Easter is coming. This is the big show for believers in Christ. We spend time preparing, praying, inviting and talking about the "true" meaning of Easter. We set up Easter Egg hunts to get kids involved. Hardcore evangelicals refuse to accept there is an Easter Bunny and try to push past the commercialism to make this day about Christ. We may have taken on some challenge during Lent like giving up chocolate. We preach sermons on the "stages of the cross." Some churches will have communion, there may be Passover feasts and washing of feet to symbolize the true servanthood of Christ. We may watch movies like the Passion of Christ, Jesus Christ Superstar or some of the new movies like Risen. We somehow want to make this a holy time and may even refer to certain things as sacrements but I wonder if we ever explore this simple thought. "Where would we be when the Son rises."
Christ was crucified historically at about 9 am in the morning and spent about 6 hours on the cross. Scripture says the world was in darkness for about 3 hours and He perished about 3 pm. He needed to be buried before the Sabbath which began after sunset on Friday and ran until 1 hour after sunset on the next day. The disciples hurriedly placed him in a tomb so they could fulfill their Jewish rites of Sabbath but they were also in hiding as they were afraid that they could be tracked down as followers of Jesus. They hid in a room probably in shock over all that transpired and I can imagine Peter (who denied Christ) and some of the closest disciples were emotionally devastated by the events. Just a few days before there was a parade and triumphant entry in to Jerusalem.
Jesus resurrection did not rely on the presence of man and no one witnessed the real miracle of Him returning from the dead. The disciples didn't acutallly even believe it would happen because on Sunday morning they went to the market to get the necessary items to annoint the body of Christ for embalming. That act tells me they didn't believe his words about returning from death for the salvation of man.( Mark 8:31) says, "The Son of Man must suffer many things and be rejected by the elders and the chief priests and the scribes and be killed, and after three days rise again."
Jesus resurrection for the salvation of mankind didn't rely on man at all but was solely His action on our behalf. There is no salvation without going to the tomb. It is there that the stones of our past sin, our past hurts and our past lives is rolled way revealing the healing power of Christ who makes us whole. It is at the tomb where we are able to find peace and we encounter His grace. It is at the tomb where we find solace, but let us remember this simple thing, we weren't there when He rose, and yet He waited for us show up. What a great thought that no matter where we are, He arose and He waited...
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