These people could not control Jesus, and they could not corrupt Jesus, so they decided that they had to kill Jesus. They were suffering from JDS, commonly known as Jesus Derangement Syndrome, and they were triggered by His presence and His speech. To carry out their nefarious plan of murder they bribed Judas with thirty pieces of silver to betray Jesus. They would do whatever was necessary to end the ministry and even the life of Jesus.
This is where frightful Friday and silent Saturday ended, but this is also where Sunday began. What looked like the end, was just the beginning. What looked like defeat, was a victory in the making. What looked like shattered dreams and broken promises, was just an illusion because the reality was that with both hands and feet nailed to a cross, Jesus defeated the devil, He conquered sin, liberated the lost, and set the captives free.
The good news of Resurrection Sunday is that regardless of how low we feel, or how down we get, God is able to pick us up when we’re ready to look up and cry out to Him. But it will require us to lay aside every weight and the sin that doth so easily beset us. It means that we have to call out to Jesus and be ready and willing to repent.
As Christians, we try to model our life after the example of Christ and other people in the Bible who exemplified true Christian character. When it comes to a model for motherhood, two of the most powerful examples would be Jochebed, the mother of Moses, and Mary, the mother of Jesus. However, Mary would have to get the top spot because from the beginning she had to overcome obstacles, endure sorrow, and realize that she would never be the authoritative voice directing the destiny of her Son’s life.
And with that, sometime between 3 and 4 p.m. on a Friday, Jesus won the victory over sin. He was the perfect sacrifice, the Lamb of God without spot or blemish who takes away the sins of the world. But Jesus did not come only to defeat sin, He also came to defeat death. To do this, Jesus had to fully experience death, so the spirit of Jesus descended into Hades, and into the realm of the righteous dead to lead captivity captive.
As I meditated upon this account I started thinking about “those hands.” Does anyone know what I’m talking about when I say, “those hands”? I thank God for my mother, and for the hands that fed me and clothed me, and every once in a while, spanked me, but I’m not talking about my mother’s hands today. I’m talking about “those hands.” I thank God for doctors and for the many men and women who have helped me in my times of sickness or during surgery, but I’m not talking about the doctor’s hands today. I’m talking about “those hands.”
PETER’S PERSPECTIVE ON THE PASSION Translation by Mark E. Hardgrove Text: Mark 14:12 – 16:20 The Early Church Fathers believed that John Mark wrote the Gospel that bears Mark’s name. Papias said that Mark derived his content from Peter, whether from sermons Peter preached, or from conversations that Mark had with Peter. As such, the...
