Apri 4, 2021: This isNot Resuscitation – Amanda Lum

In the church we are familiar with Good Friday, when Jesus gave His life on the cross. We also know that Friday was not the end of the story; that the story does not end in death. We gather every year on Easter to celebrate and cling to the hope found in the resurrection. We are familiar with Friday and possibly even more familiar with Resurrection Sunday, but what about Saturday? Rarely do we talk about the day that the family, friends, and followers of Jesus lived through between His death on the cross, and His resurrection. Even though we rarely talk about Saturday, all of us at some point in our lives will sit in our own Saturdays.

 

Saturday and the pain it holds is a reality all of us will face in this life, but Sunday is coming. Resurrection is coming, and it will be beyond anything we could have ever dreamed or imagined. Today we hold the promise of Resurrection because we know the story does not end in death, but the disciples didn’t know that, in fact they never saw it coming. When you read about the resurrection and about the encounters Jesus has with people following His resurrection, there is one common theme, confusion. They are utterly confused, filled with fear, and doubt; none of them saw it coming.  That’s because in the ancient world the followers of Jesus never thought of or even dreamed of the possibility of their Messiah being resurrected. There was no category in their thoughts, lives, or beliefs for the Messiah to be resurrected. This was brand new. And that’s what resurrection is, something completely brand new. Resurrection invites us to open our eyes, our minds, and our hearts to possibilities we never thought would ever have existed. Resurrection invites us to see that God is doing a new thing, bringing new life, and it is beyond anything we could have ever imagined.