Christians have a long history of forgetfulness. One of the reasons we need to be reminded of God’s promises often is because we forget them. Part of the narrative of the resurrection story is that Christ-followers forgot His promise, that after His death, He would rise from the grave three days later. I am being kind by calling it forgetfulness. Jesus actually called it unbelief and hardness of heart.
According to Mark’s gospel, the disciples not only forgot Christ’s promise, but also refused to believe those who had seen the risen Lord. Listen to the strong language in Mark 16:13-14, “And they went back and told the rest, but they did not believe them. Afterward he appeared to the eleven themselves as they were reclining at the table, and he rebuked them for their unbelief and hardness of heart, because they had not believed those who saw him after he had risen.”
Conversely, the enemies of Jesus did remember His promise. Matthew’s gospel records, “…the chief priests and the Pharisees gathered before Pilate and said, “Sir, we remember how that impostor said, while he was still alive, ‘After three days I will rise’” (Matthew 27:62-63). How is it that the chief priests and Pharisees could remember the words of Jesus, yet his disciples could not? How disappointing this must have been to the Savior.
For me, the most fascinating part of this scripture is not that the disciples did not remember the promise of Jesus, but that after rebuking them for their unbelief, He then affirms them, commissioning them to preach the Gospel. Notice verse 15, “And he said to them, “Go into all the world and proclaim the gospel to the whole creation.”
Is this not the way Christ handles our doubt and unbelief? Rather than brow-beat us or discard us, He chooses to change us. When we don’t believe in Him, He believes in us. The question the Holy Spirit is asking me is, am I okay with unbelief and hardness of heart? I should not be okay with this when Jesus calls me to more, just as He is calling you.
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