Because You Have Seen Me

Warrior's Arise: August 3rd, 2020

John 20:26-29 (NKJV) Jesus came, the doors being shut, and stood in the midst, and said, “Peace to you!” 27 Then He said to Thomas, “Reach your finger here, and look at My hands; and reach your hand here, and put it into My side. Do not be unbelieving, but believing.” 28 And Thomas answered and said to Him, “My Lord and my God!” 29 Jesus said to him, “Thomas, because you have seen Me, you have believed. Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed.”

I have never seen Jesus in the flesh. I have felt His presence. I have seen Jesus at work in and through other people. Thomas, the other ten disciples, Mary, the two disciples who Jesus walked with on the road to Emmaus, and the man, Simon, all of them saw Jesus. When they see Jesus, they believe. There is nothing in Scripture that records their expectation of Jesus returning after three days.

Mary is in mourning. She is weeping too heavily, the angels in the tomb are waiting for her to calm down before they speak. She looks into the tomb and they speak to her. She begins talking to Jesus thinking He is the gardener. She does not recognize Jesus until He says her name.

Jesus joins the two disciples walking to Emmaus. He teaches them of Moses and the Prophets. They arrive in Emmaus ask Jesus to abide with them. Jesus joins them. He breaks bread with them and then they recognize Him.

We do not know when Jesus appeared to Simon. We know that when the two disciples from Emmaus tell the ten disciples of their experience with Jesus. The disciples mention that Simon has seen Jesus also.

The ten disciples are listening to the two disciples from Emmaus and still do not believe. Jesus appears on their midst. Jesus asks them in Luke 24:38,“Why are you troubled? And why do doubts arise in your hearts?" They did not believe even when Jesus was standing in their midst. Jesus sat down to eat while they marveled. Their mind could not comprehend even though Jesus had told them countless times he would rise in three days.

Now, Jesus returns eight days later to reveal Himself to Thomas and then can verify Jesus is alive.

It might have been more difficult for them to believe Jesus as the Christ, the Messiah, Son of God, because they knew Him as a man. Why you think John the Baptist sends his disciples back to ask Jesus if He is the one or do we look for another? John the Baptist and Jesus were cousins. John the Baptist was six months older than Jesus. They knew Jesus as a man doing the miraculous, teaching with authority and taking time to be with sinners and the common people. What god would spend time with the common people? Other gods were mean and demanding. Jesus had compassion on the people, healing the sick and feeding the hungry. I'm not sure it really sunk in who Jesus was until they saw Him alive again.

It is like when you get married and go through the ceremony, the honeymoon, and return home, and somewhere along the way you might say, "I can't believe we are married!" Yes, you can believe it but it was so long in the waiting your mind is still catching up with reality. When you return home after work, your spouse is waiting for you. You might think, "I really am married."

Each one who knew Jesus before hand now believed because they saw Him with their own eyes. I haven't seen Jesus with my own eyes but I have felt His presence, recognized His leading, and received His love. I believe Jesus is alive today. He sits at the right hand of the Father and is interceding for each one of us.

Father, I am thankful You have revealed Your love to me. You know the hearts of mankind. You know which ones are going to need to see You in order to believe. I ask for You to reveal Yourself to them. I ask for You to open their eyes and make Yourself known to each one. I pray for their eyes to see You. I ask for their mind to be ready to comprehend the visitation from You. I ask for their hearts to be prepared to receive You. You are amazing. I pray they will not be overwhelmed but will overcome doubt with the truth standing before them. I ask they would be ready to make You their Lord and their God. I ask for each one to follow after You all of the days of their life. I ask for You to guide and direct them in all truth in Jesus' name amen.

A Warrior in the Lord’s Army,

Veridee Joy

My hope is for Believers in Jesus Christ to join together each day to pray, to push back the enemy as we release God’s power here on earth against the coronavirus, riots, and lies. The prayers will be listed each day as Warriors Arise. I will put a date with it so we can keep them straight. If you have any questions please feel free to make a comment or private message me. If you would like this to come to your email directly please go to verideehand.com and subscribe.