This year, my husband and I started a church, and in many ways it has been the most amazing adventure of our lives. We have seen signs and wonders, answers to prayer, supernatural provision, and the fruition of God-given vision. My husband and I have been awed and amazed, and truly, we will never be the same.
And yet…
All along, during these months of amazement, I have noticed something funny in my soul. Call it an “inability to digest.” I have seen the miraculous with my own two eyes. I have experienced it, and I have lived it. And still, a part of me wonders, Really? Did that really happen? It’s as if my faith cannot catch up. No matter what God does, no matter how powerful and unforgettable, my brain struggles to wrap itself around the truth.
This is the dilemma of being a finite human being who worships an infinite God. As long as we live on this earth, we will struggle to grasp the ways of God. We observe this struggle in Luke 24. First, there are Jesus’s closest female companions, who have followed Him and supported Him all the way. By this point, they should have “gotten it,” yet when they see the empty tomb, they still have to be asked, “Why are you looking for the living among the dead?” (v.5). Then, in verses 36–37, when Jesus appears to the disciples, they assume they are seeing a ghost. Even after studying His hands and feet, they were still wrestling with disbelief (v.41).
What this tells us is that faith is much harder than we often like to admit, and we see this theme woven throughout the Gospels. Over and over, Jesus’s followers fail to understand Him, and they struggle to believe. Whether it’s Jesus’s purpose, identity, or plan they’re misunderstanding at any given moment, they are consistently unable to keep up. Their faith never does keep pace with all that Jesus is doing.
And I get it. This year, I have found myself in that place again and again, fumbling for a faith that matches the magnitude of all that God is doing around me. It’s humbling and convicting.
Thankfully, the good news of Jesus Christ does not rise and fall on the size of our faith. If that were the case, Jesus’s disciples would not have accomplished very much. Instead, the gospel of Jesus Christ rises and falls on the reality of His life, death, resurrection, none of which is strengthened or diminished by our ability to fully comprehend it.
This is the grace we have in Christ. Our faith will never match the size of His works. Our belief will never catch up to all that He is doing. But the story of Luke is the story of God using imperfect people with imperfect faith to accomplish Christ’s mission in the world. All that God requires is a willing heart—willing to try, and willing to fail—trusting Him to redeem the whole of it.
Sharon Hodde Miller leads Bright City Church in Durham, NC with her husband Ike. She also holds a PhD on women and calling, and is the author of Free of Me: Why Life Is Better When It’s Not about You.
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32 thoughts on "The Reality of the Risen Jesus"
“And they worshiped him and returned to Jerusalem with great joy” (Lk 24:52). Knowing/recognizing Jesus as Lord caused them to worship Him. Worshipping Him led to rejoicing. If I am not joyful today, perhaps I am not worshiping Him for who He is. Perhaps I am getting hung up on the distractions and things in this life. Let me cling to Him and delight in Him!
this is what I needed to read.
Despite having faith, we still struggle to believe the beauty of everything taking place around us (Luke 24:25). God knew this, which is why Jesus was sent to us, born of flesh, but humbled by the Spirit and His experiences here on earth. His constant reminders to those around Him about what was to come, prepared them, but they still weren’t prepared. They walked and talked with Jesus beating witness to the miracles and healing that was being done but when it came time to wrap it all together they struggled like we do.
My prayer is that we continue to do it afraid. Even when what we see, isn’t necessarily aligning with our faith, what the word is teaching us, and who we know to be our teacher should be all we would ever need.
Thank you for sharing your experience. I resonate so deeply as my husband and I are processing our first, and surprise, pregnancy. I know there is joy in this miracle, but I have felt so much shame in my inability to digest. I hold this so dearly, that I am not alone.
Thanks for your encouragement today.
Thank you Churchmouse. ❤️
Oh Amen sisters! Thank you Jesus for making room for me and my imperfections with your perfection. I am willing to try and I am willing to fail and I’m willing to get back up and do it again for you and your kingdom and your glory. Thank you for reminding me that I am never big enough to get in the way of your perfection. That my human-ness is is all that you’ve ever asked of me. To show up, broken and incomplete and allow you to do the rest. I do often get hung up in doing it all in my own strength and I am convicted and humbled and in awe of your love that you never expected or desired more from me than what I am. I give all that I am to you, Lord. As I am right now, today.
❤️ He never expects more from us than who we are. So good and so true. Rest in that!
One of the things about Jesus that amazes me is that, in being of the likeness of man, He had free will and could have called it all off on numerous occasions, but He didn’t. He showed us what we are capable of, in Him and through Him. Our potential capacity of love is Supernatural and so powerful and I pray for that bliss in Heaven!
I find myself forgetting. “And then they remembered…” most accurately describes me. I forget what God did for me last week, last month, last year. I have a hard time looking ahead because I forget his faithfulness in the past. I started writing it all down. So I can remember.
I could completely relate to the reading today. I also struggle with doubt and lately I have had a lot of guilt and shame about it. Thank God that He remains strong in my times of doubt and that His goodness does not rely on the size of my faith ♥️ He is the same yesterday, today, and tomorrow!
for the most part i feel strongly in my faith, but there are some days where doubt overwhelms me. i’ve had spiritual experiences and seen and heard things that could only be god, which i try to remind myself of in those times of doubt, but even then my doubt asks me if those things really happened or if i just made it up.
sometimes i feel like faith is so easy, and when i have those moments of doubt i feel like it would have been so much easier if i was around jesus like his disciples were, seeing him and talking with him face to face. but then i remember that not even jesus’ followers who spent time with him had bulletproof faith. wasn’t it thomas who needed to touch jesus’ hands and see his wounds for himself to believe that he had risen from the dead?? and i wonder why it is so hard for my agnostic s/o to grasp these things and open his heart to god…lol.
but then i remember things like this: “This is the dilemma of being a finite human being who worships an infinite God.” isaiah 55:8-9 is a verse i go back to often when i think about this. of course we are not going to understand completely! god is so much more than we can ever grasp or imagine, even face to face like the disciples were. of course our faith will falter. of course it will, of course! and still i pray that my s/o will be called to a relationship with god, that even amidst my doubt i will be able to show a good example to him. (i appreciate all your prayers and have been praying for everyone in similar situations as well in my own prayers!)
this was a great devotion to start off my weekend. thank you sharon!!
“Instead, the gospel of Jesus Christ rises and falls on the reality of His life, death, resurrection, none of which is strengthened or diminished by our ability to fully comprehend it.”
So often I find myself frustrated at my inability to fully comprehend – to comprehend the dual humanity and divinity of Christ, to comprehend Heaven, to comprehend the resurrection that is coming, to comprehend anything beyond the here and now. The enemy twists this in my mind, telling me that if I had the faith required of me, then I wouldn’t struggle so. This morning’s devotion was so freeing for me! Jesus, I trust in the reality of your life, death, and resurrection and REST in the knowledge that sometimes “such knowledge is too wonderful for me, too lofty for me to attain” (Psalm 139). Thank you for the understanding that I do have, that has been revealed by your Spirit, and grant me more in your timing.
This. Is. Awesome. And so reassuring to me! Oh how I needed to hear this! I’m ok….I’m not alone….I’m not a “bad Christian”….thank you, thank you for this devotion!
I love this!! I pray my heart always stays where it needs to be… willing and available
After reading this devotional by Sharon I am so relieved and comforted that I am not alone. I too struggle grasping all this. Of course I believe. I’m so grateful for everything that my God has done for me. And as I’ve seen amazing miracles happen in my life yet sometimes that anxiety creeps in and I don’t like it. But it causes me to pray harder.
Thank you for sharing your wisdom Sharon. I have prayed for you and Ike as you’ve journeyed through Bright City’s “coming to be”. Keep up the good work!!
Thank you for this sound advice, Churchmouse! “Remember His Words” – I must remember to tell myself this when encountering the challenges life brings. Bless you!
Thank you, Sharon, for your words. Challenging and encouraging. And I’m praying for you and your husband and the new church plant. How exciting! May God bless and encourage and grow you both and all who join you.
I find it so encouraging that even the disciples struggled with their faith at a very high level. And they walked side by side with Jesus!! Flesh and bone Jesus. They struggled to believe. They couldn’t comprehend. Evidence after evidence and proof followed by proof. Miracles, healing, and prophecies fulfilled. And yet, the still weren’t sure of anything.
Praise God he is not relying on our ability to believe or understand the bigger picture. He doesn’t need me to understand it while I simultaneously walk in unwavering faith. This is not a prerequisite to use my life for His purposes. Thank you Jesus!
What is also interesting to consider is how the disciples had Jesus in physical form doing miracles, healings, and fulfilling prophecies… they had every single opportunity to buy in and believe and yet they struggled. So do we. The Kingdom of God is moving all around us. Evidence after evidence, proof followed by proof, miracles, healing, and prophecies are being fulfulled all around us. The Spirit is moving whether we see it or not. We have the same opportunity to buy in and believe. The proof is there.
Lord, increase our faith. We believe; help us believe. Amen.
I completely agree. So often I feel discouraged and disappointed in my humanity. Those doubting thoughts that creep in. And although I harness them, I find myself ashamed for not being able to control the fact that I think them…But how truly encouraging it is to know that even those who walked along side Jesus struggled with this same issue!
There are so many questions that we all ask.. We question God. We question our faith, we question life and where it has taken us and where it is leading us. Question after question. But, it makes my heart happy this morning to read this passage. God promises us resurrection and forgiveness. He promises his constant love and redemption. God, please help me to keep an open heart and be reminded to hand it all over to you. When I doubt, when I question and when I face the uncertainties of this word, let me hand it to you and have unending faith!
Churchmouse, your comments really spoke to me this morning.
May i “remember His words” today.
Is it me or are none of the Bible verses linked?
Thank you for this devotion today, my soul needed it very much. It’s nice to know that I am not alone in my struggles with doubt and disbelief – and even better to know that God will not reject me because of it. I hope that I can carry this with me throughout the day today, and that it will continue to refresh me. It’s not about me, it’s about Him.
Lord, I pray you will use my imperfect heart and imperfect faith to share Your message and light with the world. Help me to trust in You even when I cannot comprehend Your abundance. Thank you for granting me new grace with each new day, and for healing the brokenness in my heart. Amen
Parts that jumped out to me today:
“Why are you looking for the living among the dead?” The Jesus followers thought all was lost with when he died. They were dwelling on the pain of his death, dead hopes, dead dreams. Sometimes I do the same. I do not need to dwell there, I have a hope, His name is Jesus. Jesus death resulted in our ability to rest in the comfort of Christ, the giver of life.
I love that although the men on the road to Emmaus wanted “Jesus” to stay with them since it was so late, when they figured out it had been him with them, they immediately went to tell the others. Their friends were hurting, questioning, doubting and they couldn’t help but go immediately to share the good news that Jesus was in fact alive and the interpretations He had shared with them.
Then, as they are sharing, Jesus appears to them and they think he is a ghost. Jesus is so loving and patient – Guys it is me, touch me, give me some food to eat…I am here, just as I said I would be, just as it is written.
Jesus blessed them and left. (Do I leave people feeling as if they have been blessed?)
Jesus, my example: emptied himself, servant, humbled, obedient, worthy of worship, Lord to the glory of God the Father.
So, Jesus followers, share your witness concerning the Word of Life. Share His active power. Testify and declare His love, so that others may join in eternal fellowship with the Father, his Son Jesus Christ, and be empowered in the Holy Spirit. Your witness matters. May we honor, worship, and bring glory to God with our words and our lives.
Amen.
It all is a bit unbelievable, isn’t it, all we read in the Scriptures today? We know the resurrection is coming and when it happens… It all seems a bit unbelievable. How do we grow our faith? How do we take the mustard seed that we have and have it become sturdy stock? Luke 24:8 is key I think: “And they remembered His words.” Isn’t it why we gather here from all around the world-to remember His words? His closest followers had to be reminded again of what He said and how He fulfilled all that the prophets had foretold. They needed to hear the words again. They had to remind each other of all they had seen and heard. They had to connect the dots back to His words. When I don’t understand what is going on, I remember His words. When I’m unsure of what lies ahead, I remember His words. When I’m disappointed in relationships, I remember His words. When my job is unfulfilling, I remember His words. When I need an answer to prayer, I remember His words. When my faith is shaky, I remember His words. And when I do, I am strengthened. And encouraged. And hopeful. Dear sweet sisters in Christ Jesus, in your particular “when”, may you remember His words. And then tell them to me, to others, so that we remember He is always and forever trustworthy and true. Faith is made firm through the remembering and the sharing of His words.
Love this – thank you!
Remember His words. So good!!
❤️
Thank you so much for this!