I want to take a week off from Habakkuk to reflect on today, Easter. I’ve been remembering my time celebrating it in Jerusalem three years ago.
Days of Easter Past
After a sunrise service on the Mount of Olives, we walked back to the city. Making our way down the hill, we wandered past the traditional location of the Garden of Gethsemane and decided to duck in for a few minutes. I’d been there many times before, but that day brought a different feeling to the place. Typically people visit to remember Jesus fervently praying that night before his arrest, but that morning I got a different impression.
That Easter morning I saw that place in the light of a new day as I pondered: did the disciples ever come back here? Were they so traumatized by the night’s events and their failure that they avoided the place? Or did they return with a bittersweet attitude: yes, it had been an awful evening, but in the end, everything turned out alright (more than just alright actually). Imagine Peter saying to John: “We really had no idea what was happening that night, did we? When we arrived, we had no idea what was about to happen. The master had told us but we didn’t get it!”
What about where Jesus had been crucified? Crucifixions were always very public, typically outside a city gate to maximize the impact, so they must have passed by there frequently. Did they always recall Jesus there? Did they ever visit the empty tomb again? “Remember that frantic morning, Peter? There was such a mixture of fear and excitement and confusion.”
To Ponder…
What are your feelings about Easter this year? Excitement? Neutral, just another year? Perhaps something heavy is weighing on you. Remember that we serve a risen Messiah who promises to come again. Remember what God has done for you, not just broadly, but also personally. We need to keep reminding ourselves of these things because we are forgetful.
I think of my times in Israel and the region and other times in my life where he felt so close and real. Will I keep pressing on, whether in the good or the bad? Will you?
I will remember the deeds of the LORD;
Psalm 77:11-15
yes, I will remember your wonders of old.
I will ponder all your work,
and meditate on your mighty deeds.
Your way, O God, is holy.
What god is great like our God?
You are the God who works wonders;
you have made known your might among the peoples.
You with your arm redeemed your people,
the children of Jacob and Joseph. Selah