Sometimes the dawn is not enough. Sometimes the day is not enough. Sometimes the testimony is not enough. Sometimes the truth that we have seen with our own eyes is not enough. The disciples had been through the dawn, lived out the day, heard the testimony of Mary and the other women, seen the empty tomb, and knew what Jesus had promised... and still, here they are, terrified, gathered together, huddled like rabbits for fear of the Jews... fear, its power is darkness to our souls, its taint washes over us and defiles everything it touches. But in the presence of the Risen Savior, fear falls down and worships. Terror becomes praise, the unknown darkness is transformed into the light of the glory God in the face of Jesus. So much changes when we see Jesus. We are often heard to speak of the power of the resurrection, but that power is only theory until it is known. It is mere information until God opens our eyes to the risen Christ. We must KNOW the power of His resurrection, we must SEE Him. Like Thomas we must have the chance to touch Him (and like Thomas, we won't need to once our eyes are opened) and like Thomas, we will fall and cry "my Lord and my God" once our eyes have beheld His glory. The truth of the resurrection IS clear. It is undeniable, the evidence is so completely overwhelming, so prevalent, so plainly written on the walls of the heart that there is really no denying its veracity. So the natural man cries out against it, writhes under its implications, struggles to free himself from the demands of the risen Lord. He protests his own power, his own will, his own ability... but when the power of God illuminates his heart, then the glory of God becomes his hope, his strength, his joy... and the power of resurrection is poured out in that heart, and suddenly, fear has no more hold... for when we fear God, all other fears become powerless.