Is He or Isn’t He?

Luke 24:10 It was Mary Magdalene, and Joanna, and Mary the mother of James, and other women that were with them, which told these things unto the apostles. 11 And their words seemed to them as idle tales, and they believed them not. 12 Then arose Peter, and ran unto the sepulchre; and stooping down, he beheld the linen clothes laid by themselves, and departed, wondering in himself at that which was come to pass.

The soldiers were on the ground; the grave clothes were empty; the news came that Jesus was raised from the dead. The women, remembering the words of Jesus, ran to the 11 with the news. It was like a tale to them. They talked about it among themselves. They didn’t believe and wondered among, “well, is He or isn’t he?” John and Peter ran to the tomb, saw it empty, and turned around wondering about what had happened. Is He or isn’t He?

There is no greater question in the entire world. History has no trouble validating Jesus and his death, but when it comes to the resurrection the devil tries to get us to doubt. Yet here we are faced with the question again. By day’s end the disciples would all know the truth, but  in those  early moments they wondered if He isn’t alive, then where is He? Who is He? The same question looks us square in the heart today. Is He or isn’t He?  The sun came up this morning and answered the question. We need no more proof than what we have. We choose to doubt and not believe the voice of our own soul.

We all doubt. It stems from different reasons. Mary Magdalene was uncertain. She was one of the last to see him put in the tomb. She saw him covered in grave clothes. Left to herself she went crying to the tomb. She didn’t recognize the voice of Jesus until he spoke her name.  Distances come. Broken-heartedness comes. Sometimes we feel like the Lord is gone. We get like Mary at times. What she had seen clouded her mind. Churchy-ness, TV, mockeries of truth, and confusion cloud our minds.  If we listen to his voice we find that he is not far away. We don’t have to ask “is He or isn’t He?”  We can say “HE IS.”  The disciples were in the room with the door shut. Jesus appeared and spoke peace to them. All the clouds were gone. No longer did they wander if he was or was not.

Peter denied the Lord when he needed him most. Ashamed to go to the cross, he felt like a lost cause, not a leader but a loser. Doubt is contagious. Peter ran to them tomb as if there was no place else to go. Have you ever felt that way—guilty? There was no place to run. Peter ran to the grave yard. He was looking to fill that void. Do you feel alone? Even though Peter saw empty grave clothes that a body had come through he still couldn’t bring himself to believe and left wondering. We get so close yet are far away. We won’t go ahead and believe. Peter wouldn’t believe the evidence. Somewhere between the time that he left the tomb and got with the others, Jesus met him. In verse 24 the people said “the Lord has risen indeed and showed himself to Simon.” He no longer had to question “is he or isn’t he?”

The Sanhedrin deliberately chose not to believe. The soldiers told them, and they made up a story that Jesus’ body had been stolen. They even paid the soldiers, who had seen the angel and knew, to keep quiet. The war against the truth of the resurrection started. It’s up to us to answer the question. Is He or isn’t He?

If Jesus isn’t alive, why are so many changed?  I see many here today who have changed. Why do miracles keep happening?  We see the life and death ones; we also see miracles everyday. If Jesus is not alive Christianity would have faded. Religions come and go. Christianity has stood the test.

Why does salvation work? It’s not because of us; it’s because HE IS ALIVE. We fall short everyday. Our faith gets weak. Jesus comes through. Psalm 72 says his name endures forever. Are you faced with this question today? Answer it. Look around. Look within. No matter what we think, it is settled. It’s easy. Tired of believing the world? Want something real? “Is He or isn’t He?”  Go on. Admit it…Yes!  He is alive!