Vol. 21 No. 24 | June 17, 2019
Reading through the gospels (the four New Testament books that tell the story of Jesus), I often find myself wondering what Jesus’s disciples were thinking as they watched Him bring a little girl back to life, or heal a blind man, or make a crippled man walk. What did they think when He rebelled against long- standing traditions, cultural norms, religious leaders, and keepers of the law. What were they thinking when He died on a cross.
They had to be constantly asking themselves, “Now what?”
Now what is He going to do or say to upset people? Now what will the authorities do to Him? Now that we have lost Him…what are supposed to do?
At the end of John, chapter nineteen, the disciples had either scattered in fear or watched as Jesus’s lifeless body was laid in a tomb. And then, chapter twenty opens with the shocking news that the tomb is empty and Jesus has risen from the dead.
Attempting to process what they’ve heard, His disciples gather together to try and figure out what to do next.
And then Jesus appears. He confirms who He is, breathes the Spirit into them, and answers their question…
Believe. Believe that Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of God, and in the act of believing, have real and eternal life in the way he personally revealed it…Believe. Believe and live. Believe and live like I’ve shown you how to live.”
We ask the same question, don’t we? Our children have left the nest. Now what? The cancer diagnosis is confirmed, now what? I’m pregnant, he left me, I lost my job…now what?
Jesus offers us the same answer that He gave His disciples:
“Believe. Believe and live. Believe and live like I’ve shown you how to live.”
Believing doesn’t mean we will no longer have problems, or the ones we have will suddenly disappear, or we will miraculously be transported to the land beyond.
Believing means that we realize we aren’t alone and that our troubles are temporary. Believing means that when the future is uncertain and failure seems inevitable, there is always a way out. Believing means that in the face of danger, we have the One who achieved the seemingly impossible by our sides.
Jesus will help us, not only to survive, but to thrive once again.
Can you do that? Can you believe?
This week, if you face another “now what” situation, remember to do what Jesus recommended:
Believe and live.
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