In Luke 24’s account of the resurrection, we see three different approaches taken by individuals whose disbelief was suddenly turned into belief.
Throughout our lives, we experience times of disbelief, circumstances that we either don’t understand or don’t believe will ever come to fruition. They can be small, everyday situations, or something that would take a miracle. Our disbelief can result from someone’s actions that are so out of the realm of anything we would ever do that we find it hard to believe a person would stoop to that level. Or it could be, for example, when a medical professional says, there is nothing that can be done, solidifying your disbelief and blocking any inkling of belief that things could change. When a person shows us who they are, we tend to believe their actions, and when a physician gives a prognosis based on their experience, we believe them. Disbelieving and believing are interchangeable because we have to believe in something else for the disbelief of a particular scenario to come into play.
Believers in Christ recently celebrated Resurrection Day, when we remember that amazing day when the Lord rose from the dead and broke the stronghold of sin and death, allowing Christians to live in Heaven with Him forever. But… the Bible tells us there was a lot of disbelief due to a lack of understanding that something like this could ever happen. As a result, many were left in shock and despair when they saw their friend Jesus dead on the cross, the One they thought would be their Savior, taken off the cross and laid to rest in a tomb. They didn’t know Sunday was coming…
In Luke 24’s account of the resurrection, we see three different approaches taken by individuals whose disbelief was suddenly turned into belief.
“But on the first day of the week, at early dawn, they came to the tomb bringing the spices which they had prepared. And they found the stone rolled away from the tomb, but when they entered, they did not find the body of the Lord Jesus. While they were perplexed about this, behold, two men suddenly stood near them in dazzling clothing; and as the women were terrified and bowed their faces to the ground, the men said to them, “Why do you seek the living One among the dead? He is not here, but He has risen. Remember how He spoke to you while He was still in Galilee, saying that the Son of Man must be delivered into the hands of sinful men, and be crucified, and the third day rise again.” And they remembered His words, returned from the tomb, and reported all these things to the eleven and all the rest… But Peter got up and ran to the tomb; stooping and looking in, he *saw the linen wrappings only; and he went away to his home, marveling at what had happened. And behold, two of them were going that very day to a village named Emmaus, about seven miles from Jerusalem. While talking and discussing, Jesus Himself approached and began traveling with them. But their eyes were prevented from recognizing Him. And He said to them, “What are these words that you are exchanging with one another as you are walking?” and how the chief priests and our rulers delivered Him to the sentence of death, and crucified Him. But we were hoping that it was He who was going to redeem Israel. But also some women among us amazed us. When they were at the tomb early in the morning, and did not find His body, they came, saying that they had also seen a vision of angels who said that He was alive. He explained to them the things concerning Himself in all the Scriptures. ” So he went in to stay with them. When He had reclined at the table with them, He took the bread and blessed it, and breaking it, He began giving it to them. Then their eyes were opened and they recognized Him; He vanished from their sight. And they got up that very hour and returned to Jerusalem, and gathered together the eleven and those who were with them, saying, “The Lord has really risen and has appeared to Simon.” They began to relate their experiences on the road and how they recognized him in breaking the bread.”
Let’s learn from the experiences of those witnesses of the first resurrection day and how they turned their disbelief into belief.
Remember God’s Word
Can you imagine when the women arrived at the tomb with spices to anoint Jesus’ dead body, not only to see the rock rolled away with Jesus missing from the tomb, but to see angels! Talk about disbelief! It was too much for their minds to comprehend! Yet, the Words of the angels re-centered the women as they told them to “remember” Jesus’ words when He spoke to them in Galilee. The passage then says, “they remembered”. Their disbelief suddenly and definitively turned to belief as they quickly went to tell the disciples.
Whenever we go through times of disbelief, especially in times of overwhelm, remembering God’s Word is like a slap in the face, but in a good way. It wakes us up from our disbelief and causes us to look at the One who is not only in the business of miracles, but is the One whom we can believe, no matter how a situation plays out, because He is the author of all that touches us. God’s Word reminds us of His promises and great love for us. It reminds us of ALL He can accomplish because He is the Lord Almighty. Nothing is too difficult for Him. As a result, God’s Word can turn our disbelief into belief despite the circumstances.
The next time you are in the throes of disbelief, meditate on a passage of Scripture, and your disbelief will be turned into belief.
Look for Evidence of God’s Faithfulness
When the women reached the disciples, some scoffed at their testimony. Not only did they fail to remember what Jesus said, but they also chose to stay in disbelief. On the other hand, Peter may not have taken their word for it, but instead wanted to see for himself. After Peter saw the evidence of the empty tomb for himself, he went home and marveled at what he witnessed—a very different response to the two women. Rather than going and telling others, he went home and just sat in wonder at all he had just taken in. His initial disbelief had turned into awe-struck belief.
When we are in times of disbelief, thinking that our circumstances will not change or get worse, we need to look for evidence of God’s faithfulness. Evidence of how God has already worked in our lives AND how He is currently working in our lives. When we intentionally seek evidence of God in our lives, we WILL find it. This proof will change our disbelief to believing that God WILL work and that He WILL make a way.
The next time you are consumed with disbelief, seek the Lord with your whole heart, soul, and mind. You will find evidence of His faithfulness that will turn your disbelief into belief.
Reflect on How You Are Currently Experiencing God
The men on the road to Emmaus were in total disbelief that they had been walking and talking with Jesus. They did not even realize it was the risen Lord until he had broken bread with them later on! Yet as they pondered their experiences and conversation with Jesus on the road, they got up to share what He told them with the disciples.
We all experience Jesus throughout our day, but like the men on the road to Emmaus, we may not even realize it. When we reflect on experiencing Jesus each day, any disbelief that happens will turn to belief. Not only that, if you are in a season of disbelief about something, these encounters with Jesus will turn that disbelief into belief. When you are actively experiencing the presence of God, how can you not believe?
We can experience God through other believers through their actions and words. We can experience God through worship music and hymns. Believers experience God while spending time in the Word and prayer. Children of God can experience Him through the prompting of the Holy Spirit, whether through a timely Word or just a sense of God’s presence. Jesus is relational. He is not in Heaven while we are doing our own thing here. He is a very real and active part of our daily experience; we need to be intentional about being aware of Him throughout the day.
When we approach our day experiencing Jesus, any disbelief that may have troubled us will turn into belief, knowing that God sees, hears, and cares deeply for us.
Photo Credit: ©SparrowStock
