See for yourself

Someone said, “Seeing is believing.” Let’s not be naive though, a lot of what we see today is unbelievable. The reason so much of what we see is far-fetched and unlikely to be true is because it has been manufactured. Anyone with a digital camera and a computer can doctor photographs. Like a magician's illusion much of the “news” we see is manufactured to make things appear to be a certain way. The ‘green screen’ makes what you see at the theater questionable. We have a right to be skeptical and question what we see.

A few years ago I saw my dad laying in the ER sicker than I had ever known him to be. The doctor called us into a meeting room to discuss what measures we wanted them to take to save his life; we all agreed that dad would not want to be put on any extended life support systems. We later learned that the doctors had “white flagged” my dad. That means they had surrendered; they had done everything they knew to do and expected him to die soon. Seeing is believing. I watched dad walk out of the hospital two days later. He can still be seen living life to its fullest today.

The word of Jesus’ resurrection from the dead was beginning to spread among His followers. But they didn’t rejoice at the news. They were all skeptical just like doubting Thomas.

• Later Jesus appeared to the Eleven as they were eating; he rebuked them for their lack of faith and their stubborn refusal to believe those who had seen him after he had risen.
  Mark 16:14 (NIV)

I can just imagine what Jesus might have said to the disciples. “Look guys it’s me; I’m alive. How many times did I tell you that I would die and then be raised again on the third day. If you couldn’t believe those who had seen me then couldn’t you at least count the days and believe what I had told you? Now see for yourselves; this is the third day and here I am!”

It’s surprising that Jesus’ disciples were the most difficult to persuade that He was alive again. Jesus’ enemies understood that Jesus said he would rise again, but not His followers. The fact that a bunch of skeptical and fearful disciples would later stand up and preach Christ crucified and risen from the dead is convincing evidence that the Gospel is true. What do you think?