The women gave the disciples a strange report. Some angels told them that Jesus wasn’t in the tomb. That Jesus, as He had said, had risen from the dead! Which explained why the tomb was empty. The disciples thought the incredible claim was, well, not credible (by definition of ‘incredible’). But Peter and John ran to the tomb. John wanted to make sure to record that he outran Peter! But John also recorded that he was too afraid to enter the tomb, but Peter did.
No one had ever raised from the dead before. What an incredible claim! Even though they had walked with Jesus during his three year ministry and witnessed many miracles, being raised from the dead, well that is next level!
Jesus didn’t wait long to reveal Himself to the disciples and others. The disciples were hiding together waiting for the next shoe to drop. If Jesus was crucified and He was their Rabbi, certainly they were next to be killed! Jesus showed up in their midst. He didn’t come through the door. He just popped in! He showed the disciples the holes in His hands and side. Told them not to be afraid. But Thomas wasn’t there. When the other disciples told Thomas that the resurrected Jesus had been there, he didn’t believe them. Thomas takes a lot of flack for that, but I wonder, would we have been any different if we were in those exact circumstances?
Jesus didn’t leave Thomas hanging. He appeared to the disciples again and Thomas was there and seeing was believing. Prompting Jesus to say, blessed is anyone who hasn’t seen and yet believes! The first time I read that as a new Christian I got goose bumps. How exciting that Jesus included me in His Holy Bible!
Jesus appeared to many more people before ascending into Heaven. The disciples waited for Pentecost and received power from the Holy Spirit to preach Jesus to the world before they were all martyred, except John. John was boiled in oil but survived and was banished to the island of Patmos where he received his vision of Revelation. The Revelation of Jesus Christ!
What a blessing that we serve a God who has it all worked out. Good times, bad times, prosperity, and even persecution and death. Jesus raising from the dead paved the way for our salvation! That is everything for all time!!!