Rebuking Unbelief and Spreading the Word
We know that after Christ died on the cross and was resurrected. We know that an angel told Mary Magdalene and Mary (mother of James) that Jesus had risen from the dead. But, did you know that as the disciples were told that he had risen, they did not believe it? It wasn't shock, it was disbelief. They did not believe that Jesus did what he said he would do (see Mark 8:31-38).
In verses 9-11, Jesus appears to Mary Magdalene and tells her to go and tell the disciples that he has risen. They did not believe her. I understand that Jesus would have chosen her because in this time women were not respected. But, when God uses a women to deliver a message and you don't believe the message due to your prejudices, then you have missed the point on following Christ and loving your neighbor as yourself. The disciples messed up again as Jesus appeared to two of them in verses 12-13, but not in the form of Jesus. There is more detail of this encounter in Luke 24:13-35.
In verses 14-16, when Jesus appears the the eleven disciples (used to be 12 but Judas hung himself) he rebukes them for their unbelief. Jesus sent the message of his resurrection by Mary Magdalene and again in another form, yet the disciples did not believe. Jesus said what he would do and who he was, yet when the going got tough, the disciple's faith got going, in the wrong direction.
Then he commanded them to go into the world and make disciple of all nations. This was not specific to only people in one land or another, but in all lands. Jesus did not discriminate based on race, ethnicity, color and nation of origin. Jesus explains "Whoever believes and is baptized will be saved, but whoever does not believe will be condemned." As we must remember, we cannot just sit on the history of Jesus. We must tell others about him.
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