It's almost Sunday!

Yesterday, Jeff and I (along with our dog, Fergus) enjoyed a road trip to Oak Ridge to watch Colton's baseball team in action.  Watching your son coach is an awesome feeling, but that is another blog for another day.  Yesterday was Good Friday, and we really enjoyed just some simple and quiet time together riding the back roads of East Tennessee.  As we came home last night, I couldn't help but think about a Friday evening two thousand plus years ago.  As we came home last night, we ran into dark clouds; howling winds; roaring thunder; amazing lighting bolts.  As we came home last night, I was in awe of God's majesty, reigning down in a terrible thunder storm.  I cannot imagine what people thought two thousand years ago, as the day grew dark, and the earth began to shake.  I can almost see the silhouette of Jesus hanging on the cross, as the soldier proclaimed, "Surely, this was the Son of God."

Today, on Saturday, the sun is again shining.  Tornado sirens are quiet.  The air is fresh and crisp, and the birds are singing.  The darkness and fear from last night's storms is past.  On Saturday, two thousand years ago, the sun may have shone.  The birds may have sung, but the darkness and fear from Friday's events were still ever present in the lives of those who loved the Lord.  I can only imagine, His family, His friends, His precious mother -- waking up on Saturday after a restless night, only to realize that it was not a nightmare.  It was not a mistake.  Jesus was gone.  They had seen His lifeless body taken down from the cross.  They had lovingly prepared that broken body for burial.  They had seen the tomb sealed with a great stone.  The sunshine had no meaning, and the birds' song had no melody.  The Son of God was dead.

But then . . . Sunday.   The third day.  It began much the same.  The aching hurt.  The endless longing.  The sad hopelessness.  The dread of a future without the Light.  Little did they know . . .

SUNDAY would change EVERYTHING!!  Little did people realize, the death of Jesus was not the END, but only the BEGINNING!  On Sunday, my Lord; your Lord; GOD'S SON, would burst forth from that grave. The stone would be rolled away!  That torn and tattered body would be filled with NEW LIFE and new hope for all of US!  YOU AND ME -- TWO THOUSAND YEARS LATER!  Death would be conquered.  Christ's resurrection would take away the pain of death.  The pain of separation.  The pain of hopelessness.  The hurt and sadness of Friday and Saturday would be nothing compared to the VICTORY of SUNDAY!

On Sunday, my Lord; your Lord; God's son, would show His power, and His love for me, and for you.  The sting of death was lessened.  Separation might be temporary, but salvation would be for eternity.  This earthly life would pass, and with it would come physical death.  But spiritual life everlasting was promised because Jesus came out of that grave on Sunday!  Death had no victory!   

On Sunday, the plan of those men in high places had failed.  The betrayal for a bag of silver had been of no use.  On Sunday, a mother's heart would be healed.  On Sunday, Satan would be defeated. On Sunday, I was given a promise of eternal life.  On Sunday, you were given that same promise.

What a gift!  What a weekend!  What a SAVIOR!  Friday was dark, but Sunday came.  Life is often dark, but eternity is ahead.  So take heart, and know that tomorrow is SUNDAY!

(*Some of this blog has been taken from one of my previous Easter blogs, "Sunday's A'Comin'".)