What A Difference A Day Makes!
Then the same day at evening, being the first day of the week, when the doors were shut where the disciples were assembled for fear of the Jews, came Jesus and stood in the midst, and saith unto them, Peace be unto you. John 20:19 (KJV) emphasis mine
In the few days after the crucifixion of Christ, the disciples of Jesus cowered together in desperate fear of the Jewish leaders. Their leader had been murdered; a most cruel death. They were fearful that a similar fate awaited each of them. All but John had deserted Jesus in His hour of need, running to save their own necks. Surely now they not only suffered from fear, but also from shame at leaving Him alone to die.
What might have been going through their minds during the brief time between Jesus’ death and His appearing to them in His resurrected form? Of course, they were afraid of being arrested, tried, and killed. “It’s only a matter of time before they do the same to us.” They were also reliving the events of the past couple days. “What could we have done to save Him?” “Why did I run?” Some may have regretted following Jesus. “Why did I ever join up with Him when I could have stayed in my comfortable fishing business?” Some of them may have been in a state of disbelief. “I can’t believe He’s gone.” And they were all apprehensive about the future. “Without Jesus will there be no overthrow of the Roman tyrants?” “What will we do without Him?” They were heartbroken, disillusioned, paralyzed by fear, and unable to process it all.
The attitude of Jesus’ followers changed drastically after they saw the resurrected Christ. Their sadness turned to joy and their despair turned to hope. On day Jesus was dead and they felt lost, and the next day He was alive and with them in-person. What a difference a day makes!
Trust in the Lord with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. Proverbs 3:5 (KJV)
During the time between the cross and the resurrection, they were relying on their own understanding. The disciples did not have the revelation of the true scope of Jesus’ mission, although He had spoken of it with them. Their eyes were blinded until He arose. For some reason, they were not able to comprehend the type of redemption that Jesus was sent to earth to accomplish. They just didn’t get it.
Once they saw Jesus and knew He was alive, they were able to more easily grasp the plan of God and the fact that Jesus came not just to liberate them from the Romans, but from satan, sin, and death. What a transformation they had in their thinking! Their limited, natural reasoning gave way to seeing the unlimited way God could and would work through them. It’s as if their blind eyes were opened and the light was flooding in.
If you are in a tight spot right now, take note of what happened to the disciples. They needed to stop relying on their own understanding and trust in the Lord. Had they done so, the three days of agony and anxiety they endured could have been filled with faith and peace instead. Stop worrying, fretting, and questioning. Choose to trust the Lord and believe He’s working your situation out for you. Things are usually not the way they appear to be. Like the disciples discovered, what a difference a day makes!
