What must Jesus have been feeling? He knew what was coming. It wasn’t going to be pretty, but it was going to be the most beautiful thing he could ever do for those he loved. For us. The time was drawing near. Jesus was human, so he had to be fearful. You know that sick feeling you get when you dread something–that’s what I imagine Jesus was feeling that night. Yet, his love for his friends was stronger.
Jesus’ relationship was secure. God was his Father and he would soon be returning to him. There was no doubt about that. Knowing this truth must have also led to complete and total freedom! Jesus knew who had his back. But he would be leaving his friends behind. Imagine you knew you were going to die, what would you want to tell your friends? Jesus had another lesson left to teach.
How did Jesus spend his last days? All these years later, what do his final words say to us? We have entered into Holy Week. In pastoral ministry over the years, this has been one of the busiest weeks of the year. Easter morning would often arrive and the week before would seem only a blur of preparations. How can you celebrate the resurrection joy when you haven’t taken time to feel the agony and desperation of Jesus’ final hours?
This year, in 2020, the whole world has been given a notice to isolate, to “socially distance” from co-workers, friends, neighbors, and loved ones. No church gatherings will take place. There are plenty of people feeling the agony of loss and the desperation of the unknown. Yet for this week, I want us all to try and focus on Jesus. Let’s set aside the craziness of the world’s events and just be in the presence of Jesus. Walk with him in his final days. Feel his passion. Sense his strength. Hear his promise that death has no power.
If you’re like me, you’ve heard the Christmas story over and over again since you were a little child. You may have played an angel, a shepherd, or a wise man in a pageant or two. In my case, I don’t have that childhood memory because our church didn’t do that. I sang in a choir instead. Choir robes weren’t the same as a costume! I suppose that’s why as an adult, and as a children’s ministry director, I was so excited to bring this tradition to hundreds of children. Those are definitely memories I treasure.
Do we really understand the shepherds in the story? You know, the lowly ones left to tend to their flocks day and night. In the culture of the day, shepherds were not the admired ones in society. Little boys did not dream of being a shepherd. Of course, if you came from a family of shepherds, you would probably be a shepherd by default. It’s easy for us to look down on them because of how they were viewed by the rest of the population, but God didn’t. God gave them a very special gift.
“As they entered the tomb, they saw a young man dressed in a white robe sitting on the right side, and they were alarmed. “Don’t be alarmed,” he said. “You are looking for Jesus the Nazarene, who was crucified. He has risen! He is not here. See the place where they laid him. But go, tell his disciples…’” Mark 16:5-7
“He is not here; he has risen! Remember how he told you, while he was still with you in Galilee: ‘The Son of Man must be delivered into the hands of sinful men, be crucified and on the third day be raised again.’” Luke 24:6-7
“He is not here; he has risen, just as he said. Come and see the place where he lay.” Matt. 28:6
“Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life. Whoever believes in me, though he die, yet shall he live,” John 11:25
“And God raised the Lord and will also raise us up by his power.” 1 Cor 6:14
Hallelujah. Today is the day of all days to celebrate. No matter what you may be going through, you are not alone. You are being held in the arms of a risen Savior! Let the joy of Jesus’ victory wash over you. We don’t need to be bound by our darkness.
We are living in the light of Jesus’ goodness because of what Jesus did for us. He gave us freedom, and we can live with him forever. We have Jesus’ power inside us, and we are unstoppable.
Rejoice today that you know Jesus.
Let’s pray. Lord, I am so thankful for the freedom you have given me. I know that whatever comes my way you are here with me. I just need to call on YOUR power and not try to be the hero all the time. You have gifted me to help others, and Lord, I pray that it is with this new freedom I will see those people raising their hands. We are redeemed and forgiven. Hallelujah. Thank you for what you did for me! In Jesus’ name. Amen.
Psalm 27:14 says: “Wait for theLord; be strong and take heart and wait for the Lord.”
We wait in stillness for the resurrection. We stand in awe of what our Lord and Savior did for us. This is the day we remember his body lying in the tomb. Yet his soul descended to the depths of hell. It is just as we proclaim in our Creed.
For those Jesus left behind that day, they mourned. They hid in fear. They rested for it was the Sabbath. It must have been so surreal. Just a few short days before there had been such a triumphant entry into Jerusalem with shouts of Hosanna! Jesus was king. What happened?
