In the Beginning, a Celebration

It began with a parade, a fiercely joyous celebration, waving palm branches, cheering, shouting and singing hymns to God as they made their way to Jerusalem; Jesus was at last coming into his own: the Messiah, the king of the Jews, the heir and successor to David. Now, during this glorious feast of Passover, as in days of old, a leader had been called forth by God to lead the Jewish people to freedom.

“The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he has anointed me to bring good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim release to the captives and recovery of sight to the blind, to let the oppressed go free, to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor.” ~ Luke 4:18-19 ( Isaiah 61:1-2)

The sun was shining, birds were singing, children were laughing, the disciples were bubbling over with enthusiasm. Here we go! This is it, friends! What a time to be alive!

Jesus remained somber throughout, his expression grave, his eyes fixed on the road ahead, his hands gentle on the reins as the donkey trudged steadily toward Jerusalem. Some said his bearing was regal, befitting the King of the Jews; others saw a Man of Sorrows, weary and grieving.

Jerusalem, Gethsemane, Golgotha… it was inevitable; there could be no other way, no other path, no other outcome. As the Lord answered the Pharisees, there was no stopping it, no turning back; it had been ordained, decreed — set in stone. And the very earth itself would testify to what God had done.

He answered, “I tell you, if these were silent, the stones would shout out.” ~ Luke 19:40

O, Jerusalem!

As Jerusalem came into view, Jesus reached out his hands — to bless, even to embrace the city; as if to hold the people in his arms, to shelter them as a mother bird shelters her little ones under her wings; if only he could protect them, save them from …. from error, from evil, from hurt and harm, from hopelessness, from despair.

Soon. Already-and-not-yet It Is Done. Will they see? Will the people understand? Will the disciples?

Then, chaos. Events churning the disciples like pebbles in a wadi flooded by a sudden cloudburst. Memories blurred, fragmentary, a deluge of images: accusations, anger, scorn, a shared meal, wine, the Lord speaking in riddles, nightfall, a kiss, confusion, soldiers, swords drawn, fleeing in terror; then Jesus a captive, a prisoner, on trial, condemned, crucified, died, buried. … All was lost.

The next day the disciples gathered together, sorrowful, hopeless, terrified. Judas, of course, had disappeared. Some headed for home, others remained because they had nowhere else to go, or were fearful of being arrested.

Simon Peter answered Him, “Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life." ~ John 6:68

Those Women

The disciples may have soothed their consciences by trash talking Judas, yet they, too, had betrayed the Lord. Every one of them abandoned Jesus when he was arrested, running away and leaving him alone — one so desperate that he left his robe behind (caught in the grip of a pursuing soldier), and fled, naked. Even Peter — the “rock,” reliable, solid, steady — denied even knowing Jesus three times.

Women’s Work

But then there were the women. Following at a distance, invisible to the authorities, ignored by the soldiers, the women were there with Jesus throughout it all, watching, grieving, witnessing the Lord’s trial, torments, crucifixion, and death. The women had the courage to stay and watch, as they had done at countless births and deaths, witnessing the messy business of life at its beginning and its ending. Women’s work.

Now, on the morning of the first day, in the bleak early dawn, a woman made her way to the tomb.

Mary Magdalene pulled her robe closer, the cold air biting at her face and fingertips. Silence surrounded her, an empty, dead silence; her breath created a ghostly fog and, as she watched, shaped itself into the form of a man. Mary shook her head, banishing the image, and stopped in front of what she was certain was the tomb where Jesus lay.

Something was wrong. A massive granite stone gleamed pinkly in the morning sun, revealing the open entrance to the cave. Tombs were always closed securely to seal off the odor of decay and to prevent animals from …. she closed her eyes. No. Oh not that, please.

But the truth was even worse. The tomb was empty.

An Awakening

Simon Peter’s wife tugged on his shoulder, “Get up! Mary Magdalene has been to the Lord’s tomb; she says they have taken his body out of the tomb, and no one knows where they have laid him.”

Peter was instantly on his feet, pulling on his robe and scuffing his feet into his sandals. He and the other disciple raced toward the tomb, Mary Magdalene following slowly, cautiously, frowning. It was strange; she kept thinking that she heard someone calling her name.

The disciples discovered that the tomb was indeed empty. The linen shroud lay discarded on the floor — a cocoon whose resident had flown; the cloth that had covered the Lord’s face sat on nearby shelf, folded up like a napkin.

“Nobody home,” said Peter.

“Oh my God,” said the other disciple.

“Yes, I believe you’re right,” said Peter.

The disciples then returned home, full of wonder.

But Mary Magdalene remained behind, crying as though her heart would break.

No More Tears

Bending low to peer into the empty tomb, her eyes clouded with tears, Mary saw two angels in white sitting where the body of Jesus had lain.

The world was suddenly very still, although her heart seemed to be beating unusually loud. Mary blinked and dried her eyes on the hem of her scarf. She blinked again. They were still there, looking back at her.

They said to her, “Woman, why are you crying?” There was no sound, yet she heard them clearly.

She said to them, “They have taken away my Lord, and I don’t know where they have laid him.”

As she said this, she turned around and saw Jesus standing there, but she didn’t know that it was Jesus.

Jesus said to her, “Woman, why are you crying? Who are you looking for?”

Believing him to be the gardener, she said, “Sir, if you’ve moved his body, tell me where you’ve put him, and I’ll take him away.”

Jesus said, "Mary!” It was as if scales had fallen from her eyes and she saw him clearly before her. “Rabbouni!” she cried (which means dear teacher in Hebrew), and reached out to embrace him.

But Jesus stepped back, "Don't try to hold onto me; I haven’t yet ascended to the Father; but go to my brothers and tell them, ‘I am ascending to my Father and your Father, to my God and your God.’”

The Annunciation

Mary Magdalene went and announced to the disciples, "I have seen the Lord," and she told them that he had said these things to her.

Then things got really interesting.

Christ is Risen. Let us rejoice and be thankful. Hallelujah!

Deborah  ✝

Suggested Spiritual Exercise

Have a beautiful, blessed Easter Season.

To paraphrase Ebenezer Scrooge, Let us try to keep Easter in our hearts, all the year through.