Easter is coming! Are you ready? Easter is early this year– March 31!
That means Palm Sunday is March 24! Daffodils have just started
blooming. A few trees have buds, but it still looks like winter outside. I’m
always struck by how barren the scenery is during winter. Trees with
dark, crooked branches point up to the grey sky with skeleton-like
fingers. It’s dreary outside today as I write this. It doesn’t look like Easter
is coming.
The disciples weren’t expecting Easter either. As Jesus got closer and
closer to Jerusalem in those final days, cold winds of political unrest
circled them. Jesus warned them that the Messiah would be struck
down. “See, we are going up to Jerusalem and everything that is written
about the Son of Man by the prophets will be accomplished. For he will
be handed over to the Gentiles; and he will be mocked and insulted and
spat upon. After they have flogged him, they will kill him, and on the
third day he will rise again.” (Luke 18:31-34)
The disciples didn’t understand, but the seriousness of Jesus’ words and
mood left them feeling uneasy. When Jesus was finally arrested, tried,
and crucified, darkness overcame them. Their hopes for a new kingdom
of God on earth were dashed.
Three days later, they weren’t ready for the resurrection. They could not
see past the dreary devastation of the past week’s events. It didn’t look
like Easter was coming. . .
But Easter was coming. In all its glory, Easter came and Jesus was
resurrected from the grave. The disciples were so unprepared that at
first, the empty grave just confused them. Mary didn’t even recognize
Jesus when he was standing right in front of her. Death was all their
brains could comprehend. Hope had not dawned on them yet. They
weren’t ready for Easter.
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