Last night, when darkness had almost covered the sky, I found myself walking through a cemetery, walking row after row, looking for certain tombstones.  I had walked these same spots so many times, years ago when I was a child, when my family mowed that cemetery. Yet, aisle after aisle and section after section did not produce the outcome I hoped.  As darkness permeated the cemetery, I knew I had to give up my search until another day because I simply could not SEE in the dark what I struggled to physically SEE, even though others had told me the tombstones were there. Truly, I needed the LIGHT of a brand-new day to SEE.

SEEING what I could not physically SEE.

During our lives, if we have ever been to the ocean or the sea, then the beach is also probably not the first place we would think to find Jesus (there on the shoreline). However, if we LOOKED, really LOOKED, then we would find Him (there on the shoreline of our soul) waiting for us to turn and see the LIGHT of God within this brand-new day.

LOOKING for what we cannot physically SEE.

After the crucifixion, three days passed, and when the third morning had come, many of the disciples had returned to their jobs because, truthfully, they probably didn’t know what else to do.  I’m sure some skeptics said to them, “Where is your Savior now!  Did you not SEE how the Romans hanged Him upon the cross!”
Yes, I am sure the days were difficult, and the nights were almost impossible as the disciples wondered, “Did our LORD tell us a lie? Did we truly not SEE the Messiah, as we thought? Did we not SEE the LIGHT of the World?”

“Did our LORD tell us a lie?

Is the Promise of God true?

Can we truly believe what we cannot SEE—That Jesus is the Messiah—That Jesus is the LIGHT of the World?”

It’s rather easy to read the Bible and point to the disbelief of those who lived thousands of years ago, even though we know we would have struggled much the same.
Consider for a moment how we would react if the body of believers who surround us within this world were suddenly taken away and we were the only one left, the only believer.  How would we react?  What would we say? What would we do? Where would we go? Would we witness OR Would we hide ourselves and our faith?

The eleven remaining disciples truly reacted much as we would have reacted—-had we been alive then.

Maybe we would have been a Thomas and needed evidence.  He had seen the horrific death of Jesus.  He had stood right there, not doing anything to stop the crucifixion of Jesus.  Maybe his grief and guilt overwhelmed Thomas.  Maybe Thomas just needed a touch from the Savior to reassure him, to help Thomas exclaim (to proclaim about Jesus) to those in the room, “My Lord and my God” (John 20:28).

Maybe we would have been Mary Magdalene and just stood outside the tomb of Jesus, “weeping;  and so, as she wept, she stooped and looked into the tomb; and [there] she saw two angels in white sitting, one at the head and one at the feet, where the body of Jesus had been lying” (John 20: 11-12).
Yes, maybe like Mary, we would have been distraught because we would have believed the only logical conclusion: Jesus, the Messiah, was dead—“Because they have taken away my Lord, and I do not know where they have laid Him” (John 20:13).

Then maybe we would have reacted much like Peter, a man known for his faults, but also one who was a man of deep faith.  Yes, like Peter, we may have returned to work simply because “that’s just what we do—Work—and the mindless work would have distracted us.  Yet, God shows us Himself, even during the mindless distraction we allow within our mind.  Like Peter, we may have toiled all night, anything to keep our mind busy but not showing any product for all our hard work.  Maybe we just desired breakfast and a warm bed.  Like so many, maybe we hear others speak of SEEING, of KNOWING Jesus but not really seeing WHO we most need to see. 

BUT HALLELUJAH, maybe like Peter and John, when our Savior calls our name, just maybe we will jump into the water and swim to the shore because there we will find our Lord (John 21: 7).

Yes, the ones who had seen Jesus with their eyes were flesh and blood (during His time on earth) might be like us—people filled with all their quirks and doubts and faults.  Yet, the ones who were present near Jesus (after His resurrection) also remind us and encourage us.

Thomas did not doubt the Messiah.
Thomas did not doubt the Son of God.
Thomas doubted his EYESIGHT.  He had seen Jesus die upon the cross.

Mary did not doubt the angels of God.
Mary did not doubt the presence of Jesus standing there—Alive—inside the tomb.
Mary doubted her EYESIGHT.  She had stood at the foot of the cross and watched Jesus die there upon the cross.

Peter did not doubt that the world had shifted, that he should go fishing after Jesus died.
Peter did not doubt the empty nets.
Peter doubted his EYESIGHT when he saw Jesus standing there upon the shoreline, when he heard John say, “It is the Lord” (John 21:7).

Does the LORD tell us a lie?
Does God change His mind?
Can we really believe in Who we cannot really SEE?
Can we trust what other believers, the early Christians, say is the truth about their Lord?

Truly, the world is still (even today) full of skeptics that exclaim, “Where is your Lord now?!” when they see us struggle when days are tough.
Yet, we know the truth of the empty grave!
We Know; We Believe; & We Proclaim His Truth!
GOD DOES NOT LIE!!! & GOD DOES NOT CHANGE!!!

JESUS…
GOD IN THE FLESH.
UNCHANGING.
THE PROMISE.
AN ASSURANCE & OATH.
A REFUGE.
OUR HOPE.
OUR ANCHOR.
SURE & STEADFAST.

THE FORERUNNER WHO CAME FROM HEAVEN,

WHO TOOK ON FLESH & LIVED AMONG MANKIND,

WHO DIED, & WHO RESURRECTED TO NEW LIFE—-FOR US!

TRULY—-GOD DOES NOT LIE!!! THE PROMISE IS TRUE!!! BELIEVE TODAY.