The intervening period between the crucifixion of Jesus and His resurrection must have
been a time of great uncertainty for the disciples. For three and a half years, they had
lived with Jesus and built their hopes around Him. He fed them when they were hungry,
reconciled them when they had interpersonal clashes, and defended them when they
were wrongly accused. All that seemed to evaporate as they watched Him nailed to the
cross. Nothing captures their state better than our text of scripture that saw them
huddled together where “the doors were shut…for fear of the Jews”. Yes, uncertainty
breeds fear, and the disciples had a fair dose of that.
“When things appear dark, that is the time to hold tightly to what God told you.”
We often find ourselves embroiled in uncertainties. If not well managed, they will bring
tension and reduce us to emotional wrecks. As children of God, the best way to deal
with any uncertainty is to hold on to His promise. In reality, the disciples needed not to
be in that uncertainty if they had held to the word of Jesus. He foretold that He would be
killed but would resurrect on the third day. If they believed that, they would have been
rejoicing in hope. Most believers are like those disciples. We are prone to forget His
promises or fail to believe them. God’s word is light, and that is what we need to
navigate the uncertain times of life. Someone said, “Never doubt in the dark what God
told you in the light”. When things appear dark, that is the time to hold tightly to what
God told you.