As I drove Jenna to school today she said, “It sure is a blustery day.” I suppose it is. More than weather I think the mood of this day in light of celebrating Easter seems blustery.
I’m sitting now having a few moments of quiet, pondering what this day would have been like for the disciples and Jesus. The rain is pouring down. Yet off in the distance it looks beautiful and blue skies are ahead. That day was much like that I imagine. Jesus knew what was about to happen and he tried telling the disciples he was about to die but they didn’t get it. So he walked through a day with those he loved most knowing it would be his last. Life would never be the same again. Talk about blustery.
I love this verse in John 13:1:
It was just before the Passover Feast. Jesus knew that the time had come for him to return to the Father. Having loved his own who were in the world, he now showed them the full extent of his love.
The next day he would be nailed to a tree, to die a most agonizing death, for them, for you, for me, for the world. He did that to show the full extent of his love. It would be the biggest disappointment for so many because they expected something far different. They expected him to take over, reign over their enemies and bring instant change. Instead, he was mocked, hung up to die and it was a dark day indeed. But, Jesus was about to pull off the greatest victory the world would ever see. He rose from the dead and because of that we have everlasting life. The sun does break through those dark clouds. Sunday we will celebrate that.
I sat on campus with another staff woman and a student that we had approached to talk about spiritual things yesterday. She had no idea who Jesus was or what he had done. After explaining the gospel to her she said, “Thank you for explaining that to me. My cousins (the only Christians she knows) have never taken the time to explain it. She said she didn’t agree with all of it but it was much clearer to her.
Who do you know that doesn’t know why we celebrate Easter? Why is it important to you? Or is it? Tell someone about it or ask someone if you don’t know. It’s the most exciting story of all time. No other person claiming to be God has ever risen from the dead or ever will. Jesus is the real deal and offers real love and real life.