Believing But Not Seeing

The Gospels record several different reasons why the disciples finally believed that the Lord Jesus had been raised alive from the grave that Easter morning long ago.

But in the end, none of the disciples appeared to believe He was risen until they had seen Him alive with their own eyes, except for the Apostle John.

Nobody believed the angels when they reported His resurrection. Some refused even to believe the reports by the women of the empty tomb, but had to check it out personally to their own satisfaction.

Mary Magdalene believed when the Savior called out her name. The women believed when Christ appeared by the way and cried out a greeting of victory and joy. The disciples on the road believed after Christ preached Himself in the Old Testament to them, and then broke bread with them. The balance of the apostles believed when Christ appeared to them, displaying His wounds, and eating before them.

John makes it clear, though, that he believed Christ was risen when he observed the way in which the burial clothes were arranged. All the facts suddenly clicked in his mind, and he knew his Lord was alive again!

Christ upbraided His people for refusing to believe the testimony of the others. But then He pronounced that those who believe and have not seen are truly blessed.

Indeed, if John and the others barely believed even though they had seen all those things, imagine how blessed we are of God who have believed and never seen anything.

This blessing is not a congratulation to us, but rather a proclamation of God's special goodness to us. He has given to us faith to believe His Word, after proving the difficulty in His own disciples! What grace!