Mark 16

Now when the Sabbath was past, Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of James, and Salome bought spices, that they might come and anoint Him. Very early in the morning, on the first day of the week, they came to the tomb when the sun had risen. And they said among themselves, “Who will roll away the stone from the door of the tomb for us?” But when they looked up, they saw that the stone had been rolled away—for it was very large. And entering the tomb, they saw a young man clothed in a long white robe sitting on the right side; and they were alarmed. But he said to them, “Do not be alarmed. You seek Jesus of Nazareth, who was crucified. He is risen! He is not here. See the place where they laid Him. But go, tell His disciples—and Peter—that He is going before you into Galilee; there you will see Him, as He said to you.” ‭‭Mark‬ ‭16‬:‭1‬-‭7‬ ‭NKJV‬‬

Jesus’ death on the cross initially seemed to signify a triumph of evil over good and of hatred over love.  The primary message of His teachings revolved around love.  He taught about a type of love that had never been known or demonstrated by man.  It was an unconditional love that gave and sacrificed without any expectation of receiving anything in return.  While Christ was on the Earth spreading His message of love, His followers had hope: “The people living in darkness have seen a great light; on those living in the land of the shadow of death a light has dawned” (Matthew 4:16).  But now that symbol of love was lying dead on the cross, crucified by the hatred of man, and hope was lost.   The disciples were heartbroken and disillusioned, and they went home to a dark and dismal reality.  Jesus’ empty tomb changed everything.  The cross can now be viewed as a sign of victory over death.  Although not initially apparent, it was through Jesus’ death on the cross and His subsequent resurrection that God gave hope to a troubled and dying world.  Praise God for this precious gift!

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. She went and told those who had been with Him, as they mourned and wept. And when they heard that He was alive and had been seen by her, they did not believe. ‭‭Mark‬ ‭16‬:‭9‬-‭11‬ ‭NKJV‬‬

Jesus clearly told His disciples numerous times that He would rise from the dead after three days (Mark 8:31, Luke 9:22, John 2:19…).  Even so, their initial response to the news that He was alive was unbelief.  Some people live by the motto “seeing is believing.”  We must be cautious with this type of thinking, because faith is an important part of the Christian life.  Jesus said to Thomas: “Because you have seen Me, you have believed; blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed” (John 20:29).  Most of us are skeptical when someone or something seems too good to be true.  In reality, the Gospel itself seems too good to be true.  In return for becoming a follower of Jesus Christ we can all receive: forgiveness of sins, God’s righteousness, peace, eternal life, the gift of the Holy Spirit, etc.  Thankfully we know that we can trust in all of these promises because of the truth spoken to us through God’s Word.  Unbelief will always cost you something.  For the disciples who did not believe Mary’s wonderful news, they continued to wallow in their grief and hopelessness.  For the Israelites who harbored unbelief in their hearts despite having seen the plagues, the parting of the Red Sea, manna falling from heaven, and water coming from a rock, they were forbidden from setting foot in the promised land.   Unbelief also has serious consequences for people today.   For some, unbelief will cost them the eternal salvation that could easily be theirs.  For others, unbelief prevents them from having peace of mind.  What is your unbelief costing you today?  Trust in the truth of Christ Jesus, and do not allow unbelief to keep you from the promises of God.