We can only scratch the tip of the emotions that must have been battering the lives of those chosen men and women that had followed so closely in the steps of Jesus. Such amazement, such glory shared in those days of following Jesus ... Reality had been a blessing filled with daily promise and revelation of a loving connection with the Creator.
Passover(although they had gone over this 2x before) was strangely personal and emotional this time. From the "just as He said" Royal Donkey descent into the whirlwind of the Temple confrontation, to the "just as He said" upper room Passover dinner, it was almost like a cloud of revelation seriousness was gripping ever so tightly to the moments with Jesus. He was talking as if this was the last moments and their temporal security was weakening. The disciples were completely on the edge of denial. Faith was sent out on a runaway train that was taking down everything in its path and there was no turning back..."Just as He said!"
Praying in the garden for the last time ... Jesus was extremely focused. His disciples now no longer had the strength to stand by and comfort as sleep became their moment's relief from reality. But that sleep was short lived and was blown into a life threatening crowd of soldiers, who burst onto the scene to take Jesus on His death walk. So confused was the moment - a sword swung and an ear fell (and was returned to the head of the owner - strangely, the last physical healing miracle); positive ID was blurred by the inability to stand up when Jesus spoke "I AM"; a traitor's kiss verified the ID while a request to let the disciples go was secured; and Jesus was led away without resistance by His captures to face a penalty that we could not, but definitely deserved.
The surreal nature of the movie frames moving ahead had his closest followers moving further and further from the scene; only "the Beloved Disciple, John" remained close enough to hear that he was to be the surrogate son to care for Jesus' mother. All others kept their distance fearing that identification with Jesus would warrant a cross for them also.
The Image of the conquering King was tarnished and blurred by: a deadly cat-o-nine tails beating, a bloodied royal robe of mockery, a crown of thorns beat deep into His brow, a mock trial with only cruel intent, a mob led crowd mindlessly screaming "Crucify Him"; and an ominous cruel rugged cross raised to the sky with a barely recognizable human image in His last hours of embarrassingly wicked suffering... All this threw a veil of discouragement over any previous promises of "resurrection." ... it could not have even entered the imaginations filled with grief.
On that cross, from the vantage of non-connected distant followers, was the death of deliverance from the Roman rule; but to the perception of Heaven ... This was the consecrated sacrifice... the only hope for salvation of believing mankind. This was that moment that defined eternity, by delivering believers from the penalty of an eternal Devil's Hell. Sin would be paid in full and believers would be gifted eternal life.
BUT - the darkness, grief, fear and "hope lost" was closing in for the kill of faith of the cowering followers of Christ. In those three days and three nights a sealed tomb announced that "it was finished"... Didn't Jesus succeed to the hopelessness also with His words declared from the cross "It is finished!"?
The next day, a great while before the sun had come up, an Angel of the Lord, gloriously bright, Descended from Heaven and tossed aside the stone that sealed the tomb, and sat on it ... terrifying the temple guards who set watch over the tomb. Later to the "Marys" it was proclaimed - "He is not here, come and see ... for He has risen ... Just as He said."
"It is finished" was not a losers last pitiful whine ... Now all hearts would hear the glad news of "He is Alive", and realize it as the victors cry ... and can claim it with the full power of His resurrection to move forward against the very gates of Hell, and proclaim His Grace, the rescue, to all who will hear.
Why seek ye the living among the dead? He is risen, just as He said.
LIVE LOUD ... FULLY ALIVE ... BECAUSE JESUS LIVES!!!
Proclaim the blessing of the Resurrection!
... Happy Easter, April 1, 2018
HLFA,
Jeff