Saturday after Easter

Scripture: St. Mark 16:9-14 (NKJV)

16:9 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.

Devotion

“He rebuked their unbelief and hardness of heart, because they did not believe those who had seen Him after He had risen.”

Our Lord Jesus Christ had made provision so that His disciples could receive the news of His victory over death, and yet they still failed to believe when they heard it. They feared and trusted in things other than the Words He had given them before and after His death on the cross. Throughout His entire work of salvation for us He has given His Word, sent people to remind us of it, and performed great signs and wonders to emphasize it. Sin blinds us and makes our hearts hard, but in His mercy He keeps sending His Word among us.

It was even significant that the Lord chose Mary Magdalene and other women to be primary witnesses to the empty tomb and His resurrection. Scholars observe that it is a compelling point about the history of the resurrection of Jesus that it relied on the testimony of women. In that culture the testimony of these women would not have been worth much.

The Lord has used unlikely means throughout history to show us, teach us, and remind us that His work for our salvation is real. To this day He uses simple men and women, simple water, and simple bread and wine to show us that the testimony about Him is true. Through these He points us back to His Word and His powerful works that are to be the focus and foundation of our faith that He loves us and saves us from death and the devil.

We pray: Lord, give us Your Holy Spirit and create true belief, true love, and true trust in Your merciful grace toward us in Jesus Christ, our crucified and risen Savior. Amen.

Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.