Faith and Hearing

When the Sabbath was past, Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of James, and Salome bought spices, so that they might go and anoint him. 2 And very early on the first day of the week, when the sun had risen, they went to the tomb. 3 And they were saying to one another, “Who will roll away the stone for us from the entrance of the tomb?” 4 And looking up, they saw that the stone had been rolled back—it was very large. 5 And entering the tomb, they saw a young man sitting on the right side, dressed in a white robe, and they were alarmed. 6 And he said to them, “Do not be alarmed. You seek Jesus of Nazareth, who was crucified. He has risen; he is not here. See the place where they laid him. 7 But go, tell his disciples and Peter that he is going before you to Galilee. There you will see him, just as he told you.” 8 And they went out and fled from the tomb, for trembling and astonishment had seized them, and they said nothing to anyone, for they were afraid.

9 Now when he rose early on the first day of the week, he appeared first to Mary Magdalene, from whom he had cast out seven demons. 10 She went and told those who had been with him, as they mourned and wept. 11 But when they heard that he was alive and had been seen by her, they would not believe it.

12 After these things he appeared in another form to two of them, as they were walking into the country. 13 And they went back and told the rest, but they did not believe them.

Mark 16:7 "But go, tell his disciples and Peter that he is going before you to Galilee. There you will see him, just as he told you.”

Jesus’ arrest, death, burial, and resurrection should have surprised absolutely no one. Immediately after Peter’s confession, Jesus began to teach his disciples that he would be killed and then raised again (Mark 8:31-32). Later he told them again, but they did not understand and were afraid to ask (Mark 9:31-32). Jesus told them what he was going to do and then did it. Even upon hearing of his resurrection from eyewitnesses, the disciples would not believe until after they encountered Jesus.

We are not different from the disciples. Apart from the Spirit working in our hearts, we are fickle and slow to believe. How many times has Jesus told us not to fear, not to worry, to keep praying, to keep trusting, to not grow weary in doing good, and that he is working all things together for our good?

The problem is not Jesus’ failure to tell, the problem is our failure to listen and then believe. Are you in the word regularly? If not, that's a place to start. Faith comes by hearing and hearing through the word of God (Romans 10:17). Hearing alone is not faith. Ask Jesus what he wants you to do with what he has promised in his word.