And when they saw him, they worshipped him: but some doubted.
Matthew 28:17
Dear Church and Friends,
"Into the city I'd follow, There take my stand, Waving a branch of the palm tree High in my hand; One of His heralds, Yes, I would sing Loudest hosannas, 'Jesus is King!'" (Tell Me the Stories of Jesus, The Baptist Hymnal, 1991.)
Our love for Christ often allows us to imagine that if we were there in His day, we would have joined with the crowd shouting hosanna. We would have been a part of the multitude that followed him from city to city, and listened with amazement at his doctrine. Perhaps we would have placed ourselves amongst the disciples, a member of his inner circle.
I think we like that fantasy because it would be easy to believe in a Christ we could touch and see. All doubts would fly away with the risen Lord before us. However, the passage in Matthew shows us that sight never can replace faith.
The disciples, in obedience to Jesus’ instructions, go to a appointed place. “Then the eleven disciples went away into Galilee, into a mountain where Jesus had appointed them” (Matthew 28:16). This follows the coverup in verse 15. The cruel men plotted to hide the fact of the empty tomb. Meanwhile, Jesus is revealing himself again to the apostles.
They worshipped him there on the mountain . . . except for some. Some doubted, they did not worship. How can this be? In the presence of the risen Lord their hearts are filled with something other than hosannas. Part of the reason was the Holy Ghost had not yet been given. No light was available, no transformation of the human heart, no correction for the corrupt will of man, no washing of regeneration and renewing.
This is a cautionary tale about the weakness of seeing as a basis for believing. Those religious men at the cross expressed the creed of sighted-belief when they said, “He saved others; himself he cannot save. If he be the King of Israel, let him now come down from the cross, and we will believe him. He trusted in God; let him deliver him now, if he will have him: for he said, I am the Son of God” (Matthew 27:42-43).
I don’t know what it was that some of the disciples wanted to see, but it kept them from belief and worship. Let’s place our faith in the word of God, powered by the Spirit of God, so that we too may worship the risen Christ.
Music: Our God & Our King by NLC Worship.
Consider supporting Creek Road Baptist Church through the Amazon Smile program. Use this link to select Creek Road Baptist Church as your designated charity. Once you have made this selection simply begin using Smile.Amazon.com (instead of using Amazon.com). No credits are available using just Amazon.com. Please contact the church office or Pastor Dave if you need help or have any questions.
Prayer Requests: Please pray for Ryan and Tricia McCammack.
Craig’s Catechism: the Fourth Part of Our Belief.
- Question 288: What admonition are we given regarding our state? Answer: We should be humble, repent, and be thankful to our God.
- Question 289: Why is the Church called universal? Answer: Because it is spread through the whole world.
- Question 290: How many churches are there in the world? Answer: One Church, one Christ: as one Body and the Head.
All my best,
Then the eleven disciples went away into Galilee, into a mountain where Jesus had appointed them.
Matthew 28:16
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