The Gospel of Mark’s account of Easter morning really emphasizes the problem the disciples had believing Jesus had risen.

The Angel in the tomb tells the women that have come to prepare Jesus’ body for burial, “He is risen; he is not here. See the place where they laid him. But go, tell the disciples and Peter that he is going before you to Galilee. There you will see him, just as he told you.” But they said nothing to anyone because they were afraid.

Then Jesus appears to Mary Magdalene, and she goes and tells the disciples, but they did not believe her.

Then Jesus appeared to 2 other people in the country (Luke says on the road to Emmaus). They go back and tell the disciples, but the 11 don’t believe them.

v.14 “Afterward he appeared to the eleven themselves as they were reclining at table, and he rebuked them for their unbelief and hardness of heart, because they had not believed those who saw him after he had risen. And he said to them, ‘Go into all the world and proclaim the gospel to the whole creation.’”

The theme of the last being the first, the greatest being the servant of all is continued.

In their culture, the women would not have been called the first or the greatest, yet Jesus appears to them first. Then Jesus appears to 2 unnamed disciples (not the 11) out in the country.

The disciples don’t believe any of them. Leading up to this we’ve seen so much of the “Who is the greatest?” squabbles going on, I wonder how much of their unbelief comes because they feel like they would surely be in the know if he had risen. They are important enough, that surely Jesus would have appeared to them first.

Think how easy it is to get your feelings hurt when you realize you aren’t “important enough” to be told something? How much do we feel like we should be “Important” rather than simply taking the role of the servant.

Eventually Jesus does show up to the 11 and rebukes them for not believing and for their hardness of heart.

Then he tells them to “Go into all the world and proclaim the Good news to all creation.” - which, as we read the Book of Acts, they still have trouble going to the gentiles for a while.

Complete new life. This is the moment everything changes for the disciples… but it still takes time for them to learn how to walk fully in this new life. What does the Good News really mean? While Resurrection, New life, comes crashing in at a moment, it also comes slowly unfolding before us as things come to fruition and as our understanding and living into grows.

In this passage the reason people don’t go share the good news is because they are afraid. Seemingly they are afraid because people won’t believe them. Who am I to share such great news? Who am I that God would work within me? Change my life? I’m not important enough?

This is precisely how the Good news is shared. From one unworthy servant to another. Your story of salvation, of death and resurrection, of new life, matters. You are called, just like the disciples to share the good news of Jesus Christ to the world.

What is the good news of what God has done in your life? Who can you share that with?