… Jesus was crucified because of the culmination of his work defending the defenseless, bringing in those who were cast out, declaring clean those who were labeled unclean, and in so doing, challenging the religious/political systems of the day, or as the powers that be usually interpret it, insurrection. But at his death a curious thing happens. Luke 23:47 says, “When the centurion saw what had taken place, he praised God and said, ‘Certainly this man was innocent.’” Kind of a powerful declaration if you think about it. And so there hangs Jesus, dead, wrongfully convicted, a victim of state violence. Just a few days earlier the people were praising him as King, as one who would liberate. But now, their would-be king hangs on a cross, and is then buried in a tomb. Despair, doubt, fear, and deep, deep grief have fallen over his followers. Friday night, into Saturday morning, and the long Saturday night loom over them like a darkness they have never seen or felt. That’s the end of Luke 23.
When we turn to Luke 24, though, things change in one word, the first word of the chapter. It’s a little itty bitty word. The Greek word is “δὲ” (de). It means “but”. Despair, doubt, fear, and deep, deep grief have fallen over his followers. Friday night, into Saturday morning, and the long Saturday night loom over them like a darkness they have never seen or felt, but… That’s the space we’re in this Easter weekend: Waiting, wondering, pining for hope and good news. -Pastor Paul
SCRIPTURE: Luke 24:1-12
24 But on the first day of the week, at early dawn, they went to the tomb, taking the spices that they had prepared. 2 They found the stone rolled away from the tomb, 3 but when they went in they did not find the body. 4 While they were perplexed about this, suddenly two men in dazzling clothes stood beside them. 5 The women were terrified and bowed their faces to the ground, but the men said to them, “Why do you look for the living among the dead? He is not here but has risen. 6 Remember how he told you, while he was still in Galilee, 7 that the Son of Man must be handed over to the hands of sinners and be crucified and on the third day rise again.” 8 Then they remembered his words, 9 and returning from the tomb they told all this to the eleven and to all the rest. 10 Now it was Mary Magdalene, Joanna, Mary the mother of James, and the other women with them who told this to the apostles. 11 But these words seemed to them an idle tale, and they did not believe them. 12 But Peter got up and ran to the tomb; stooping and looking in, he saw the linen cloths by themselves; then he went home, amazed at what had happened.