MARK 16:1. “And when the Sabbath was past, Mary Magdalene, and Mary the mother of James, and Salome, had brought sweet spices, that they might come and anoint Him.” AND WHEN. v.1. “And when.” There is a proper time to bring to God, The things we have prepared. These women came according to His word, To give what they could right there.
v.9. “Now when.” It happened that morning, just as He said; The stone was rolled away. Jesus had risen from the dead – Mary never forgot that day.
v.12. “After that.” He wasn’t known at first to two, Who walked in sadness to their home. But when they heard and saw Him there, They knew from the dead He had come.
v.14. “Afterward.” The eleven in sadness, sat to eat, Their hearts were sore and sad. But when Jesus appeared right in their midst, All changed, and they were glad.
v.19. “So then after.” He spoke to them, He made it plain, A new work they had to do. So they went forth and preached His word; That’s the same as we do too.
Gracious God, I am thankful I have a living, risen Savior to tell the people about when I preach the Gospel. Don’t ever let me overlook or downplay the power of His resurrection. In the name of the Lord Jesus Christ, Amen.”
MARK 16: 12. “After that He appeared in another form unto two of them, as they walked, and went into the country.” HE APPEARED.
It strikes me as a great truth that the Lord was willing on many occasions to show Himself to people. They didn’t always know that it was Him. When Adam and Eve were in the Garden of Eden, He would walk with them in the cool of the day. At that time, they knew Him and would have greatly appreciated those times of intimate fellowship.
Abraham was sitting in his tent door one day when the Lord and two others with Him approached this man who was His friend. Abraham recognized Him and immediately set about to do what one does when a friend comes to visit. The Lord did not want to hide from Abraham what was about to take place at Sodom. He told Abraham of the danger there and what was going to happen because of their intimate friendship.
Whether it was as the Guide of His people Israel out of Egypt and across the Red Sea; the Law-Giver on the top of Mt. Sinai; the Captain of the Lord’s Host on the other side of Jordan; the Companion of the Faithful in the fiery furnace or the Man of Galilee – it is always a time of great moment when He appears.
The walk and words of the Great Creator dispensing wisdom to the first people left them with an understanding of their role and responsibility in life. The friendship and warnings of the Great Warner, gave Abraham an awareness of his need to be an intercessor for his brethren. The leading and guiding through impossible situations as the Great Leader of His people, gave them the assurance that He was in control and they needed to obey His will or die.
The two walking to Emmaus didn’t recognize Him because He was in “another form.” He didn’t look like the One they were used to. He didn’t look like the One who was led as a lamb to the slaughter. He didn’t look like the One who taught them from the boat. He appeared as a stranger to them: knowledgeable in the Word of God, but a stranger just the same. He knew much more than they did about the coming Messiah, but He was still a stranger to them. Their hearts were warmed and then burned as He talked with them on the road- trip to Emmaus about all the scriptures had to say about the Christ of God. From the beginning of the Scriptures to the end, this One taught them from each book the key point of the whole Word of God, but they still didn’t know Him.
At the table after giving thanks, He took the guest’s role and reached for the bread first. The wounds in His hands became visible to them, and to their amazement for the first time they realized – this is the Risen Christ. This is the Lord Jesus Christ who was risen “as He said.”
For us today, He is the One who in every situation, every trial; every time of blessing - appears. But far too often we don’t realize the fact that He is here: loving, caring, involved, listening, participating in the work we are engaged in. He has not left us alone. He is with us; the Father is with us; the Holy Spirit is in us and we need to be aware of His presence even though He may not be to us as He was the last time.
“How I thank Thee Father; that the Lord Jesus is willing to be so adaptable to all the situations in my life; that I can call on Him with full assurance of His interest in every case. He has revealed Himself to me in many ways and situations that I sometimes didn’t even recognize His footsteps until the crisis was past. Help me to live in the assurance of His abiding presence. In His own comforting name, Amen.”