John 20:3-10
Peter and the other disciple started for the tomb. They ran side by side, until the other disciple ran faster than Peter and got there first. He bent over and saw the strips of linen cloth lying inside the tomb, but he did not go in.
When Simon Peter got there, he went into the tomb and saw the strips of cloth. He also saw the piece of cloth that had been used to cover Jesus' face. It was rolled up and in a place by itself. The disciple who got there first then went into the tomb, and when he saw it, he believed. At that time Peter and the other disciple did not know that the Scriptures said Jesus would rise to life. So the two of them went back to the other disciples.
Scripture taken from the Contemporary English Version © 1991,1992, 1995 by American Bible Society, Used by Permission.
We have all probably had a time in our life where we said, “If I had not seen this with my own eyes, I never would have believed it.” Many of us are pretty skeptical, and we want proof before we will accept what we are told. And in some cases, we are wise to demand proof. We want receipts to show we have paid for merchandise and transcripts to verify our course work and grades. We depend on x-rays and scans to show us if a bone is broken or to determine other ailments and illnesses.
Everyone from physicians and attorneys to teachers, barbers, hairdressers, builders, plumbers and many other professionals have a license that declares he/she is certified (and hopefully qualified) to perform their assigned tasks… and we somehow are comforted and reassured by these documents. When a mechanic tells us something is wrong with our car, we often want to be shown exactly where the problem is before we agree to pay to have it fixed. Indeed, our concerns over proof are often totally valid.
When it comes to our relationship with Jesus, there just isn’t a lot of cold, hard physical evidence for us to examine. We can’t visit the tomb. We never saw Him in the flesh in the first place, so looking at linens in a cave would do us very little good. We must rely almost totally on faith and trust in the word of others as documented in the Bible… and the inanimate proof of Jesus’ existence and performance on our behalf. And that is a hard thing for many of us to accept.
My confidence and trust in the word of God grows daily. I believe in His promises more today than I did yesterday, and I have no doubt tomorrow my faith will be just a little stronger. Where is my proof? I find proof of the hope and grace of Jesus in everyday activities… the way He meets my needs and “shows up” in my life even when I least expect Him. And I am learning to expect Him more often! Why not ask God to help with the seemingly trite and insignificant issues of your day? Why don’t we believe that God will come to our rescue and make a way where none seems possible? Who says Jesus isn’t alive and well - and living within our hearts? Can anyone prove differently?
Until someone can show me with 100% confidence that Jesus is not real… that He is not working in and through me every minute of the day… I’m going to believe that He is doing exactly that! And honestly, I’m not looking for anyone to tell me otherwise. Trusting God is too wonderful. Allowing Him to handle the details of my day is too comforting and amazing… and not something I want to surrender!
So I guess I am “the other disciple” – the one who believes, based on limited proof. What about you? How much do you trust Jesus these days? Are you taking Him at His word and believing He can handle anything and everything in your life… or are you still running to others for reinforcement and confirmation? When we start to stand on our own two feet and believe in Christ Jesus to strengthen us in all things, we are truly growing in faith and headed toward complete victory and peace. Where are you on this journey? Have you seen and believed?
©2011 Debbie Robus
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