“Now upon the first day of the week, very early in the morning, they came unto the sepulchre (tomb), bringing the spices which they had prepared, and certain others with them.

And they found the stone rolled away from the sepulchre.

And they entered in, and found not the body of the Lord Jesus.

And it came to pass, as they were much perplexed thereabout (very confused about this), behold, two men stood by them in shining garments;

And the were afraid, and bowed down their faces to the earth, they said unto them, Why seek ye the living among the dead? He is not here, but is risen:  remember how he spake unto you when he was yet in Galilee? 

Saying,  The Son of man must be delivered into the hands of sinful men, and be crucified, and the third day rise again.  And they remembered his words.” Luke 24:1-8

Can you imagine?

All they had witnessed, all the horror they had just experienced, imagine one you so dearly love, that you have followed and in His case worshiped, watching Him day after day as He healed those who were sick, freed minds and souls from the demonic forces of satan, even witnessing Him command death itself to release those that He had chosen to live to the glory of His Father.

Sitting at His feet as He taught seemingly new and even socially strange thoughts of mercy and compassion. Thoughts so foreign in stark comparison to the laws of harsh retaliation and punishment that had been for so long the law of the day.

He taught the pure and yet simple truths of life and of the love that God has for us and the love that he desires us to have one for another. And giving us all these things with the commandments He had written and sent by Moses, we still, just did not get it.

So He came and lived it for us, teaching us, showing us, and dying for us because no human could ever live up to that level of “perfection”. Only the Son of God, the Holy One, The perfect spotless Lamb, who for us all, and for the love of us all came to this earth and taught us these things, things we could never know in ourselves and love so great and unconditional that we can’t even attain to His level.

And can you imagine, being someone like the man who had been possessed by Legion, can you imagine your mind so disturbed and your soul so taken over that a literal graveyard becomes your home and the demons desiring to destroy the image of God in which He created you, prompts you to constantly cut your flesh with sharp stones and being so fierce, that even those who would want to try to minister help is prevented because the demons are so strong that even the strongest chains cannot hold you and are broken effortlessly.

And can you imagine, the moment when Jesus came and sent those demons out and as the Bible said of this man, you are left, “sitting at the feet of Jesus, clothed, and in his right mind.” 

Can you imagine being the blind man whose eyes Jesus anointed with clay He himself had formed and instead of others rejoicing with him that his sight had been restored, he and his parents were met with accusations, inquisitions, and finally expulsion from the temple. That is how the devil works and often what should be cause for rejoicing is instead used to wage war.

But Jesus in His mercy and grace did not leave this man to even be subjected to second guessing the words of the enemies and came to him yet again, John 9:35-36: “Jesus heard that they had cast him out (threw him out of the supposed house of God); and when he found him ,he said unto him, Dost thou believe on the Son of God?  He answered and said, Who is he Lord, that I might believe on him? And Jesus said, Thou hast both seen him, and it is he that talketh with thee.  And he said, Lord, I believe, and he worshipped him.”

Jesus, as always beautiful and kind beyond comparison, always seeking those that are His and never leaving us when we need him, finding us in those places that the enemy has driven us, comforting us and securing us in the knowledge that were are His and that we are those who will never be plucked form His hands.

Imagine being the one who sins had washed away as her tears washed His feet all the while The voice of Simon screaming through her mind trying to keep her away from the one place she so desperately needed to be.

And imagine the relief of not being reprimanded and ran away but instead being accepted and even defended by the Lord Himself.

Then imagine the sorrow and disbelief when that Protector was beaten, tortured, and died nailed to a cross made from a tree. For all seen purpose and intent now left completely alone, the one whose gentleness and love brought peace and purpose to a delicate state of mind and that purpose for all it seemed had now been lost.

Imagine His mother Mary, who was in effect a jewel in the crown of a King imagine Her sorrow.

For all of these and all the disciples, imagine all the hundreds and I would dare say thousands of thousands He had touched, healed, and blessed.

Imagine how they could not imagine that this one, who had created heaven and earth, could be truly gone.

All the preparation in the world, just like those prepared spices, even our spiritual preparations, could ever prepare for that loss.

Ever feel like that in your life? I know I sure have.

We all at one time or another go through those “blind spots” when it does seem that all we have striven for, worked for, suddenly means nothing.

And seeds we have planted seem to have sprung up only for a second as a tender new plant and then just as quickly droop and wither away and no matter what we do or how hard we try the little plant can not be revived. 

We too, sometimes get so bombarded by the overwhelming feelings of loss and discouragement that we “prepare” those spices, we prepare to accept the “death”, which can translate to defeat, of something that may in fact be quite alive. 

Sometimes we just need to be reminded of what Jesus has taught us and need to remember something else that  He said,  John 12:24: “Verily, verily, I say unto you, Except a corn of wheat fall into the ground and die, it abideth alone; but if it die, it bringeth forth much fruit.” 

Of course He was referring to His own death, and nothing would ever be the same for those who shared His earthly life with Him and in truth, the life that they had known had died with Him, and for the disciples there would be no ever going back to those days of walking dusty roads, singing hymns, and watching the Master work and now they would have to develop that faith He had given them and BELIEVE through His name and His power to do those greater works that He promised they would do.

And that is our thought for this Resurrection season, Jesus was not there and He would never be in that tomb again!

He had risen!

And in our own lives we have to sometimes allow thoughts, hopes, and dreams to “die”, no longer continue to seek those places that no longer exist.

But instead look for new growth, new leaves springing up in places we may have never noticed before because we will never truly see the living as long as our “eyes’ are focused on what is dead.

Blessings to you and your this Resurrection season! And above all, Blessings, and  honor, and praise, and glory to the Lord Jesus! Thank Him for loving us and coming into this world, dying for us and most of all RAISING FROM THE DEAD for us.

Φλογιζω NBJ 2019 Original post 04/2019 REVISTED 03/10/2021