Monday, April 3
Devotional written by Pastor Sarah Czerwinski, Associate Pastor to Young Adults
SATURDAY: THE DISAPPOINTMENT
Taking Jesus’ body, the two of them wrapped it, with the spices, in strips of linen. This was in accordance with Jewish burial customs. At the place where Jesus was crucified, there was a garden, and in the garden a new tomb, in which no one had ever been laid. Because it was the Jewish day of Preparation and since the tomb was nearby, they laid Jesus there.
John 19:40-42
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One day the downcast and spiritually thirsty are being liberated and revived by the presence and words of this divine man; the next, you are watching his limp body removed from a criminal torture device. Your hope, fears, curiosity, and convictions collide, but you are mostly left with a heavy heart. Wasn’t He supposed to be the Mighty Savior of the world? Will He rise on the third day and usher in the Kingdom of God? These thoughts and questions could have been swirling in the minds of the “two,” Joseph of Arimathea and Nicodemus, who carried Jesus to His grave.
Jesus revealed to His disciples that He would overcome death on the third day, but to many, His beaten body looked like the end of the road. More times than I can recall, I have heard the promises of God and yet, in the storm of unexpected circumstances, laid them to rest in an early grave, convinced they are without power. I can’t say what Joseph and Nicodemus thought as they laid Jesus inside that garden tomb, but I admire their faithfulness to Jesus in the face of despair. They did not abandon their teacher, Savior, and friend in His time of need, and their dedication, even in His death, was a sign of solidarity and hope for what was to come.
Reflections: What disappointments are you facing right now? Do any of them go back to disappointment in God or His promises? Share them with Jesus in prayer, knowing He understands the tension you are facing.
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