God Doesn’t Like Evil, but He Can Still Work With Its Results
He is not here, but has risen. Remember how he told you, while he was still in Galilee, that the Son of Man must be delivered into the hands of sinful men and be crucified and on the third day rise.”
And they remembered his words, and returning from the tomb they told all these things to the eleven and to all the rest. Now it was Mary Magdalene and Joanna and Mary the mother of James and the other women with them who told these things to the apostles, but these words seemed to them an idle tale, and they did not believe them.
But Peter rose and ran to the tomb; stooping and looking in, he saw the linen cloths by themselves; and he went home marveling at what had happened.”
God is so good at what He does.
Jesus knew how He was going to die and told His disciples about it before it happened. That didn’t make it easy. You know how when you sell your house, you’re excited and kind of surprised that it actually sold? Then you have to hand somebody your house key and you can’t go in there anymore. It’s not your house. You can’t walk in and take your shirt off in the kitchen **ever again. ** You knew that day was coming, but it’s still a surprise.
Jesus knew that evil people would do evil things and it would still accomplish His goal. He’s that good.
In 1st Samuel, Samuel curses the family of Eli for being corrupt priests, and says that God is going to end their family line. A decade or so later, Saul throws a big baby-fit and orders all of the priests to be killed. In his greed for power and self-centeredness, guess whose will he fulfills on accident? The Lord’s will!
God is able to bring about His plans, even if people are against Him and try to slow them down.
Even His plan with these women on Easter morning. It’s not evil for the apostles to not believe them, but their disbelief didn’t stop Jesus. We don’t have a bitter letter of 1st Mary Magdalene that rants on and on about how nobody listened to her. She didn’t need her story to be believed for it to be true. Peter and John would be convinced soon enough.
We later hear that the women went on telling more and more people about Jesus. The guys that were walking to Emmaus that evening remarked that these women “amazed us” with their story.
Their disbelief and the women’s perseverance to preach the truth served up an even better surprise in Emmaus.
So now, more than ever, let us do what is right. Let us talk up the truth as much as possible. Because even if evil confronts us, God is able to build great things out of evil works.