, “Well of course He is God!" However, do each of us live as if this is true each day in our lives? What I mean is simply, "Do we really acknowledge that He is alive today and willing to prove Himself to us each day? Or do we use the Doubting Thomas Syndrome questioning His life as to whether it can be proven by physically seeing and touching Him?

This is where a lot of people are today. They would gladly trust in Jesus for everything provided that they could see and touch Him. They need living proof to believe.

I have good news for each of you true believers in Jesus Christ. You are that proof He is alive! Be His hands for someone today. Show others He is alive by sharing what He has done in your life just like Mary did to the unbelieving disciples! Then they won't simply respect His teachings; they will know He is alive because of what He is doing within you today! Tell the world of His great love and remind them He is coming again; not as a dead man walking but a living breathing Savior and Deliverer!