Read: Luke 24:36-52
See my hands and my feet, that it is I myself. (v. 39)
It can be easy to shake our heads at the disbelieving apostles. The resurrection is still a wonder, but a familiar wonder to us at this point. It’s easy to say, “How could they not get it?” Jesus, though, had all the patience in the world for his shocked friends. He let them examine his wounds—the evidence that his very body had undergone the trauma of the crucifixion. This was Jesus, one and the same.
But the apostles didn’t have long to catch up—Jesus had a mission for them. He explained to them how the crucifixion and resurrection fit into the story of the people of God, and that this good news was for the whole world. His traumatic and seemingly meaningless death had a purpose after all.
The apostles’ lives had a purpose too. “You will be my witnesses,” Jesus told them (Acts 1:8). It would be their job to take this news and share it with the world. Jesus even took the apostles’ fearful hiding and gave it a purpose. He asked them to stay in the city for a while. In a way, even the fear they experienced after the crucifixion was transformed into faithfulness. Rather than hiding away, the apostles were now faithfully waiting.
Along with the apostles, we discover that life with Christ is one with purpose. There is a broader purpose to God’s plan, and followers of Jesus are part of this bigger story. —Amy Curran
As you pray, invite the Spirit to reveal to you your place in the wide purpose of the gospel.
About the Author
Amy Curran is a gardener, a reader, a runner, and an avid coffee drinker. She lives in Durham, North Carolina, where she runs a community garden and a farm-to-table café for Reality Ministries.
