It’s incredible how the last chapters of John go so well with Habakkuk. John ends his writing with the resurrection and the appearance of Jesus to his disciples. It’s an unexpected and amazing ending to the story that could have ended much worse. But the disappointment, confusion, and disbelief from the crucifixion still lingers. Although Jesus is back from the dead and appears to His disciples, they still find it hard to believe. Thomas needed to touch Jesus. The disciples still found it hard to believe it was really Jesus when He had breakfast with them on the beach even though they recognized Him.

As I am writing this, it is Good Friday. It’s on this day that we remember the day Jesus accomplished the primary goal he was sent for: to die for the sin of the world, to experience and endure the punishment for sin that we deserved. We know this because we have the New Testament to help us understand the meaning of Jesus’s death. But that wasn’t the case for the disciples. Good Friday was probably one of the most confusing days for the disciples as they watched their Rabbi be crucified. Everything they thought they had worked for seemed to go down the drain in a matter of hours. It seemed like the ministry of Jesus was over like a flash in the pan.

These are such interesting chapters because they really showcase a certain element of Jesus that I really love: Jesus was incredibly controversial. His teachings, his interactions with people, the type of people he chose to rub shoulders with all send the message that his teaching and ministry was different than anyone else. He came to really seek and save the lost, the people who really needed help, those who had no hope other than to be delivered by the Deliverer.