This isn’t a traditional Resurrection Sunday but it isn’t
unprecedented.
On the first Resurrection Sunday there were similar emotions
palpating the air. Sorrow, fear, heartache, pain. People in their houses afraid
to come outside. There we no big hats and elaborate outfits. There were no lilies and choir rehearsed selections. While they weren’t fighting a deadly disease the disciples and
the followers of Jesus had experienced trauma. They had just seen him killed two days ago. Crucified, hung on a Cross and
breathed his last breath.
All of their hopes, dreams died in that instant. It was
replaced with disappointment, fear, hopelessness and loss. They were looking for
a conqueror, a deliverer, a warrior to remove all their enemies, obstacles and hardships.
They believed that Jesus was that and they put all their eggs in his basket. Now
He was dead. Killed by the state. And they feared they would be next.
This disease is killing those we love and we are afraid.
Afraid to go outside. Afraid for our loved ones. Afraid we will be next. Different
circumstance, same fear. We are questioning God about how He could let this
happen. He’s supposed to be our conqueror, deliverer, our warrior who is
supposed to vanquish this disease but instead it seems to be winning.
Just like Satan seemed to have won in the moment that Jesus
died.
So Peter, James, John and all of them have been in the house on
self-imposed quarantine for three days. I imagine it was eerily quiet, like it
is now. People mourning in their homes not knowing what will happen next, like
now. And then, those women went to the
tomb to dress Jesus’ body and found the stone rolled away and Jesus' body gone. Mark 16:1-8
Today we are in our houses waiting… Feeling alone and
isolated, like the disciples.
But what they forgot is what we have forgotten too. God is the resurrection and the life. Just like it
seemed that Satan had bested Jesus, this disease seems to have gotten the best
of us. They thought they got him. They thought they won. They thought it was
over but…
He’s ALIVE!
And as long as He is alive we can face WHATEVER happens in this
world. No matter what we are going through, no matter a pandemic, no matter
war, racism, corruption, no matter a government that sought to take him out,
Jesus is alive. To stone was rolled away, the tomb no longer held Jesus's body
We are not alone. It may feel that way right now but Jesus
has felt our every emotion, our every hurt, our every pain. He has lost those
he loved. He buried friends. I mean, God watched his Son die and be buried just
like many of us are burying those we love.
God still is sovereign and He still has resurrection
power. This disease has not won. We will lose people along the way. That was true even in Jesus day. But for those who remain when
Mary went to the tomb to dress the body of Jesus she was expecting a body and
found resurrection instead.
Today in church Pastor Steven Furtick said, “Unmet
expectation is the start of resurrection”. We have unmet expectations today. We
had thoughts and ideas of what 2020 was supposed to look like and it did not
include a pandemic. Just like when the disciples envisioned a Savior it didn’t
include Him dying. But in our moment of unmet expectation Jesus shows up with
the resurrection.
We don’t know what life will look like tomorrow but I know
Jesus lives and because He lives I can face tomorrow and know that he has a
future for me in-spite of how it looks. I'm expecting resurrection because God is still resurrecting today.
Unlikely Missionary
DHW
