Anticipation!
Even after the empty tomb. After the promise of the Hope of His return in a folded napkin, there was still no sight of the Messiah.
Maybe something happens to Him. Maybe He’s late. Maybe He isn’t who He said He is! Jesus is never late. He always keeps His promises. He will show Himself at the exact right time!
He comes in the Glory of His Resurrected Body, alive. With His wounds as proof of His victory of His battle with death and sin!
He comes to His Disciples. He meets them right where they were. Jesus pays them a visit,
When they saw Him, they worshiped Him; but some doubted.
Matthew 28:17 NKJV
Are you a worshiper or a doubter?
Some could recognize and receive Him in an instant and shout out with great joy!
” Yes my Lord is here!”
Still others couldn’t see.
After all the teachings, all the miracles they witnessed. After seeing the empty tomb.These Disciples of Jesus had something in them that they probably didn’t realize. Doubt.
More importantly they lacked something, anticipation.
Are you living your life in anticipation? What’s your plan, what do you want?
First and foremost all that have trusted and put their faith in Jesus it should be the anticipation of eternal life. Understanding what Jesus finished on the Cross for all that will accept His free gift of Salvation.
We should be looking foward to siting at His feet in awe of our Savior for an Eternity!
But are you living your life in anticipation of it?
As Jesus walked through the door His Disciples should have fallen at His feet and asked
“What took you so long?”
Whatever we are anticipating is how we will live our lives.
If we are not anticipating the return of our Lord at any moment then doubt will well up in our minds and hearts and it will challenge us to the core of our faith in Him.
Did they truly believe that Jesus would return?
Anticipation is an act of faith.
Are we getting ready for what the Lord has told us in His Word about His coming?
In the Gospel of Luke after His Resurrection Jesus shows Himself to His Disciples.
“Peace to you.” But they were terrified and frightened, and supposed they had seen a spirit.
Luke 24:36-37
Jesus had been preparing His disciples what to expect,what to anticipate.
And He said to them, “Why are you troubled? And why do doubts arise in your hearts? Behold My hands and My feet, that it is I Myself. Handle Me and see, for a spirit does not have flesh and bones as you see I have.”
Luke 24:38-39 NKJV
Why are we so troubled! Why are we doubting so much!
Look at what Jesus has accomplished!
Look at the Precious wounds in His hands and feet. It is our Lord,Jesus Christ of Nazareth! Life giving, sin bearing,Salvation giving and promise honoring!
Oh, through those wounds everlasting life has been given! See it, feel it,live it!
Anticipation is faith in practice.
It is the expression of the faith we have in Jesus. It has to be active, it has to be alive.
He has given us the comfort of His promises. He has sent us His Spirit to live within us. He has spoken to us in His Holy Word.
These beautiful words from not just the mouth of our Savior but from His beautiful heart.
“Handle Me”.
Don’t just look at the wounds. Touch them. Hide your sin,guilt and shame in them.
If there was ever an intimate invitation this is it!
It is His invention to you to build your trust and faith in Him. It so we can have an understanding that He is alive! He is flesh and blood.
Anticipate today that what He says is true!
Then take the invitation to handle Him. Touch the wounds and feel and see what love,true unconditional love really is!
Pastor Ed
