So, what are your favorite days? No… I don’t mean, “Friday and Saturday”… I mean what are your favorite days from your life? Perhaps it is the day you were married… or the first day of retirement… maybe it was the first day of that vacation of a life-time… how about the day you graduated or the day you received the best news of your life?
I have a sneaky suspicion if you asked Jesus’ disciples and closest followers what their favorite days in their life were, that the first Resurrection Sunday would probably make the list. The Gospels document the grief Jesus’ friends were experiencing very well. Just think about what these folks had been privy to with Jesus. More miraculous healings than seats in Progressive Field. The walking on the water incident… the feeding of 5000 without the organization of Chick-fil-A… the saving from calamity by the calming of the storm… The raising of Lazarus — the original Walking Dead person. Jesus had proven that His claim of Godhood was truth — and now He was gone.
The Sunday after Jesus’ crucifixion found these people, who were closest to Jesus, huddled in the same room of that Passover Dinner from just a couple of days before… leaderless… hopeless… and fearful. And then John tells us… On the evening of that first day of the week, when the disciples were together, with the doors locked for fear of the Jewish leaders, Jesus came and stood among them and said, “Peace be with you!” After he said this, he showed them his hands and side. The disciples were overjoyed when they saw the Lord. John 20:19-20
Sometimes I read that last line by John… “The disciples were overjoyed when they saw the Lord” and I chuckle. Really… that’s the best you got? “Overjoyed”? John might have been Jesus’ best friend but he was no Shakespearian wordsmith. Come on, man! Give me a visual picture of the celebration that took place in that upper room! JESUS IS ALIVE! EVERYTHING HE SAID IS TRUE! JESUS IS THE RESURRECTION AND THE LIFE! JESUS IS THE WAY, THE TRUTH AND THE LIFE! HE IS THE WAY TO THE FATHER! GOD SO LOVED… SO HE GAVE… AND EVERYONE CAN KNOW ETERNAL LIFE!
I want to hear about the party… I want to hear of the jubilance… I want to hear of the tears of joy and be witness to the hugs of exuberance! But I can imagine. Can you? The full understanding of everything that had taken place in the last 3 1/2 years finally came to fruition for them. Jesus is the Savior of the World. Jesus is indeed the Overcomer.
So… I just have to ask… is one of your favorite days the day you discovered that Jesus was the Savior of your soul? The day you realized that everything that He taught was Truth. The day you understood your need to repent of your sins and seek His forgiveness. Oh, I hope so!
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