THEY HAD TWO CHANCES

Mark 16:9-14 NKJV 

9 Now when He rose early on the first day of the week, He appeared first to Mary Magdalene, out of whom He had cast seven demons. 10 She went and told those who had been with Him, as they mourned and wept. 11 And when they heard that He was alive and had been seen by her, they did not believe. 

12 After that, He appeared in another form to two of them as they walked and went into the country. 13 And they went and told it to the rest, but they did not believe them either. 

14 Later He appeared to the eleven as they sat at the table; and He rebuked their unbelief and hardness of heart, because they did not believe those who had seen Him after He had risen. 

Ever notice how God does things differently than what we would consider normal? When God announced the birth of Jesus, the angels were sent to a group of shepherds. And when Jesus was raised from the dead, the first person He appeared to was Mary Magdalene. 

It's not that Mary was a woman. But the fact that she was a woman with a seriously troubled past. Mark tells us that Jesus cast seven demons out of her. We don't know the extent of what she was involved in, but seven demons would have qualified her for being "out there." But now she is free and the first person to see the risen Jesus. Aren't you glad God does not hold our past against us? 

Mary was the first to tell the good news that Jesus was risen from the dead. She went to the disciples as they were mourning and weeping. So Mary steps into this grieving environment with the earth-shattering news that Jesus was alive. Instead of rejoicing, the disciples did not believe her. Maybe a better choice of words is that the disciples chose not to believe her. 

Even though Jesus had told His disciples on numerous occasions that He would rise again from the dead, they wouldn't believe. They had Jesus' words and an eyewitness, but they would not believe. 

The disciples had another chance when Jesus appeared to two of them as they were walking. When these two went and told the disciples about seeing Jesus alive, they were not believed either. Three eyewitnesses and still the disciples refused to believe. 

So when Jesus appeared to the eleven, remember Judas was no longer alive, He was not happy with them. He rebuked them for their unbelief and hardness of heart. Jesus was never unfair. He never held people accountable for something they did not have the capacity to do. So when He rebuked, strongly corrected, the eleven He was holding them accountable for their choices. They could have believed the eyewitnesses. They could have recalled His words. But Jesus corrected them for their unbelief and hardness of heart. The church has referred to Thomas and doubting Thomas, but evidently, he was not alone. 

APPLICATION 

In the book of Hebrews, the author warns the Hebrew believers to not harden their hearts as their ancestors did in the wilderness. When we hear the good news in the Scriptures, we have a choice. We can open our hearts and receive what God is saying to us. Or we can harden our hearts and require something more before we believe. 

We have a choice when it comes to believing God. We can choose to go all in, or we can choose to stay on the outside, waiting until we see and feel. I want to join those who have believed without having to see or feel. 

The disciples bounced back well and did amazing things for the Lord during their lifetimes. We can also make adjustments. I am extremely glad the Lord may correct us, but He does not write us off. 

PRAYER 

Lord, I believe You, Your word, and Your Holy Spirit. I choose to believe before I see or feel anything that confirms Your voice in my life.