Hi friends! Purposefully I took you back to Resurrection Day in yesterday’s post. I did that for two reasons. First, I have a hard time containing the joy and excitement of Resurrection Day in a single day! I wish we had would carry resurrection excitement with us every Sunday, as that is really what we celebrate on the Lord’s Day!

The second reason we went back to Resurrection Day is because I want to focus on the days that followed. Previously, we considered the “in between,” that time between Jesus’ crucifixion and His miraculous resurrection. What a terribly confusing and, in some cases, depressing time that might have been.

The days following Jesus’ resurrection were much different than the days following His crucifixion. Over the next few days, let’s put ourselves in that place and see if God will write us into His story!

We know that Jesus’ death, burial and resurrection fulfilled three of the seven major Jewish feasts. Jesus was our Passover Lamb (death), Jesus fulfilled the Feast of Unleavened Bread (He was pierced, crushed, bruised for us, even unto death), and He fulfilled the Feast of First Fruits (resurrection). Now, Jewish eyes turned toward the next feast, Pentecost.

In the fifty days between Passover and Pentecost, the resurrected Jesus would appear many times to different people. Remember, Mary Magdalene had the privilege of seeing Jesus first when Jesus called her by name at the tomb on Resurrection morning (John 20:11-18). At that point, Mary was in distress. The tomb was open and someone had taken Jesus! Yet, He took that opportunity to comfort her by speaking her name. Has Jesus ever spoken your name during a time of distress?

Jesus also spent time with His disciples soon after that, pronouncing peace and breathing the Holy Spirit upon them, but Thomas was not there. He was busy doubting, and decided unless he could touch the nail-scared hands and the spear-pierced side, he would not believe. Our Lord Jesus gave him that opportunity a week later! (John 20:19-29). Have you ever “missed out” on something the Lord had for you because you doubted Him? Have you ever had a second chance…a chance given because God went out of His way especially for you? Oh, what a gracious Savior!

Tomorrow morning we’ll continue working our way through Jesus’ appearances leading up to Pentecost. For now, though, consider the questions posed here. Has God written you into His story? I’m sure He has, if we only stop to recognize it! Be blessed, my friends, and come back tomorrow morning for a fantastic look at a special God story!