By Staff
There is an Egyptian myth of a bird, the Phoenix, which lives a long life, consumes itself in fire, and then rises from the ashes to live again.
The Phoenix has become a symbol of coming back from what seems like the end to usefulness.
In human terms, we all fear being benched, put on the shelf, or put out to pasture usually from our perceived lack of usefulness, but Jesus Christ in His post-resurrection days does something so against the conventional wisdom, so radical, that it could only be Jesus.
Jesus came on the public scene at His baptism by John (Matthew 3:13-17). Jesus gathered some followers: fishermen (Matthew 4:18-22), a tax collector (Matthew 9:9), and several others. Jesus "did life" with these men, worked with them, told them who He was, and taught them the ways of God. Jesus predicted His suffering, His death, and His resurrection many times in the three years of their ministry together (Matthew 16:21).
The prediction by Jesus of suffering, death, and resurrection seemed surreal to the inner circle of chosen followers in light of the multitudes following Jesus and the frequent miracles, but everything Jesus said came to pass.
When Jesus was arrested in the garden, in the middle of the night, in the presence of His disciples, they all forsook Him and fled (Matthew 26:56). Later, Peter, one of those closest to Jesus, denied that he even knew Him (Matthew 26:74). After the crucifixion, the disciples went into hiding, locking themselves away in fear of the Jewish rulers (John 20:19).
The third day after the crucifixion and death of Jesus Christ, God raised Him from the dead. The followers of Christ did not have faith that Jesus would be raised from the dead as He predicted. They were attending to the normal things. Three women went to the tomb to finish proper burial preparations (Mark 16:1-2). Their main concern was how to move the huge stone that had been rolled across the tomb entrance.
The women arrived to find the stone moved, the tomb empty, and an angel awaiting them with a message. The angel said, "He is risen! He is not here" (Mark 16:6). The angel told them to go tell the disciples.
The disciples did not believe Mary Magdalene, one of the three women (Mark 16:11). Jesus then revealed Himself to two disciples on the road to Emmaus (Mark 16:12). They told the disciples about the encounter. The disciples did not believe them either (Mark 16:13). The followers of Christ were consistent and insistent in their unbelief.
Later, the disciples were gathered, still mourning and lamenting the death of Christ. Jesus appeared in their midst (Mark 16:14). He rebuked their unbelief and stubborn hearts for this was a monumental human failure from every aspect. These followers of Christ had been exposed to the supernatural for months and years. They had been trained in the things of God by the Son of God.
This was the first opportunity they had to believe in a supernatural act without the person of Christ being on hand to perform it. One would think Jesus would have canned the whole lot and started school over again with new recruits, but not so.
There was strong rebuke, but right on the heels of the rebuke was a commissioning. We do not see the disciples repenting and begging for another chance. They were given a mission (Mark 16:15-16), and according to Mark 16:20, "They went out and preached everywhere, the Lord working with them and confirming the word through the accompanying signs."
What seemed to begin in failure, resulted in the world being turned upside down.
The disciples stumbled at the resurrection. The world today refutes neither the life nor death of Christ, but still stumbles at the resurrection. The question is, "How much do we believe it, and who are we telling?"