Why Didn't the Disciples Recognize the Risen Christ?

Why Didn't the Disciples Recognize the Risen Christ?

The Lord is risen! Alleluia! Alleluia!!

We know from the Gospels that Mary Magdalene knew Jesus very well, so isn't it interesting that when we read about the Resurrection we see that she didn't recognize either His physical appearance or His voice until He called her by name? This seems a little strange, but in many ways, we can still relate to this today because the Lord is continuously calling us as well.

As baptized Christians, He has already given us everything we need to recognize Him in our lives, but unless we are truly listening and looking for Him, we often don't recognize Him or hear His voice of truth. Often, He is drowned out by the noise of the world.

In Mary Magdalene’s encounter with Jesus, even though she had known Him well in life, she was at a disadvantage because though He was resurrected he had not yet ascended into heaven and the Holy Spirit had not yet been sent as our advocate.

Without the Holy Spirit, we have no way of having Jesus in our lives, much less knowing how to follow Him according to His will. The scriptures tell us this in 1 Corinthians 12, which says, “No one can say, 'Jesus is Lord,' except through the Holy Spirit.” I would say that expresses it pretty clearly. We don’t often think of it this way, but the truth is without the Holy Spirit, we can’t know or have a relationship with Jesus. As the third person of the Holy Trinity, it is the Holy Spirit that opens our hearts and minds to the Lord.

That’s why when the people asked Peter, “What are we to do?” Peter said, "Repent and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ, for the forgiveness of your sins; and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit."

You see, when we are baptized as Jesus said, "In the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit," we actually receive the Holy Spirit. He truly comes into our heart and our soul and marks us permanently as a child of God, an adopted son or daughter of the Father, and a brother or sister to Christ, and no matter what we do or how we act, that mark as a child of God can never be removed. Of course, unfortunately, we can still reject Him, but He will never reject us.

Isn’t it amazing to think that God loves us so much that not only did He send His only begotten Son to humbly live a human life, suffer, and die on a cross so that we may have our sins forgiven, but through baptism, He also shows us that His love is so great that He wants us to be part of His family?

Forgiveness of sins was only part of the reason Jesus came; He also wants us to share in His divine life, both in this life and for eternity in heaven. Or as Romans chapter 8 says, God wants us to be joint heirs to the kingdom of God with Christ. Being an heir to the kingdom normally means your children are your heirs, and we are children of God. Romans also points this out, saying, “For those who are led by the Spirit of God are Children of God,” who are led by the Spirit of God, those who have been baptized and received the Holy Spirit.

That’s why when the people asked Peter, “What should we do?” The first thing Peter said was, "Repent," meaning we should ask God for forgiveness and turn our heart and mind to the Lord. We should strive each day to live our lives according to the Will of God and not according to our own will or the ways of the world.

We must turn to Him daily for guidance, asking Him continually to help us follow Him. We all know that surrendering to the Lord is not easy; the opposition is strong, but the Good News is Jesus is risen; the victory over sin has already been won. As God’s children, it is our responsibility to truly listen and follow Him. He won’t force us to follow Him. He loves us way too much for that.

The second thing Peter said to do is be baptized for the forgiveness of sins. Why would Peter single out repentance and baptism as the path to the Lord? Because the last thing Jesus did as recorded in Matthew 28, before He ascended into heaven, was command the Apostles to, “Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit," and then He went on to say, "teaching them to observe all I have commanded you."

So what things might have Jesus commanded besides baptism? Well, in Mark chapter 1, the very first thing He said when He started His ministry was, "Repent, and believe in the Gospel." It seems clear that Peter was doing exactly as the Lord had commanded.

My friends, through the church Jesus started and commissioned St. Peter and the Apostles to spread throughout the earth, He has given us the path, the narrow way, to happiness here on earth and everlasting life with Him in heaven.

The Lord is risen! Alleluia! Alleluia!!

Amen.