For we are made partakers of Christ, if we hold the beginning of our confidence stedfast unto the end; Hebrews 3:14
Years ago when I was first saved, the Devil right away started working against me. Some in the young people’s class claimed to be saved, but were not. When people claim to be saved and are not, they will cause a real hurt because they don’t have grace to deal with things, and they will tend to manipulate others. So when we see these so called "Christians" doing things that are not right, there is confusion and a real test of how strong our faith is. Because of these conditions that happen from time to time, some people start casting away their confidences. The Devil uses these things to get people discouraged and to harden their heart and draw back from serving God.
Afterward he appeared unto the eleven as they sat at meat, and upbraided them with their unbelief and hardness of heart, because they believed not them which had seen him after he was risen. Mark 16:14
In this scripture Jesus is talking to the apostles after he was resurrected from the dead. He had to correct them for their unbelief and hardness of heart. Remember that these were the ones God chose to use to establish the gospel. The apostles were very, very important individuals, but yet just as human as you and me. They were saved, but Jesus had to correct them.
Now what was it that caused them to have unbelief and hardness of heart to work on them? Did it have anything to do with the miracles that Jesus had done? No. Where did it start? They were with Jesus until the last supper. It was not working on them at that time. It started with what Judas did. Judas betrayed them all. In their minds, Judas had given the opportunity for everything they had hoped for to be undermined.
Just the week before, Jesus had come into the city and crowds were cheering him. Everything was moving God’s way. Then later on, in the dark of the night, even during the very special time of the feast of the passover, Judas betrayed Jesus and them. Now the people turned against Jesus and cried, crucify him. The actions of one of their own helped turned everyone against Jesus and them. Before they were part of something "great", but now they were looked on as part of an unwanted group of people. Their expectations had been shattered.
It is important that we do not let failed expectations harden us because we will then become a potentially ripe ground for bitterness to grow. What did the Apostles do - they withdrew to themselves. A hardening was starting to happen. So when they were told that Jesus had risen, they found it hard to believe - after all, what was the point. In the eyes of everyone else, their gospel message had failed.
Jesus had to strongly correct them for it. They had to deal with their own failures in faith when they all had fled from Jesus. The test had been too much. They now felt like they were nothing.
Have you ever had your expectations fall apart? Ever felt like you found yourself in a situation with no place to stand? These are the realities that happened to them because someone else (Judas) who didn’t keep their experience right. When Judas started with Jesus he had great expectations that Christ would build a big kingdom on earth. But Judas was smart and began to see that what Jesus was doing was not going to align with his expectations. Judas' expectations were shattered. He then let this cause bitterness to grow in his life, and his actions caused real hurt for many people.
God has his way of working. There have always been ones who have not stood true to the end. They allowed things to turn them bitter, and that always causes a hurt for them and others. This is why we must set our expectations in heaven and not on things down here:
"If ye then be risen with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ sitteth on the right hand of God. Set your affection on things above, not on things on the earth." Collossians 3:1-2
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