Why Are You Sad?

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There were eleven apostles in the room that morning and others with them, and they were very, very sad. I think you could have heard them as they mourned and wept. They felt as if they could never smile again.
Maybe that’s the way you feel right now. Has something gone wrong in your life? Is it something that seems as if it could never, ever be repaired? Then listen to this story  .  .  .  God meant it just for you.
These eleven men had lived with Jesus for three years, and they had seen His wonders of love and power. They had seen Him healing people, feeding thousands and raising the dead. They had listened to His stories of seeds and weeds and fish and trees and pearls, and they loved Him. Peter had already told Him, “Thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God” (Matthew 16:1616And Simon Peter answered and said, Thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God. (Matthew 16:16)), and they felt sure that Jesus would always be with them.
But now He was dead.
Joseph of Arimathea had buried Him in his own new tomb and rolled a great stone over the opening. It was all over. No wonder they were sad.   .   . He was gone. I cannot imagine how deep their sorrow was, for I have never felt for a moment that Jesus is dead. Have you? They knew that Jesus was not popular. The crowd had crucified Him like a criminal! So they shut the doors of the room where they were gathered, so that none of Jesus’ enemies would find them.
And then suddenly, without any doors opening, Jesus was there in the room with them! Of course they would be glad  .  .  .  but no, they were terrified! How could He be real? But He was real, and He told them, “It is I myself: handle Me, and see” (Luke 24:3939Behold my hands and my feet, that it is I myself: handle me, and see; for a spirit hath not flesh and bones, as ye see me have. (Luke 24:39)). And that’s what they wanted - the real, living, loving Lord Jesus, and their hearts were glad.
The risen Jesus had a real body of flesh and bones, with real nail marks in His hands and feet, and a sword wound in His side. There is no mention of blood. His precious blood had flowed from His wounded side to save those men  .  .  .  and me! Can you put your name there too? Was it for you He died? Yes, if you want Him. Yes, if you are a sinner, because He died for sinners. “God commendeth His love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us” (Romans 5:88But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. (Romans 5:8)). Those men were glad, and I am glad too. Are you?
Forty days later, He lifted up those nail-pierced hands and blessed His disciples and went right up into heaven  .  .  .  just like that. And He is there now, a real, living Man, the only One in heaven who has a real, human body. Never, never will He die again. It was once for all.
There are many who have placed their trust in Jesus and who are with Him now, but only their spirits. Their bodies are here on earth, buried or burned or drowned. God knows exactly where those bodies are. When Jesus comes on the cloud to give His great shout for all who trust Him, then those bodies will rise and be made new, and we who are alive will rise in new bodies too. “The Lord Himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first: then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord” (1 Thessalonians 4:16-1716For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first: 17Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord. (1 Thessalonians 4:16‑17)).
Will you be glad? Perhaps “glad” is too small a word to use for the joy of seeing Jesus, your Savior, for the first time. Or will you put this paper away and say, “No, not for me”?
Why not look in God’s Word, the Bible, and see if what we have said is true.
“Be ye also ready: for in such an hour as ye think not the Son of Man cometh” (Matthew 24:4444Therefore be ye also ready: for in such an hour as ye think not the Son of man cometh. (Matthew 24:44)).