Daily Devotions
John
John 20:11-18 "DID JESUS FAIL HIS DISCIPLES?"
Day 335 – John 20
DID JESUS FAIL HIS DISCIPLES?
The Disciples certainly failed to live up to expectations! Some say that when a student fails, the teacher has failed too! As far as Jesus is concerned, we can reject this piece of “worldly wisdom” out the window! Jesus did not fail His Disciples in any way!
A QUICK REVIEW OF HOW JESUS TAUGHT HIS DISCIPLES
Let us take a quick review of how Jesus taught His Disciples. In all that He did, He sought to help them develop a deeper faith in Him. Let us look at four outstanding things that Jesus did to build and strengthen the faith of His disciples!
1. Jesus did not fail to teach His Disciples
The angels were right in their statement, that Jesus had taught His Disciples that He “must be delivered into the hands of sinful men, and be crucified and the third day rise again” (Luke 24:7). The angels had also been briefed concerning the suffering, death and resurrection of Jesus! They believed! The disciples apparently had not believed all that they had been taught! (Take time to read through John 13-16 and note how Jesus took time to specially prepare His Disciples for His suffering, death and His return to His Father!)
2. Jesus did not fail to pray for His Disciples
John recorded a deep prayer that Jesus uttered. In that prayer, He specially prayed for his Disciples! Lovingly and with every confidence in His Father, He committed His Disciples to God.
3. Jesus did not fail to love His Disciples
If ever there was a Teacher who loved His work, and His pupils, Jesus would be that Person! Graciously, kindly, patiently and with great grace He poured out His love upon His pupils! No one could have found another Person who could love them as well as Jesus did!
4. Jesus did not fail to reinforce His teaching with mighty signs and wonders
How breathtaking it must have been to witness Jesus performing miracle after miracle! The lame walked. The blind regained their eyesight. Those who were possessed by demons were healed. Even the dead were raised back to life! The Disciples witnessed these miracles again and again. How had the faith of the Disciples been affected by all that they had seen and experienced?
No fair-minded person could conclude that when the Disciples failed to exercise faith, the fault lay with Jesus! If we are to discover just why the Disciples failed, we would have to look elsewhere for the real reasons! No one could ask Jesus to do more than He did! He had done everything possible to nurture the faith of His Disciples!
THE BLAME MUST BE PLACED SQUARELY ON THE SHOULDERS OF THE DISCIPLES
A number of reasons may be suggested as to why the Disciples fared so badly under trying circumstances. Let us consider just three reasons.
1. They did not know the Scriptures as well as they should have!
John intimated as much when he made this telling observation.
“His disciples did not understand these things at
first …”
John 12:16 (John 13:7)
“For as yet they did not know the Scripture …”
John 20:9
Luke concurred that the Disciples were sadly lacking in knowledge of the Scriptures. He wrote about an occasion when Jesus spoke to two of His disciples who were walking to Emmaus.
“O foolish ones, and slow of heart to believe
in all that the prophets have spoken! Ought
not the Christ to have suffered these things
and to enter into His glory?”
Luke 24:25-26
A lack of deep understanding of the Scriptures severely impeded the development of the faith of the Disciples.
2. They had not learned how to “watch and pray” consistently
Jesus did everything He could to teach and encourage His Disciples to pray. He set the perfect example! He gave to His Disciples a sound theology of prayer. He urged them to engage in prayer. But they had not yet cultivate a strong prayer-life! Their falling asleep in prayer in the Garden of Gethsemane was a telling sign (Matthew 26:36-46).
3. They had not fathomed just how Satan would battle them
The Disciples had seen how Jesus dealt with the demons! With just a word, He silenced them and ordered them out of the people they possessed! However, they had on one particular occasion failed to cast out a powerful demon (Mark 9:14-29).
Years later, Peter wrote in his first general epistle to all believers to beware the evil designs of Satan.
“Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary,
the devil walks about like a roaring lion, seeking
whom he may devour. Resist him, steadfast in the
faith …”
1 Peter 5:8-9
How strong is our faith? Given similar circumstances, would we have succeeded?