2:22 “Men of Israel,
hear these words: Jesus of Nazareth, a Man attested by God to you by miracles,
wonders, and signs which God did through Him in your midst, as you yourselves
also know— 23 Him, being delivered by the determined purpose and foreknowledge
of God, you have taken by lawless hands, have crucified, and put to death; 24
whom God raised up, having loosed the pains of death, because it was not
possible that He should be held by it. 25 For David says concerning Him:
‘I foresaw the Lord
always before my face,
For He is at my right
hand, that I may not be shaken.
26
Therefore my heart
rejoiced, and my tongue was glad;
Moreover my flesh also
will rest in hope.
27
For You will not leave
my soul in Hades,
Nor will You allow Your
Holy One to see corruption.
28
You have made known to
me the ways of life;
You will make me full
of joy in Your presence.’ (Psalm 16:8-11)
The awkward, hopeless, uncomfortable and despairing Sabbath
came to an end. For those seemingly endless hours when time seemed to stand
still it felt like that day and that feeling would never end. For three and a
half years hope had been building. The crowds were increasing. The miracles
were piling up. This illegitimate son of Mary, this carpenter from no good
Nazareth seemed to be the One. Like King David it seemed completely impossible
at first. Both were the most unlikely candidates to be heros yet the evidence
was undeniable. His words had a power about them no one had ever experienced
before. His eyes were filled with love and compassion even though it seemed
like they saw through every secret and hidden corner of your life. He feared
nothing and no one yet He never used His strength or power against anyone. He
could feed thousands with next to nothing and have far more left over than He
started with. He could walk on water, tell the weather what to do, and escape
every trap His enemies set for Him. What a king He would make! Who could defeat
Him?
A week previous He had ridden into Jerusalem on a colt, a
sign of His kingship in that time and culture. The crowds welcomed Him. The
excitement was palpable. The men in power were panicked. His coronation
appeared imminent. It was only a week ago but felt like a distant hazy dream.
As the week progressed the excitement built in the city, the
panic and plotting against Him intensified behind the scenes. A clash seemed
unavoidable but what difference would it make? Jesus was undefeatable. Except
for one nagging problem... He kept telling His disciples He was going to die.
Three times that week He took them aside and warned them His death was coming
at the hands of the religious leaders who would hand Him over to the Romans.
It was information they could not process. They grew up under
these leaders, attending their synagogues, all part of the same nation and
faith. The thought of Jesus dying now was impossible to take in, never mind the
means by which it would happen. Then came the final unthinkable blow. He would
be betrayed by one of the twelve... impossible!!!
A cloud settled over them. What had been the unfolding of
their greatest dreams was turning into the most unimaginable nightmare.
The worst part of it all is that it was completely avoidable.
No not His death or the means by which it came. It was the cloud that was
entirely avoidable.
With the warnings of His death was also the promise that it
wouldn't last. Sunday would come. The darkness would end. In their own sacred
writings it was foretold. From the dawn of humanity it was played out that the
Lamb must die yet the Story was never to end there...
As with them so with us. We become overwhelmed by present
darkness because we fail to keep our eyes on the unfolding Story. We like they
have not hid His Word in our hearts. Storms blind us to His promises and waves
of doubt sweep over us. It does not ever need to be this way.
We'll continue tomorrow to explore the beautiful truth that
Sunday came then and our Sunday will come too!
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