[This reflection was published in the weekly news bulletin of Horley Baptist Church, 01/Apr/2018]
During Lent I never quite know how we should look forward to Easter. Should we be sorrowful as we know we approach Good Friday and all the memories of the sufferings of Jesus as he died for us, or should we be happy knowing that on Easter Sunday we rejoice that Jesus rose from the dead with a glorified body? I guess it’s a combination of both, but perhaps with an emphasis on the rejoicing as we remember that His death resulted in us finding faith for our forgiveness from God. Also we rejoice that His resurrection is a promise to us for having our future risen bodies like His, either after our death or at His Second Coming to reign.
For the sorrowful part I have been thinking of the way bystanders insulted Jesus as He suffered His horrific execution.
The crowd mocked Him – “Save yourself! Come down from the cross, if you are the Son of God!” (Matt. 27:40)
The chief priests and lawyers mocked Him – “He saved others but he can’t save himself! He’s the King of Israel! Let him come down now from the cross, and we will believe in him. He trusts in God. Let God rescue him now if he wants him, for he said “I am the Son of God”.” (Matt. 27:41-43)
The soldiers mocked Him – “If you are the king of the Jews, save yourself.” (Luke 23:37)
Jesus is the king of Israel and the Son of God, and their taunts could not hurt Him because He knew that He couldn’t save Himself, even though He had the power to do so. If He had come down from the cross, then He would never have died for us and we could not have received cleansing and forgiveness for all that we had done wrong in our lives.
But to start rejoicing I think of what one of the robbers said, when he acknowledged that he was guilty and deserved his punishment, but then he said – “Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom.” (Luke 23:42)
Isn’t that amazing? He was dying and Jesus was dying, and yet he had understood what all those who were mocking could not see, that Jesus really is the Son of God. Then Jesus made that wonderful promise as He said – “I tell you the truth, today you will be with me in paradise.” (Luke 23:43)
That’s only the beginning of the rejoicing. The day is coming when all of us who trust Jesus as our Saviour and will be resurrected will join with the forgiven robber in paradise and say – “Salvation belongs to our God, who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb (Jesus).” (Rev 7:10)
At last, Lent is over, I can say – “Happy Easter!”
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Contributed by Michael Goble; © the Author
