Jesus spent three years with his disciples. Can you imagine the ministry He had with them? First, He called them, and for the most part, they all left everything they had at the sound of His voice (see Matthew 9:9). Those three years they spent with Him were packed with learning and work. I can’t imagine the pace Jesus kept. However, there were times that He called His team away for rest.
But even when they tried to rest, the crowds followed them and Jesus carried on feeding, healing, and raising the dead (see Mark 6:32-35). Then suddenly at the time ordained by the Father, it was time for Jesus to offer Himself. I don’t think that the disciples understood why Jesus worked as hard as He did during those years. Later on I think they had their “aha” moment when Jesus rose from the dead and sent them to bring the gospel around the world.
"And Jesus came and said to them, 'All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.'”
Matthew 28:18-20 ESV
A Kingdom full of sons and daughters
However, before any of that could happen, they fled. They deserted Him when He was arrested in the Garden of Gethsemane. At that moment, Peter made a feeble attempt to defend Jesus when he severed the ear of a servant (see Mark 14:47). This showed that even after witnessing everything, he failed to understand that Jesus wasn’t sent to build a kingdom of this world. He was sent to bring the Kingdom of God to people. Unlike the disciples, Jesus was not interested in building something to make Himself look good. Instead, He was building the Kingdom of the Father and filling His Kingdom with sons and daughters.
When Jesus died—deserted by those who claimed to follow Him—He hung between two thieves. One of which spoke evil of Him. The other had another heart, and Jesus welcomed this thief into the Kingdom. I wonder if I would have done the same if I had been in Jesus’ position.
Three days felt like three years
Alone for three days after the crucifixion, it must have felt like three years, the disciples were disillusioned and confused. They spent their time hiding behind locked doors. And some even set their hearts to abandon Jesus (remember Thomas who said he wouldn’t believe until he saw the nail prints in Jesus’ hands and feet; see John 20:24,25).
Things didn’t turn out as the disciples thought they should have. And this was their mistake. They thought that their interpretation of God’s Kingdom was ruling with a strong hand. They were waiting for Jesus to set up an earthly kingdom, complete with chariots, horses, authority, and riches. But Jesus’ idea for His Kingdom was one where the disciples would serve to fill the Kingdom with family.
Once Jesus rose from the dead (even though He had told them He would), they couldn’t wrap their minds around it. He had to appear to them, eat with them, feed them, and continue teaching them for them to even begin to believe. He stayed with them for 40 days this way until it came time for Him to ascend to heaven, and as He went, He said:
“Then the eleven disciples left for Galilee, going to the mountain where Jesus had told them to go. When they saw him, they worshiped him—but some of them doubted! Jesus came and told his disciples, “I have been given all authority in heaven and on earth. Therefore, go and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit. Teach these new disciples to obey all the commands I have given you. And be sure of this: I am with you always, even to the end of the age.”
Matthew 28:16-20 NLT
Some doubted
Imagine this scene, Jesus Who had lived with them for three years and died in front of them stood before them and some doubted. What does this tell us?
- There will always be those who doubt.
- In spite of the doubters, and Jesus knew they were there, He commanded His disciples to go, make disciples of all nations, baptize them, and teach them.
- We will have the opportunity to doubt – but, we will also have the opportunity to believe.
Sometimes I feel as if I go through seasons like the one the disciples went through. I have seen amazing things, miracles, provision, and multiplication. I’ve seen huge crowds, I’ve seen churches born from nothing, and I’ve seen God’s healing power. And all of this sometimes makes me assume that I will go on from “glory to glory.” But that is not the case.
I’ve experienced dark times that when I have wanted to sit behind locked doors. Those times feel as if my life has been taken from me and no one is with me. Someone may dare to try and protect me (like Peter did in the garden for Jesus), but in the end, it feels like I’m all alone. The temptation to desert has been strong at times, but there’s something in the back of my mind reminding me of God’s original intention for this world. It’s not to make the name of a church great; it’s to make His name great.
Meeting behind locked doors
Things have often happened differently from what I had imagined. But Jesus’ command remains the same. Even though I have felt alone, deserted, and unsuccessful. I have been tempted to doubt His power. It is at that moment that Jesus, like He did for the disciples, appears in my locked room.
Here we see Jesus’ disciples after His death. They had heard from Mary and other disciples that Jesus had been raised, but they didn’t believe any of their accounts (see John 20:24–26). Little did they know that there was no locked door that could keep Jesus out. Why did they lock the door? Because they were afraid. They had seen what had happened to Jesus; they didn’t want the same to happen to them.
We are guilty of behaving the same way as the disciples. When we face disappointment or hurt, we lock the doors of our lives. We don’t allow anyone to get close for fear of being hurt again. It’s better this way; we feel we are safe. We are even ready to lock the doors for three years or more just to ensure our safety.
All we get from being alone is feeling lonely! When we isolate ourselves from our mission (our mission hasn’t changed since Jesus returned to heaven), we become lonely, bitter, and doubtful, much like Jesus’ disciples. Thomas, for example, wasn’t in the mood to believe. He was angry. “Unless I see,” was his condition to believe. Well, out of Jesus’ great love, He appeared to Thomas, and Thomas did see. Church history tells us Thomas believed so much that he went as far as Persia and India to preach the Gospel, where he was later martyred.
Three years have passed
So here we are. The doors of our lives have been shut and three years have passed, but now the season has arrived to open them. No, things didn’t go as we thought they would, but neither did they for the original disciples. If you are a real student of God’s Word, you will go on to read in Acts where these frightened men and women changed pretty quickly after they received the Holy Spirit, and they were called “those who turned the world upside down.” (see Acts 17:6) Things didn’t turn out as they wanted; they turned out much better because the Message went far and wide—and here we are today because things didn’t go as they had planned.
The future may not go according to our plans. But I am sure that God’s plans are always better than mine.
“’For My thoughts are not your thoughts, Nor are your ways My ways,’ says the Lord.”
Isaiah 55:8 NKJV
I am looking for things to turn around as they did for the disciples. I will unlock the doors and see our world turned upside down. Imagine what God can do if we dare to unlock the doors and believe.
Leave a Reply