They still could not believe. – Part 2 | A voice in the wilderness

One of things you have to do is take the superhero cape off these guys. The were just like you and me, and, they struggled to believe.

John 20:20 GW When he said this, he showed them his hands and his side. The disciples were glad to see the Lord.

Again I ask, what were they willing to believe?

Luke 24:40-45 NASB And when He had said this, He showed them His hands and His feet. (41) While they still could not believe it because of their joy and amazement, He said to them, “Have you anything here to eat?” (42) They gave Him a piece of a broiled fish; (43) and He took it and ate it before them. (44) Now He said to them, “These are My words which I spoke to you while I was still with you, that all things which are written about Me in the Law of Moses and the Prophets and the Psalms must be fulfilled.” (45) Then He opened their minds to understand the Scriptures,

Given all that happened in that room, and so quickly; the holes still there in his wrists and feet where they drove the spikes, and still no one is buying into this being Him.

“While they still could not believe it..”

Luke 24:41-43 NASB While they still could not believe it because of their joy and amazement, He said to them, “Have you anything here to eat?” (42) They gave Him a piece of a broiled fish; (43) and He took it and ate it before them.

Remember, John said he believed at the tomb. I think he was putting pieces of the puzzle together.

We all looked to see what he showed us, there is no sense denying that curiosity, but the thing that changed everything was when he began to recount all the words he had pointed out in scripture about himself, just like a did to the guys on the road to Emmaus.

Nope, that did not do it. Alright, how do I prove I am not a ghost? So he said to them:

“Have you anything here to eat?” (42) They gave Him a piece of a broiled fish; (43) and He took it and ate it before them.

As one of the guys noted at bible study, “these guys believed in ghosts!”

Matthew 14:26 NASB When the disciples saw Him walking on the sea, they were terrified, and said, “It is a ghost!” And they cried out in fear.

I can just imagine Jesus thinking, I have to get them past this, and so he began to speak.

“These are My words which I spoke to you while I was still with you, that all things which are written about Me in the Law of Moses and the Prophets and the Psalms must be fulfilled.” (45) Then He opened their minds to understand the Scriptures,

The game was back on. Jesus brought them back to reality and changed the game plan.

John 20:21 NASB So Jesus said to them again, “Peace be with you; as the Father has sent Me, I also send you.”

“Shalom Aleichem, as the Father has sent Me, I also send you.”

He had sent us out before, but we knew we would be back and he would be here. We all had the most amazing things happen; healings, demons leaving, and none of us needed a thing for people took care of us, just as Jesus had said they would.

Albert Barnes commentary says, “As God sent me to preach, to be persecuted, and to suffer; to make known his will, and to offer pardon to men, so I send you.” I recently got a recruiter calling me to see if I was interested in an appliance repair position. They always give you a 15 second overview of the position, but that never answers all the questions you might have. When Jesus recruited these guys he told them that he would make them fishers of men. If you are a fisherman then you know that catching is in involved, but what are you trying to say now? Three years later he has just come back from the dead, and is now telling us in detail that his life and death is now our path to follow.

Would you have signed up if you knew the cost?

One of the things I see as I have migrated through scripture is that we need empowerment, and that only comes through the Holy Spirit. I think time and religion have clouded every aspect of the Holy Spirit’s work on earth, but this day was the beginning for them. They were looking through new eyes.

Having once again blessed them with a declaration of peace and telling them, “I also send you” then he gives them the greatest gift of all, the Holy Spirit.

The Holy Spirit is a gift.

Should I offer a gift and you:

Take it, but never open it. Then it never does you any good.
You can refuse to accept the gift. Once again you have lost out.
Your third and best option is to receive all that God has for you.

Accepting the free gift of the Holy Spirit is your choice, but it is a wise one. Think of it as a tool, one in which you get to communicate with the Father and no one can monitor your communication.

In Mark 1:8, Mark is relating how John the Baptist indicated that Jesus would baptize in the Holy Spirit.
Luke gospel (1:15) is referring to John the Baptist being filled with the Holy Spirit from his birth.
Luke 2:25 conveys: ” there was a man in Jerusalem whose name was Simeon; and this man was righteous and devout, looking for the consolation of Israel; and the Holy Spirit was upon him.”
Acts 1:8 NASB but you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be My witnesses both in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and even to the remotest part of the earth.”
Acts 2:1-6 NASB When the day of Pentecost had come, they were all together in one place. (2) And suddenly there came from heaven a noise like a violent rushing wind, and it filled the whole house where they were sitting. (3) And there appeared to them tongues as of fire distributing themselves, and they rested on each one of them. (4) And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit was giving them utterance. (5) Now there were Jews living in Jerusalem, devout men from every nation under heaven. (6) And when this sound occurred, the crowd came together, and were bewildered because each one of them was hearing them speak in his own language.
Acts 8:14-17 NASB Now when the apostles in Jerusalem heard that Samaria had received the word of God, they sent them Peter and John, (15) who came down and prayed for them that they might receive the Holy Spirit. (16) For He had not yet fallen upon any of them; they had simply been baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus. (17) Then they began laying their hands on them, and they were receiving the Holy Spirit.
Acts 19:2-6 NASB He said to them, “Did you receive the Holy Spirit when you believed?” And they said to him, “No, we have not even heard whether there is a Holy Spirit.” (3) And he said, “Into what then were you baptized?” And they said, “Into John’s baptism.” (4) Paul said, “John baptized with the baptism of repentance, telling the people to believe in Him who was coming after him, that is, in Jesus.” (5) When they heard this, they were baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus. (6) And when Paul had laid his hands upon them, the Holy Spirit came on them, and they began speaking with tongues and prophesying.
John 7:37-39 NASB Now on the last day, the great day of the feast, Jesus stood and cried out, saying, “If anyone is thirsty, let him come to Me and drink. (38) “He who believes in Me, as the Scripture said, ‘From his innermost being will flow rivers of living water.'” (39) But this He spoke of the Spirit, whom those who believed in Him were to receive; for the Spirit was not yet given, because Jesus was not yet glorified.