Do you believe in the resurrection of Jesus? Seeing the resurrected Jesus or hearing from eyewitnesses of the event is no guarantee that you will believe He is alive. After Mary Magdalene saw the empty tomb, spoke with the angel in the tomb and saw the risen Lord, she told the apostles about it.
“When they heard that He was alive and had been seen by her they refused to believe it.”
– Mark 16:11
Jesus told the disciples many times He would be raised on the third day but they refused to believe it. The very next verses say,
“After that, He appeared in a different form to two of them while they were walking along on their way to the country. They went away and reported it to the others, but they did not believe them either.”
– Mark 16:12-13
Belief is a decision. It’s your own choice. You look at the evidence and then you decide for yourself whether you are going to believe it or not. It has very little to do with how smart you are or how much you might know. Belief is more about acceptance than your volume of knowledge. The apostles had the volume of knowledge required to believe in the resurrection, but it was hardness of heart that caused their unbelief. That is what Mark 16:14 says.
Today you will listen to evidence presented to you from the word of God. You and you alone will decide whether you believe what you hear. Then your life will be impacted by what you decide to believe. Your belief shapes your thoughts and attitudes which is what your behavior is based on. So, if your belief is wrong your behavior will be wrong. Your life will be wrong. Choose wisely what you believe or don’t believe in. I believe you will make the right choice because I know what kind of people you are. Have faith and let your faith transform you.
