I wrote this little series of posts over the Easter weekend of 2014. I would go to my computer around the times significant events took place on the days of crucifixtion-death-resurrection, read the Scriptures, try to immerse myself in them and this is what I posted at intervals.
“Moonlight streamed through the olive trees and though He asked us to watch with Him – we fell asleep. In years to come we agonised together over so many failings, the fact we slept, just one. Excuses and justifications – full bellies and wine, full days and fear – all true, but excuses. We slept though He asked us to wait. We slept though he asked us to watch. We slept though He asked us to pray. We slept while He sweat drops of blood on the ground. How could we? How could we!……….. We did”
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Exodus 12:42 Because the Lord kept vigil that night to bring them out of Egypt, on this night all the Israelites are to keep vigil to honor the Lord for the generations to come.
“I never quite felt part of the group and after a while, I wasn’t sure I wanted to anymore. Jesus became the biggest disappointment of my life and of our times. I thought He was going to change things. I thought we would see freedom. I grew angrier and angrier. So I did it. I told them where to find Him and then I took them to Him. I knew He knew we were coming for Him. he told the group the night before. I could hardly believe He let me leave… told me to go and do it quickly even. His eyes, Oh His eyes. They knew it all.
I took them to Him. They took Him away. I went to collect my earnings.
They are going to kill Him.
Hearing the words aloud… hearing the words I denied in my silence, hearing the words aloud…
His eyes, Oh His eyes.
Thirty pieces of silver I paid for this rope.
His eyes.
His eyes.”
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Matthew 27: 3 When Judas, who had betrayed him, saw that Jesus was condemned, he was seized with remorse and returned the thirty pieces of silver to the chief priests and the elders. 4 “I have sinned,” he said, “for I have betrayed innocent blood.” “What is that to us?” they replied. “That’s your responsibility.” 5 So Judas threw the money into the temple and left. Then he went away and hanged himself.
“The sound of metal on metal rang out across the mountain side and into the realm where countless grotesque and leering faces had drooled in anticipation as they watched Him surrender His arm to the nail. A cheer arose in that dark and shadowed place. Triumph. Revenge. Untameable malice as the One they had seen in all Power was slain. “
“A terrible darkness blanketed the land during what should have been broad daylight. A terrible fear held sway with the ground as it shook loose the rocks splitting chasms though the earth. The King of Creation died. His flesh and blood spent to buy back what was lost. Terror replaced the jeers and leers and malevolence of the demonic hoard as in a moment, the mystery tore open and at once they knew.
Their
Gravest
Mistake
Yet.”
18 April 2014 · Edited ·
“The chill of the night could not account for the chills wracking my body as I lay in my bed in the darkness that night. The horrors of the day, the hurry before twilight, a vice of disbelief gripping my mind as my eyes gaped into the blackest night I’d known. I’d gone to Him in secrecy, teeming with questions and now it was out there, my belief we had murdered Messiah. His macerated body lay still in my tomb. MY tomb. My TOMB. My body convulsed as my inner world rocked as the land had. When He died”
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John 19:39-42 39 Nicodemus also, who earlier had come to Jesus[a] by night, came bringing a mixture of myrrh and aloes, about seventy-five pounds[b] in weight. 40 So they took the body of Jesus and bound it in linen cloths with the spices, as is the burial custom of the Jews. 41 Now in the place where he was crucified there was a garden, and in the garden a new tomb in which no one had yet been laid. 42 So because of the Jewish day of Preparation, since the tomb was close at hand, they laid Jesus there.
“The day of horrors gave way to the Sabbath which in turn gave way to the new week. The day of peace – rest – gathering – remembrance had instead been a day of grief – sorrow – confusion as we spoke of what we’d seen and heard of the day before. We were exhausted from our weeping and rose early to run to the tomb. We wanted to care for Him, to give Him the last of our service and love and tend to His broken body.
As we ran past the temple we could hear the Levites preparing for the special rituals of this day, the first of the harvest lifted to Adonai, “The first day of the Omer” sacrifice, but we did not think of these things for many weeks.
urgency compelled us. Urgency and sorrow and love.”
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Matthew 28 After the Sabbath, at dawn on the first day of the week, Mary Magdalene and the other Mary went to look at the tomb. There was a violent earthquake, for an angel of the Lord came down from heaven and, going to the tomb, rolled back the stone and sat on it. His appearance was like lightning, and his clothes were white as snow. The guards were so afraid of him that they shook and became like dead men. The angel said to the women, “Do not be afraid, for I know that you are looking for Jesus, who was crucified.He is not here; he has risen, just as he said. Come and see the place where he lay. Then go quickly and tell his disciples: ‘He has risen from the dead and is going ahead of you into Galilee. There you will see him.’ Now I have told you.” So the women hurried away from the tomb, afraid yet filled with joy, and ran to tell his disciples. Suddenly Jesus met them. “Greetings,” he said. They came to him, clasped his feet and worshiped him. Then Jesus said to them, “Do not be afraid. Go and tell my brothers to go to Galilee; there they will see me.” While the women were on their way, some of the guards went into the city and reported to the chief priests everything that had happened. When the chief priests had met with the elders and devised a plan, they gave the soldiers a large sum of money, telling them, “You are to say, ‘His disciples came during the night and stole him away while we were asleep.’ If this report gets to the governor, we will satisfy him and keep you out of trouble.” So the soldiers took the money and did as they were instructed. And this story has been widely circulated among the Jews to this very day. Then the eleven disciples went to Galilee, to the mountain where Jesus had told them to go. When they saw him, they worshiped him; but some doubted. Then Jesus came to them and said, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.”
