When Mary arrived at the tomb and discovered that it was empty, she was afraid that someone had taken the body of Jesus. As she peered into the tomb, two angels appeared and proclaimed that He had risen.
I think that it hadn’t quite set in, and she didn’t understand what the angels meant. As she sat there crying, another voice asked her “why weepest thou?”
Mary thought it was the gardner and asked him if he had taken the body away.
Then Jesus called her name: “Mary.”
She suddenly recognized Him as her tears of sorrow turned to tears of joy.
Jesus later came to His disciples, but Thomas wasn’t there at the time. When he was later told that Jesus had risen and appeared to them, he doubted, saying “except I shall see in his hands the print of the nails, and put my finger into the print of the nails, and thrust my hand into his side, I will not believe.” (John 20:25)
Eight days later Jesus came again, and this time Thomas was there to see. Jesus invited him to touch his hands and side, and “be not faithless, but believing.”
Thomas at once believed.
It can be difficult to understand what we can’t see. Sometimes we doubt, even if we’ve had experiences in the past that filled us with hope and conviction.
Jesus came to Mary and helped her to understand.
Jesus came to Thomas and helped him to believe.
Jesus is there for us even when we have doubts.
Even if we can’t see Him.
“Blessed are they that have not seen, and yet have believed.” (John 20:29)
