Three Years and Three Days

For three years Jesus’ closest friends stayed with Him, through thick and thin. Together they watched as their Master healed the sick, made the lame walk, the blind to see, and even raised the dead back to life. They had an extraordinary apprenticeship as those first disciples.

Then came the three days. On Friday, they abandoned Him and scattered. On Saturday, they hid out of sight, from fear of the crowds and authorities. But on Sunday, they found their voice, and the reason for the apprenticeship was clear. From the resurrection on, these same men who scattered and hid, now set out to change the world. The world has been turned upside down because of that first resurrection Sunday.

As His Church, how do we react to the Gospel message? Do we scatter and hide, or do we stand firm in the strength of the certainty that God Raised His Son from the dead? And for what reason? To show us the way of salvation and eternal life through repentance. I pray we are found worthy of the price Jesus paid to get our attention. It is worth noting that it was left to the faithful women to tell the disciples that their Master had risen. What a message God chose to give these Godly women, and NOT the disciples, as recorded in Matthew’s gospel:

He is not here: for He is risen, as he said. Come, see the place where the Lord lay. And go quickly, and tell his disciples. Matthew 28:6,7

Celebrity Death

There have been a few famous celebrities who have died recently, some better known than others, but each one gets the same reporting importance. Rightly so, because death is no respecter of persons and every loss is significant and important to those left behind, and even many grieving people who didn’t know them personally. In essence, we identify with a person who can excite us, make us laugh or cry, and do good in the community. We mourn the death of people we respect and honour.

I wonder what the media and community would make of the situation in the unlikely event that any one of these celebrities suddenly appeared on our news screens again as if nothing had happened to them, and it had all been false reporting? The world would buzz with excitement that our ‘beloved celebrity’ was back with us alive and well! Maybe then we could believe that death is not the end of things.

We should never lose sight of the fact that there already has been such a miracle, where a good person was killed and a few days later walked the streets with friends who had trouble believing their eyes and ears. Jesus died, rose, and is now in heaven speaking on our behalf to His Father God, and we treat this with a shallow level of importance. History confirms the fact that Jesus rose from the dead, and we do celebrate that resurrection in a fitting way with chocolate eggs and fluffy bunnies. What?! Would you be happy with that for your celebrity? Why then, do we accept these insignificant trappings as symbolic of the coming back to life of the person who died for us, to give us the gift of salvation and eternal life?

Next time the media gushes over the life and death of a celebrity, pause for a moment and recognise the comparison of screen time given to them, against the historical fact that Jesus also died, but significantly is the only person who rose to secure our victory over death. After all, as a result, we have the prospect of a real eternal rest in heaven. So, let’s never forget or minimise the comforting words that Jesus said in John 11:25 ...“I am the resurrection and the life. Whoever believes in me, though he die, yet shall he live.”