Alone, Abandoned, Afraid and Defeated

On this Saturday, between the crucifixion and resurrection, we can only imagine what the disciples, Jesus family and other followers were going through, but let's back up a bit. 

It was just before 6pm on Friday that Jesus body was taken down from the cross. Joseph of Arimathea and Nicodemis, both closet followers of Jesus were part of the Sanhedrin and up until now had been fearful of anyone knowing they believed Jesus to be the son of God. They were the ones that went to Pontius Pilate to appeal to him that they may remove Jesus Body and place in a tomb before the Sabbath. That action in itself is a big deal. While the disciples were

scattering, hiding, mourning and fearful, two men came forward to care for Jesus body. Nicodemis brought spices and oils and they laid him to rest.
Now the rest of the Sanhedrin was undaunted in their mission, they too went to appeal to Pontius Pilate but for another purpose. 
They had remembered Jesus saying he would rise up 3 days later, and they wanted the tomb sealed and guards placed there so that the disciples could not remove the body and claim he was raised from the dead. 
The tomb was guarded all through the night, the next day and into the second night.

Meanwhile, the disciples are in a state of shock, deep grief, feeling so very lost and defeated. Defeated because they never fully grasped the teachings Jesus shared about the meaning behind being the Lamb of God. They did not connect the meaning of how Jesus was to be the sacrificial lamb as atonement for the sins of man. They did however recall his teachings of being the Son of God that would deliver them and through him they would have victory and entrance into the Kingdom of God. Trouble with that was their perception of what the Kingdom of God was. Their thoughts were limited to the earthly realm. They expected Jesus would conquer the Romans and rule a Kingdom on earth. This brought on feelings of total defeat. Little did they know that VICTORY was just around the corner.

How many times have we felt defeated and lack the faith to know Jesus will provide. Does he always provide what we want or does he provide what we need? Click on the following link, .... Ponder, Pray while listening to this song and renew your faith What if your Blessings come in Raindrops

Holy Friday

As we awake this morning and reflect on this day being Holy Friday or Good Friday we realize that while we slept Jesus endured trials by religious leaders, political leaders, condemned to death, beaten, tortured and humiliated by soldiers, made to carry his own cross and by 9am or so he is nailed to the cross.

He wears a crown of thorns painfully pushed down upon his head as soldiers gamble for his robes, his mother, family and followers that dared, watched on in utter devastating grief as life drained from his body. By 3pm or so he utters the words," It Is Finished" and by 6pm he is laid in the tomb.
 

His followers expected a different outcome, they believed he had come to save them not die on a cross. Although they had been told he would lay his life down for mankind and be raised again, they never really grasped the whole story. 

Today we know the outcome, we know the victory that takes place in 3 days time, but they did not. For them it was painful grief beyond compare, it yielded all the deepest emotions of early grief, Denial, Anger, Blame, Shame, Remorse, Abandonment, and totally feeling lost. LOST & ALONE.
 

Judas can't live with his betrayal and commits suicide. The disciples scatter and weep. His family returns home to grieve. It's not a GOOD day, It is said that Good Friday also means Holy Friday and I actually prefer that name for this day, because the holiest of things occurred. "For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten son, that whosoever believes in him shall not parish but have everlasting life" John 3:16
Friday's events are recorded in Matthew 27:1-62, Mark 15:1-47, Luke 22:63-23:56, and John 18:28-19:37