Good afternoon, Church!
For those of us who know of the resurrection of Jesus, this whole weekend has a redemptive, victorious feel. Even though many will reflect today on the crucifixion of the Christ, knowing that he was raised makes such a difference, doesn’t it? It’s easy to call this Friday “Good” when we know that resurrection is coming.
But think about what it was like on that first “Good Friday….”
For these women, the Sabbath was always a very special day. On the Sabbath, people were not supposed to work; instead, they were supposed to celebrate the various blessings of life God had given them. Time was spent worshipping God and enjoying time with family. For these women, however, this Sabbath was unlike any other—and especially for Mary, because her son wasn’t there to celebrate the Sabbath with her. His mangled body was lying in a cold, dark tomb.
It’s almost too painful to even try to imagine what this day of rest and worship was like for Jesus’ mother. How could she concentrate on the prayers or the songs or the reading of Scripture when the day before she had watched her son take his last breath? How could she think of anything other than her perfect boy, whose coming was announced by angels and whose life held so much promise and expectation? It hurts to think of the numbing shock Mary surely experienced with the cold, hard reality that her son was dead. Instead of going to market to buy food for the week’s feast, she prepares to buy spices so she can anoint the body of her son.
On the next day, while it was still very early, Mary along with two close friends bought those spices and headed to the tomb. Imagine her grief. Imagine those tears. Imagine what her prayers had been like the last couple of days. If only her son had not died. If only God had intervened.
And when they arrived at the tomb, they saw that the stone had been rolled away….
Join us this Sunday morning at 9 as we commemorate the death and resurrection of the Lord Jesus Christ.
— Patrick