 Saturday: Challenge of Death
When he had received the drink, Jesus said, "It is finished." With that,
he bowed his head and gave up his spirit.
John 19:30
During His lifetime Jesus faced every challenge that a person can face. At
His birth He faced the woes of need and depravation, being born in a barn
among animals. Yet the angels sang and shepherds worshipped. Before long
in an effort to kill Jesus, a maniacal king ordered the death of every newborn
child. Yet wise men brought gifts and Jesus' family escaped to safety. He
was fully human and experienced every awkward phase of growing up. Yet he
grew in favor before God and before men.
Throughout His life He knew that He had a special calling. Yet He had the
patience to wait until God's time had come. During His ministry He was yelled
at and people tried to stone Him. Yet others were healed. Even more were
fed. He was convicted and sentenced to die even though He had committed no
crime. His closest followers ran for their lives. Some denied that they even
knew Him. Yet even as He hung on a cross He inspired a thief to repent.
Jesus died. Yet it was He who declared that it was finished. Roman soldiers
felt compelled to declare that He was the Son of God. A righteous man sought
the opportunity to honor Him in burial. Pilate was moved to grant the request.
Although He was fully God and could have done anything that He willed, Jesus
did not even attempt to escape death. He was also fully human, and He completed
a fully human life. All the way to the grave.
Jesus foretold His resurrection and He knew that death was a step that has
to precede that miracle, but He was still fully human. The humiliation was
real. The beatings were painful. The crucifixion was agonizing. Jesus had
to watch His mother suffer at His feet. He had to see the fear in His disciples'
faces and the hatred in His enemies' eyes. On top of this, He carried the
sins of all people for all time. Every single sin, even though He was pure
and perfect and righteous. For Christ, death was not simply an event. It
was another challenge, and He faced it for us. On Saturday we remember that
Jesus lay in the grave. We remember that He had waited for this day. We remember
that He was still waiting for resurrection. And we are waiting with Him.
Christ had almost reached the resurrection when He lay in the grave, but
He waited for God's time to rise on Easter morning. We have almost reached
the destination on our pilgrim journey. The journey has been long. The effort
has been great. The miracle is about to happen. But we will follow our Lord's
example. We will wait for God's time.
God of eternity, your word tells us that a day is as a thousand years,
and a thousand years are as a day. I have a sense of eternity as I consider
the body of Jesus laying in the grave. I know that His pain was real, and
I know that His death was real. I know that He suffered for me. You suffered
for me. Give me patience to wait for your resurrection. Give me strength
to endure so that I can follow your path and do your will in your time. In
the name of your holy Son, my Savior. Amen.
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