We are used to situations that feel hopeless.
- When your basketball team is down 5 points with 1 second to go, you turn the television off or head for the parking lot.
- When you have stage four cancer and your doctor calls in Hospice, you head home and prepare for the worst.
- When your marriage has been battered by infidelity or broken trust, you call the divorce attorney.
When things look impossible we assume that they are, and give up hope.
This feeling of hopelessness was certainly felt by the Jesus’ followers on the day following His crucifixion. Having just witnessed their friend (and hopeful one day King) be brutally tortured and killed by the Romans, Jesus’ first followers gave up hope. After a day of shock and mourning, only a small group of women were stirring early one Sunday morning … and they were headed to the tomb to treat Jesus’ dead body for long term burial. This was the equivalent of turning off the TV, heading for the parking lot, heading home and preparing for the worst, or moving out and preparing to start over.
The followers of Jesus looked at their situation and gave up hope.
But …
They. Were. Wrong.
Their despair (like the stone covering the entrance to the tomb) would soon be rolled away. The darkness of the moment would be illuminated as the Son rose. God was able to do what was impossible for humans. Instead of quitting, God was just getting started. The grief of the moment had blinded Christ followers from seeing what Jesus said is true … and so God sent a pair of angels to reiterate the words of Jesus and remind them that Hope was alive.
As people who are used to situations that feel hopeless … situations where our grief blinds us from seeing and remembering the truth … we need to look deeply at the account of the first Easter morning to have our hope rekindled by our glorious God.
This weekend is Easter weekend. At Wildwood we will gather for worship services on both Good Friday (April 7 at 6:00 and 7:00 PM) and Easter Sunday (April 9 at 8:30, 9:45, 11:00 AM). Friday night we will see the work that Jesus’ finished on the cross. Then on Sunday morning we will see why this gives us hope. Make plans to join us Friday AND Sunday. See you there, and bring friends!
We are so blessed that God loved us and wanted us to be with him! Finding Christ and accepting Him in to my life has been the greatest thing that has happened to me. I thank you Lord for giving your life so that I can have mine with You through out eternity.