photo #6734121

"A GLAD DAY AWAITS US." "Then the same day at evening, being the first day of the week, when the doors were shut where the disciples were assembled for fear of the Jews, came Jesus and stood in the midst, and saith unto them, Peace be unto you.And when he had so said, he shewed unto them his hands and his side. Then were the disciples GLAD, WHEN THEY SAW THE LORD." (John 20:19-20) (caps mine)The disciples certainly had (John 20/20) vision that day when they looked upon their risen Saviour, and what they saw brought gladness to their souls. For there He stood, the Prince of Peace for every person and Heaven's Hero for all humanity, showing the nail prints in His hands and the wound in His pierced side that He willingly bore while on Calvary's tree. Oh, what gladness indeed must have filled that little room where the disciples were assembled behind closed doors on that memorable Sunday evening. Their fear of the Jews they anticipated that night quickly disappeared when He, Who is the Light of the World, stood before them.Ah, one day every Child of God shall see Him as He is and the gladness that we will experience at that very moment, well, words escape me to describe it! For it will be joy unspeakable and full of glory and will continue throughout eternity. The Psalmist tells us, "Thou wilt shew me the path of life: in thy presence is fullness of joy; at thy right hand there are pleasures for evermore." (Psalm 16:11)Not only will gladness be for the Christian on that day when they see Jesus, but even today as we read through our Heavenly Father's Family Album, the Word of God, it's there we find in the Book of all Books, those portraits and pictures of our loving Lord and our hearts are filled with joy as we behold all that has been written inside it concerning Him. 1 John 1:4 drives home that truth to our hearts with those words, "And these things write we unto you, that your joy may be full."On that Golden Horizon, a grand and glorious day is about to rise when the trump shall sound, and the eternal SON shall shine forth in all His glory! We Christians, like those disciples of old, shall gaze with gladness upon those nail scarred hands and His pierced side as well. They will forever remind us how He bought our salvation and our security by His sufferings and His sacrifice.Yes friends, the disciples were "GLAD, WHEN THEY SAW THE LORD." And that same gladness awaits those who have trusted Christ.