When studying Gospel narratives such as the crucifixion, place yourself at the scene and seek to get in the minds of the participants. What do you see, hear, feel, taste, and smell? Imagine for a moment that you are witnessing Jesus’ death on the cross. Last week’s SW, The Agony of Calvary, merely scratched the surface regarding the immeasurable pain and infinite anguish Jesus endured. Also consider the emotions the Apostles, the disciples, the women, and family members were experiencing. They had left their jobs and totally committed their lives to Him for the past three years. They believed He was Messiah. Now, they watched the man in whom all of them had placed their hopes for the present and dreams of the future executed as a common criminal. Jesus cried out in a loud voice, “It is finished!” He bowed His head and gave up His spirit. One of the soldiers pierced His side with a spear, and immediately blood and water came out (John 19:30, 34) — blood and water only occurs when the heart has burst. The centurion pronounced Him dead.
Did His followers begin going through the steps of grief—denial, anger, bargaining, depression? Up until that moment, maybe they hoped the Father would send angels and rescue Him. Or as they carried His body to the tomb, some may have denied His death convincing themselves He was only comatose and they could nurse Him back to health. I can imagine some were angry with thoughts like “He deceived us! I’ve wasted three years of my life following Him” and of course they asked “Why God? Why God?”
Joseph of Arimathea had gone to Pilate and received special permission to remove His body. The Romans normally denied the families of those crucified the right to bury their dead and left their bodies until they rotted and the vultures had picked away the flesh for an example to other “law breakers”. Nicodemus had purchased about a hundred-pound mixture of myrrh and aloes for anointing His body. They wrapped His body in a large piece of linen, packed Him in the mixture of spices, and wrapped long stripes of cloth around Him securing the spices. The final act was placing a piece of linen over His face and rolling the huge stone in front of the tomb opening. For His followers all hope ended—not comatose, no angels, no Messiah, and no coming Kingdom.
Disappointment and depression began overwhelming them. “What now?” Think about what was going through the minds of the disciples. What did they discuss when they regathered? Surely, they scrutinized every sermon and every word of the teaching He had spoken to them in private. “How could we have been so wrong about Him? Did we miss something? Are we still overlooking something?” Despite the fact we cannot begin understanding the Trinity with one God and three persons, scripture records the work of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit in establishment of the New Covenant, which began with the crucifixion. Jesus’ work was finished, “It is finished!” (John 19:30). Now, it was the Father’s turn. Jesus was God one with the Father and the Spirit yet the Father raised Him from the dead. God [Father] raised Him up on the third day (Acts 10:40). The New Testament makes similar statements forty-one more times. The disciples had not yet perceived Jesus, the Father, and the Spirit in this way. However, their lack of understanding didn’t hinder the Lord. On the third day, the Father sent angels to roll away the stone and later announce to the women who came to complete the anointing, He is not here, for He has risen, just as He said (Mat 28:6). The Father sent the Spirit who gives life; the Spirit of Him who raised Jesus from the dead (John 6:63; Rom 8:11).
So you might be asking, what’s the point? We will all face times when our belief system is challenged. The teaching of the secular world opposes us every day. At some point, we may cry out “Why God?” We will experience moments when we feel hopeless, wondering if God has forsaken us. We might even tell ourselves that it is over, so what now? Following Christ is a journey of learning and gaining greater understanding of who God is. Like the disciples, we can miss some of the promises He has given. He has risen, just as He said, His disciples missed this. We may stand in front of a sealed tomb with all our dreams and hopes inside wrapped in burial cloth. Remember this verse, after three days the doors were shut where the disciples were, for fear of the Jews, Jesus came and stood in their midst and said to them, “Peace be with you” (John 20:19).
Sustaining Word for the Week: Because the work is finished, the Father, the Holy Spirit, and the risen Jesus are at work in your hopeless situation. The third day is coming. Peace be with you.