Emphasis Preaching Journal

A popular phrase states that "seeing is believing." The apostle Thomas could tell his fellow disciples who proclaimed the Lord's resurrection, "Unless I see ... I will not believe." The resurrection of Christ was such a momentous event that the disciples had their faith severely tested when asked to believe that the Savior, whom they knew had died, had come back to life. Mary Magdalene carried the word to the apostles that Christ was alive again, and though they doubted, she could be sure of her testimony because she could say with conviction, "I have seen the Lord." Before the astronauts travelled to the moon it was considered impossible for anyone to make that awesome flight. The highest from earth anyone or anything had risen was a matter of a few miles. Balloons hit a "ceiling" and planes did too, where the rarefied atmosphere ended any of man's efforts to rise higher. Having been raised on the idea that reaching the moon was impossible, the so-called fantasy, when it was accomplished, was unbelievable. EXCEPT for television. For the flight had been covered by television cameras, beaming pictures of the flight back to earth where millions could watch. People believed that at last man had been able to walk on the moon because they could say, "I have seen it." A group of lawyers were asked to impartially study the evidence of Christ's resurrection. Finishing their study they declared that there is more reliable doubt that Christ lived, died, and came back to life, than there is that Julius Caesar ever lived. As Jesus showed himself to his disciples they began to comprehend that Christ actually had returned to life. So as eyewitnesses, the apostles are believable. Our own faith is strengthened because they could say with Mary, concerning the risen Christ, "I have seen the Lord." -- Lentz