The question of why did the disciples and others had a problem recognizing the resurrected Jesus tears at my heart like the news did when my beloved sister passed away so many years ago. It’s a physical pain like my heart is being squeezed in my chest. This may sound strange but it is my best description. However, painful, it is eased by the knowledge that I will someday be with Jesus. I pray that I’ll see my sister as well; however, I don’t know the status of her acceptance of Jesus’ gift of salvation.
Again I digress. The Gospels share many of the occasions when someone/ some didn't immediately recognize the risen Jesus. These include Mary in the garden, the two disciples on the road to Emmaus and later the same night in the Upper Room with most of the disciples. Jesus even had to ask the disciples, “Why are you so frightened? I’m not a spirit. Handle me and see. A spirit does not have flesh and bone.”
Perhaps as Dr. Missler brings up, the difficulty in recognizing Jesus was that His beard was ripped off as suggested in Isaiah 50:6 “I gave my back to the smiters, and my cheeks to them that plucked off the hair; I hid not my face from shame and spitting.” Painful as this would be to see, I pray that this is the reason for their lack of recognition and not that Christ will bear the scars of the horrific beating He was subjected to. The whips of the Romans had items embedded in them that would tear flesh. If the evidence of His beating and crown of thorns are visible in Jesus’ resurrected body He will have to “Wipe away all tears” for me. Tears of pain mixed with tears of joy and gratitude for His gift of salvation He won for me at the cross.
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