He Reproached Them for Their Unbelief

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He Reproached Them for Their Unbelief

God wants us  to believe Him — even when things seem impossible.      We are not to go around being gullible and believing mere people  for everything they say.      People are known  for not knowing the truth  about things.      But,  Jesus had told His followers  in John 14:6, “I am the way,  and the truth,  and the life.”

Jesus had repeatedly taught His followers  that He was to suffer,  die,  and rise again.      That was the truth.      But,  words are words.      Sometimes words don’t make a whole lot of sense to us,  so we just tuck them back  in our memory  and don’t really consider their significance.      They seem unimportant  because we don’t understand them.

When Jesus did rise from the dead ( just as He said He would ),  and appeared  to a number of His followers,  no one believed their message of truth.     Neither did anyone recall  that Jesus had repeatedly promised  that He would rise.     Their unbelief caused a lot of confusion  and troubled feelings.     And then,  Jesus appeared to eleven  of the disciples  at one time.      Mark 16:14-16 records,

He reproached them  for their unbelief and hardness of heart,  because they had not believed those  who had seen Him  after He had risen.

And He said to them,  “Go into all the world  and preach the gospel  to all creation.     He who has believed  and has been baptized  shall be saved;  but he who has disbelieved  shall be condemned.”

What a command  to get off our hardened hearts  and believe.     We are to look  at all the evidence presented  over thousands of years  in prophecy  and see how it was all fulfilled  in the life,  suffering,  death,  and resurrection  of Jesus Christ.     We are not to be so lazy  or so self-centered  on our troubles  that we refuse  to see the love of God Almighty  right before us.

It’s important to note  that even though Jesus “reproached them  for their unbelief  and hardness of heart,” He still loved them all  and still wanted them  to be His ambassadors of truth.     Even though we all have times of “unbelief and hardness  of heart”,  Jesus wants us  to serve Him  when we do come  to a realization of the truth.     Our times of doubt and skepticism do not disqualify us  as God’s children.

As Paul notes  in Romans 8:18,

For I consider  that the sufferings  of this present time  are not worthy  to be compared  with the glory  that is to be revealed  to us.

It does not matter  what we are going through  on this earth.     Jesus has asked us  to believe the truth  about the free salvation His sacrifice has earned  for us — and He wants us  to share that truth  everywhere possible.     Yes,  we will meet up  with various sufferings  to refine our faith.     But that is nothing “compared with the glory  that is to be revealed  to us.”

What will we do  with “the way,  and the truth,  and the life“?

Seeing what the risen Christ does for us,  we say,  “Hallelujah!     Lord,  thank You  for loving us so tenderly and mercifully  that You willingly suffered and died  to wash away all  of our sins.”

Love,
Margaret

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A Christian devotional to glorify the LORD of lords and God of gods

 

Pray for our country.

 

This is the day which the LORD has made;
Let us rejoice and be glad in it.
Psalm 118:24

 

The word of the LORD is tried;
He is a shield  to all  who take refuge  in Him.
Psalm 18:30

 

Sing for joy in the LORD,  O you righteous ones;
Praise is becoming  to the upright.
Psalm 33:1

 

How blessed are those  who dwell in Thy house!
They are ever praising Thee.
Psalm 84:4

 

Just as a father has compassion  on his children,
So the LORD has compassion on those who fear Him.
Psalm 103:13

 

Oh give thanks to the LORD,  for He is good;
For His lovingkindness is everlasting.
Psalm 107:1

 

Glory in His holy name;
Let the heart of those who seek the LORD be glad.
Psalm 105:3

 

Not that I have already obtained it, or have already become perfect, but I press on in order that
I may lay hold of that for which also I was laid hold of by Christ Jesus.
Philippians 3:12

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