Jesus appears to the women, and the Eleven do not believe; He appears to two other disciples, and the Eleven do not believe. He finally appears to the Eleven, rebuking their unbelief and hardness of heart. Were they perhaps envious or suspicious because they thought themselves special, that the Lord would surely appear to them first before appearing to anyone else? Yet perhaps the Lord knew that of all those who believed in Him, the apostles would believe without having to see. Yet their hearts were hard, and they doubted.
Notice what Jesus says to them next: “Go into the whole world and proclaim the Gospel to every creature.” Soon enough they will experience the very thing they had made the women and the other two disciples endure: the doubt and rejection of those who are being given the Good News, those who are hard of heart and unbelieving.
Here we are, thousands of years later, hearing the same Gospel: Jesus is risen from the dead!
Do you believe?