The week following our Easter celebrations … Historically, this has been the time when most of us begin to “get back to normal.”  But as we conclude our traditional observance of the most momentous series of events in human history, it would seem reasonable to ask ourselves what God had to say to us individually about the Resurrection and the meaning of all that it carried. Was there anything that left any sort of ongoing affect on our lives in the here and now? Were we simply observing the usual religious performances? Were we just part of a present, yet uninvolved, audience . . . or were there moments of divine intimacy? And if so, what did God intend us to learn from those special moments? For me, my post Holy Week reflections took me in an unexpected direction. Instead of pondering the victorious implications unveiled by the sunlight penetrating that empty tomb on Easter morning, my thoughts were drawn toward those awful scenes at Golgotha that had formed the dark backdrop for Sunday’s glorious dawn. 

A Transformational Day ~
I recalled once again a comment made by one of my favorite theologians. He said: “By six in the evening on the first Good Friday … the world was a different place.”  The generations that followed that day have given credence to the validity of that conclusion, but no one saw it coming at the time. Not even the core group of Jesus’ disciples could have grasped how profoundly the impact of that day would affect their future and the future of all mankind. All they knew at that point was that the One they had devoted their lives to was gone. They were left with no Rabbi to follow, no guide to give them direction, and no authoritative voice to explain why Friday’s bloody spectacle happened. 

To the region at large, the gruesome scene on display at Golgotha was just another example of the Roman empire’s readiness to suppress anything and anyone who appeared to challenge their authority. Except for the impromptu trial and inexplicable and disturbing period of darkness, most, among the many thousands who had arrived in Jerusalem for the Passover Festival celebrations, were not directly involved in some way and would have considered the day as not all that unusual.

So, as sundown marked the beginning of another Jewish Shabbat – or “Sabbath,” as we Westerners call it – life was returning to its usual pace. The bodies had been removed from the crosses, the crowds had dispersed, and a sense of relief began to replace the tension and pressures that had started before daybreak. For Pilate, while not convinced of the legitimacy of the charges against Jesus, another Passover had been observed and a potential Jewish revolt had been successfully avoided. Meanwhile, the High Priest, the Jew’s Sanhedrin, and the Temple elites were confident that they had finally silenced a serious threat to their power and authority. 

Undeniable Reality . . . Unavoidable Consequences ~
But for Jesus’ followers, there was neither relief nor confidence. Their loving, compassionate, courageous Rabbi was dead. Lips that tamed the wind and spoke healing and hope to the sick and the outcast were as still and silent as the tomb surrounding them. Hands that turned a few loaves and fishes into a feast for thousands were now bound by the cruel shackles of death. And perhaps worst of all, the heart that loved the unlovable and forgave the unforgivable was unable to do either. In spite of the things Jesus had said to them about what was coming, they weren’t prepared for the situation that confronted them.  

Even though Jesus had foretold in general terms what would be coming, His followers didn’t really absorb what He was saying. Sometimes our minds can shut off our ears when there are words we don’t want to hear. After all, who could imagine that the One they had seen do things no ordinary human had ever done would allow Himself to be subjected to the shame and torture they had witnessed? Yet the reality of what had happened was inescapable, and they had to deal with it.  And that is precisely the situation we want to address. 

Lessons for All of Us ~
Not only were there lessons awaiting Jesus’ shocked, distraught and confused disciples between Golgotha and that first Easter morning, there are things we can learn as well. Hopefully, none of us will ever have to face anything remotely comparable to the traumatic situation His followers faced. But given our current culture’s tendency toward random violence and unprovoked assaults, any of us could have our world turned upside down in a moment, and we could find ourselves shocked beyond expression, not knowing where to turn or what to do. In light of that, I’d like to offer a few brief suggestions based on how the disciples responded in the aftermath of Jesus’ crucifixion. 

• • The first is simply this . . . The disciples chose to Congregate, not isolate. They may have scattered like sheep when the soldiers took Jesus in Gethsemane, but they found each other again. The New Testament accounts indicate that both the men and the women had sought each other out and were able to give comfort and support to one another. Luke makes it clear that the disciples were not hiding in isolation but, instead, were discovering once again that Solomon’s words about two being better than one were true: 

When they came back from the tomb, they told all these things to the Eleven and to all the others. (Luke 24:9 NKJV)

And as we face shocking challenges to the values and principles Jesus taught, whether on a personal, corporate, or national level, we should see them as calls to stand together, unify our hearts and minds, and encourage one another. We were not sent to pretend evil isn’t happening, or to retreat, isolate, and hide from uncomfortable realities. Regardless of the challenges that come, our mission is to stand together as emissaries of His Kingdom.

• • Secondly – Another response as demonstrated by some of Jesus’ disciples, could be stated this way . . . When you don’t know what to do . . . do what you already know. When shocking things happen, first responders may say something like, “Just slow down . . . Take some deep breaths.” Some basic, fundamental, vital behaviors happen without specifically even thinking about them. But when traumatic events happen, basic things can get erratic and inefficient, and they need our conscious, focused attention. Our prayer time and other spiritual routines can be like that, too. 

When crises happen, our minds can be thrown into a state of panic, and our reactions can  become erratic and inefficient. Slowing down,  focusing on those foundational routines and basic practices often become the best thing we can do. In the midst of the spiritual trauma facing them, those women who were among Jesus’ closest followers turned their attention to a basic task they knew had to be done. Preparing spices and dealing with Jesus’ body didn’t seem spiritual at the time – and it seemed to offer no hope of changing anything. But what an amazing discovery that simple task led them to! . . .

On the first day of the week, very early in the morning, the women took the spices they had prepared and went to the tomb. But when they entered, they did not find the body of the Lord Jesus. (Luke 24:1-3 NKJV)

• • Finally – Never let circumstances define who you are. On the night Jesus was arrested, Peter found himself confronted with an identity crisis. When confronted with the potential for personal harm, this man, the one who had sworn that he would die with Jesus, let fear turn him into a chameleon. Rather than reveal his relationship with Jesus and trust God to protect him, Peter chose a lie as his protector. Adjusting the truth to suit the circumstance didn’t work out well for him back then – and it will never work out well for us here and now. 

Our roles and our circumstances are subject to unexpected changes, and personal trials are sure to come our way, but Jesus made it clear that our relationship to Him is unshakable. The Apostle Paul made that promise crystal clear when he said:

…I am persuaded that neither death nor life, nor angels nor principalities nor powers, nor things present nor things to come, nor height nor depth, nor any other created thing, shall be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord. (Romans 8:38–39 NKJV)

As we move ahead, tensions abound both here and around the world. Precarious situations may descend on any of us without warning, and many of us will be called upon to make challenging decisions. And when those times come, may God help us to hold tightly to one another, to focus on doing what we were sent to do, and above all, not to allow fear to define who we are.

“TWEETABLES” ~ Click to tweet and share from the pull quotes below.  Each one links directly back to this article through Twitter . . .

• • • Lips that tamed the wind and spoke healing and hope to the sick and outcast were as still and silent as the tomb surrounding them. The heart that loved the unlovable and forgave the unforgivable was unable now to do either. @GallaghersPen (Click here to Tweet)  
    • Hands that turned a few loaves and fishes into a feast for thousands were now bound by the cruel shackles of death. And perhaps worst of all, the heart that loved the unlovable and forgave the unforgivable was unable to do either. @GallaghersPen (Click here to Tweet)
    • Jesus’ followers didn’t really absorb what He was saying. Sometimes our minds can shut off our ears when there are words we don’t want to hear. After all, who could imagine that the One they had seen do things no ordinary human had ever done would allow Himself to be subjected to the shame and torture they had witnessed. @GallaghersPen (Click here to Tweet)
    • Jesus’ followers didn’t really absorb what He was saying. After all, who could have imagined that the One they had seen do things no ordinary human had ever done would allow Himself to be subjected to the shame and torture they had witnessed? @GallaghersPen (Click here to Tweet)
    • Our roles and our circumstances are subject to unexpected changes, and personal trials are sure to come our way, but Jesus made it clear that our relationship with Him is unshakable. @GallaghersPen (Click here to Tweet)

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