City Life Starter

The Third day

It was during a Thursday night team meeting that the dreadful thing happened. The disciples knew something was going to happen but had no idea what to expect. Everything seemed beyond imagination and happened so quickly. They had no idea what was about to happen. Judas Iscariot already planned what to do as devil had already won the battle in his mind. Judas knew that the Temple authorities hated Jesus and his disciples and he found an opportunity to make a quick deal. He made an offer with the chief priests and the Temple authorities, thirty silver coins for betraying Jesus! All was set, the guards came with their weapons and torches on that Thursday night and Judas identified Jesus, and immediately Jesus was taken away. After a quick and thoughtless prosecution, He was made guilty. The death sentence was quickly executed.

The disciples were initially stunned, they became sad, scared and terrified. They could not believe what they saw, heard and felt. They had waves and waves of questions, but no answers. All their hopes crumbled in front of their eyes. Their ambitions, aspirations, future, everything was gone in an instant and lost all their confidence and hope. They were filled with shame and guilt and were afraid.They hid themselves away from the eyes of Jews and Romans. They had no one to turn to; no one to console them, no one to encourage them, their pride, their identity, their self-esteem…all went away in an instant. Their colorful life with their ‘teacher’ came to an abrupt end.

All his disciples were filled with grief and pondered how they had run away from Jesus. Peter was busy thinking about his failures and how he ran away and betrayed Jesus thrice. His courageous challenge to Jesus flopped right there and Peter could not come out of his grief. He wept bitterly. Judas could not bear witness to everything that Jesus went through. He was filled with remorse, tried to return the money and committed suicide. Even though he was filled with remorse, he neither repented nor did he ever ask for forgiveness. He condemned himself. Other disciples thought of ways and new professions they wanted to move to so that they can get on with their lives. Joseph of Arimathea along with Nathaniel was thinking about a proper burial for Jesus. John had to take care of Jesus’ mother Mary. The women who followed Jesus wanted to embalm Him and grieve for Him. The chief priest and the Pharisees wanted to seal the tomb. Cleopas and the other disciple thought that the hope for Israel’s redemption is gone forever! Thoughts…just confusing thoughts in the mind of all!

They knew the Word and they had read prophesies from the scriptures. They had heard Him speak and saw Him deliver. Yet, they lost all hope and thought ‘This is it, it’s all over!’ They thought, the death, the ultimate end has triumphed and plunged everyone in the darkness. They ran to hide themselves. Nevertheless, hope was there, strangely not in the hearts of His friends but in the deepest thoughts of His foes! The chief priests and the Pharisees thought that He will rise again! They did their best to seal the tomb and made high level security arrangements with a centurion and his troops on duty at the tomb so that Jesus will not come back as he told.

Indeed He did as He had said… shocking everyone. He conquered the grave and killed the death. Life lived and death died as He had foretold! He became the Resurrection and the Life. He showed that He is Alpha and Omega, the Beginning and the End. Lives changed! Confusions vanished a new hope appeared…on the third day. Mary Magdalene heard Him, other women saw Him, disciples fellowshipped with Him, Cleopas went back to Jerusalem, Hope came back, Life came back on the third day!

As we think of the resurrection, let us know that it is for us that this historic event happened, to give us all eternal life. If you still think, why Jesus should die in the first place, well, Jesus himself gave the answer. He said: “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies, it remains alone; but if it dies, it bears much fruit.”(John 12:24).

Remember Good Friday is not about grieving but about redemption and Easter is not about eggs but about LIFE! Remember the climax that happened on that cross. Do you know this resurrected Christ?