I was finishing up reading the last chapter of Luke this morning, and the words of Jesus to His disciples spoke comfort and conviction to my soul. In the passage that I read, the disciples are in a state of confusion and disbelief. They have seen Jesus crucified, and now they are hearing that the tomb has been found empty. They don’t know what to think. As they are pondering what could possibly be going on, Jesus appears in their midst, leaving them startled, bewildered and quite frightened. He says to them, “Why are you troubled, and why do doubts arise in your hearts? See my hands and my feet, that it is I myself. Touch me, and see. For a spirit does not have flesh and bone as you see that I have.”
What hit me is that when I am “troubled” and “doubts arise in my heart”, no matter what the cause, the remedy for my fears and uncertainties is the same one that Jesus provided for the disciples. I need to see Him. I need to experience the truth that He is real and that He is near. I need the assurance that yes, He was crucified (which gives me the confidence that whatever trouble I am facing is not a punishment from God, for that was paid in full on the cross) but that now He is risen (which reminds me that my Savior is alive and is actively at work to accomplish His perfect purposes in my life – even in the midst of circumstances that I would not choose and do not understand.)
Whatever trials a day may bring, I need to speak this truth to my heart: I have a living, loving, reigning Savior who has promised to work all things for my everlasting good. He is both crucified and risen. May this reality have a transforming effect on my everyday life.
