Mark 16:9-20
9 When Jesus rose early on the first day of the week, he appeared first to Mary Magdalene, out of whom he had driven seven demons. 10 She went and told those who had been with him and who were mourning and weeping. 11 When they heard that Jesus was alive and that she had seen him, they did not believe it.12 Afterwards Jesus appeared in a different form to two of them while they were walking in the country.13 These returned and reported it to the rest; but they did not believe them either.14 Later Jesus appeared to the Eleven as they were eating; he rebuked them for their lack of faith and their stubborn refusal to believe those who had seen him after he had risen.15 He said to them, ‘Go into all the world and preach the gospel to all creation. 16 Whoever believes and is baptized will be saved, but whoever does not believe will be condemned. 17 And these signs will accompany those who believe: in my name they will drive out demons; they will speak in new tongues;18 they will pick up snakes with their hands; and when they drink deadly poison, it will not hurt them at all; they will place their hands on people who are ill, and they will get well.’19 After the Lord Jesus had spoken to them, he was taken up into heaven and he sat at the right hand of God. 20 Then the disciples went out and preached everywhere, and the Lord worked with them and confirmed his word by the signs that accompanied it.
Matthew 28: 16-20
16 Then the eleven disciples went to Galilee, to the mountain where Jesus had told them to go. 17 When they saw him, they worshiped him; but some doubted. 18 Then Jesus came to them and said, ‘All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. 19 Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.
Is Jesus’s resurrection simply a fascinating story told by Jesus’ followers? Often I am stubborn in believing. So were his disciples. They didn’t believe until they saw Jesus. Peter says, “Though you have not seen him you love him; and even though you do not see him now, you believe in him and are filled with an inexpressible glorious joy” (I Peter 1:8)
I know Jesus Christ is not dead, but alive and lives in my heart. I know he desires good for me, and not harm to come to me. Do I always really believe this? Too many times I try to control situations. I say I believe, but am anxious to hear an immediate answer. I want the answer that I want and close my ears to what God may really be saying to me. I try to make things hap-pen on my own. Waiting is hard for me. Do I live my life with God 100% in control? Do I keep his gospel message to myself or do I share with others what he is doing for me and what he can do for them? I want to say that I do, but fall short. Jesus’ final message for me is to go throughout the entire world and spread the good news. If I believe and obey, would my life and my actions differ from they way they are today? What changes do I need to make? How can I increase my faith to believe without doubt?