Beyond Belief

In the days following the Resurrection, where did Jesus go and what did He do?

Read Matthew 28, Mark 16, Luke 24, and John 20-21.

Much wondering went on in the hours following the discovery of the empty tomb. Mary and Mary Magdalene wondered where His body went. Peter, after hearing that He was not there, ran to the tomb to see for himself and he left - wondering.

But Jesus didn't leave them grieving and wondering. He appeared to them and to many others to console and reassure them that what He had told them had come true.



He had risen from the dead - just as He said.


I've wondered many times what it would have been like to have seen the risen Savior on that first Easter morning.  What an honor and humbling experience to be one of the witnesses to the greatest historical event in heaven and on earth; to see with my own eyes the empty tomb, the grave clothes folded, to hear with my own ears, the angel, as he announced, "He is risen! He is not here." (Mark 16:6 NIV) And to be told, "Go and tell!"

Jesus knew there would be much wondering and disbelief. He appeared to many, including Thomas, one of His faithful disciples, to remove his doubts about the claim of the resurrection. He said to Thomas as the disciples listened, "Because you have seen Me, you have believed; blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed." (John 20:29 NIV - red letter added)

Blessed! Jesus said we are blessed because we believe in a Savior that we have not seen with our physical eyes.  We are blessed because of our faith. We are blessed because we have placed our faith and our hope in a risen, personal Savior - Jesus Christ, our Lord!

Not only does Jesus bless us because of our belief, but He wants to bless us beyond our belief.

Those who saw, heard, and believed were now commissioned to go, tell, and teach.  Those of us who believe today are commissioned as well to go make disciples, tell the Good News of Jesus, baptize and teach the truth - His Word.

Belief in a risen Savior is just the beginning - the first step!  Now, we must move forward and exercise our faith in the Person we believe in. Walking our faith journey will test our faith, strengthen our faith, and take us beyond our belief to places we never even imagined. The Christian walk is called discipleship - the process of becoming a true follower of Jesus Christ.

But we have to move.

Just believing results in a stand-still, stagnant, lethargic relationship with Christ - no growth, sickly, and in need of nourishment. To be a vibrant, radiant, fully alive Christian, growing in our faith, we must move beyond our belief into living a life of faith.

A healthy relationship never stops growing.  A healthy relationship with Jesus is constantly moving towards His presence and becoming more like Him everyday.

Are you living beyond your belief today? Are you in a vibrant, fully alive relationship with Christ? Are you growing more in love with Jesus through reading, hearing, and studying His Word,  an active part of a vibrant church family? If not, I pray you begin that blessed beyond belief journey today.

"All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth. Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age." Amen. (Matthew 28:19-20 NKJV- red letter added)

My Pleasure,
Melanie