This Day

Can you imagine what this day was like?

His capture was a great deceit. His trial, a travesty. His death, a horrifying finale. 

Now, it is over. Finished, if you will. Now what? 

This day. Before He arose. Before the tomb was empty. What was it like?

Quiet, I imagine. The followers grieving and frightened. Conjuring images of their own deaths, perhaps. Confused. Unsure what was next. Alone. Without their Teacher. 

Angry. Perhaps they argued. Some may have been planning to flee. Certainly they had differing opinions on what to do next. 

Think of what that felt like. No Jesus. No promise of redemption. No light. No Holy Spirit. Can you imagine?  Wait. Can you remember?

Yes, this is where you were. Not subject to the laws of the Torah, but with only society's rules to follow. Unsure of your place in the world. No promise of love or light, now or after death. 

This is where a lot of people still are, today. Do you empathize? Do you go back to that place and remember how it felt? Before you knew. Before He showed Himself. 

Or do you throw Bible verses around? Condemn "sinners" to Hell? Argue about where they've been and the new "rules" they need to follow?

What did the followers need?

Compassion. Love. Jesus. 

That's what they needed. And they had to wait for it. Dealing with loss, over those days. Alone. They didn't need laws and rules. Religion. They needed Jesus. 

Imagine. 

You know what happened. You know how it ends. You have the benefit of thousands of years of history. And your own life, before and after. What are you doing? How are you helping the lost, the grieving, the frightened, the angry?

Are you giving someone Jesus?