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Mark

Mark 
Day 
Day 356

Acts 5:27-28 "And the high priest asked them, saying, 'Did we not strictly command you not to teach in this name? And look, you have filled Jerusalem with your doctrine? Acts 5:27-28"

Day 356 – Mark 16

“And the high priest asked them, saying, ‘Did we not strictly command you not to teach in this name? And look, you have filled Jerusalem with your doctrine? Acts 5:27-28

THE PROBLEM OF UNBELIEF

It seemed so hard for the disciples to believe in the resurrection of Jesus. Despite the appearances of the Risen Savior to His disciples, they remained in stubborn unbelief! How should this problem be resolved?

DIRECT CONFRONTATION

There was only one thing left to do! Jesus had to resort to an outright confrontation with His disciples!

“Later He appeared to the eleven as they sat at the table;
and He rebuked their unbelief and hardness of heart,
because they did not believe those who had seen Him
after He had risen.”
MARK 16:14

1. Rebuke

This was not something that the disciples were unfamiliar with. Their Master had had to rebuke them in the past. There are times when the word of rebuke is necessary. The fact that these disciples were grown men, and that they had been appointed apostles did not cause them to be exempted from stern rebukes!

2. Reasons for Rebuke

There were good reasons why the Lord Jesus had to rebuke His disciples:-

a) Unbelief
There was no reason for such rank unbelief! Why should the disciples who had been so well-taught not exercise their faith in the Lord?
Jesus knew just how dangerous and deadly unbelief could be. It could ruin and undo everything that He had done for the Disciples! All that they had learned could be washed away because of unbelief.
b) Hardness of heart
Beneath the problem of unbelief was an even more sinister reason. The hardness of heart had to be identified and dealt with.
c) They did not believe those who had seen Him after He had risen
The disciples had no cause to doubt the words of the women. Their rejection of the testimony of the women disciples revealed deeper problems- that of unbelief and hardness of heart!
All eleven disciples were rebuked soundly by the Lord Jesus. None was spared, for all were guilty of unbelief and hardness of heart. The disciples of Jesus received this word of rebuke in the right spirit. They knew they were wrong!