The
traumatized beloved disciple.
The
final cries of agony as the sickening thud and crunch of leg bones
being deliberately broken on either side of the central crucifix.
The
mocking crowd silenced by darkness and the trembling earth.
The
spear-pierced chest of the Son; His heart emptied of blood and water.
The
two respectable old men coming with servants and releasing the Body
from the blood-blackened wood of the crosspiece and lowering it
gently to the ground. There, in the trampled dirt, they wrap it in
linen and spices, as the custom of the Jews is to bury.
The
bemused Roman soldiers, battle-hardened and immune to the bleeding
and broken flesh of the dead, marveling at the convulsions of earth
and sky coinciding with the death of this Man; the same Man who had
uttered words of forgiveness as they brutally nailed Him to the
Cross.
In
the precincts of Jerusalem, some of the dead are made alive again and
walk among the living. Not as zombies, but with resurrected
life, soon to be led into Heaven by their King. The foot and a half
thick veil of the Temple on ancient Mount Moriah rent in two from top
to bottom.
All
these images, sounds, and sensations assailed my mind as I looked
over the edge of existence from the Balcony. I had wished to see
Jesus. My prayer had been granted.
The
Tomb to which they transported the pale, lifeless Figure was a cave
hollowed into the side of a granite hill near a garden intended to
serve as a rich man's burial chamber.
A
few men and women followed, overwhelmed with heartbreak and grief,
wailing and sobbing in despair from the depths of their souls.
The
Body placed lovingly inside on the chiseled granite shelf. The
massive stone gate rolled into its permanent place sealing the cave
from all light and life.
Before
sunset, just as the observant Jews left to comply with 1400-year-old
Sabbath regulations, a cohort of Roman guards arrived to prevent
anyone from entering the Tomb and stealing the body.
The
corpse lay lifeless and cold; God become Man become sin become
sacrifice.
Did
I continue to gaze on that scene for three planetary days and nights?
Was time telescoped in some fashion? I cannot say.
What
I do know is that as I watched I was somehow transported to the place
of the righteous dead; a temporary abode deep within the earth where
those who had died in faith - from ancient Cain to the repentant
thief on the Cross - awaited the Promised Seed of the Woman, the One
who would lead the captives free.
And
there I saw Him, the Glorified One, His raiment shining as white as
the sun, announcing His victory over Death and Hades and proclaiming
the magnificent Gospel of grace. He bade them wait just a little
while longer, and He would bring them to their longed for place of
rest.
After
this, I observed and heard the disciples, less one, hidden away
secretly behind locked doors, gathered together fearfully in mourning
and utter discouragement. These were men and women sorrowful beyond
words, feeling as orphans suddenly bereft of all hope and comfort.
Although
I knew the sun rose the next dawn, and the dawn after that, the light
that it brought to the earth was pale and without real warmth. And
though most of the planet went on as it had from the beginning, those
few who knew of the momentous events of the last three years, and
especially the last three days, looked upon life and the future as
those who had lost a firstborn to an untimely and violent death.
They
were filled with sorrow upon sorrow, wondering whether or not what,
and more importantly, Who, they had believed was true. Was it all a
dream? A deranged vision? What of the miracles? And the glorious
teachings? What of this Man who could still the storm, give sight to
the blind, heal the sick, make the lame whole, and raise the dead?
And
where was God to allow such horror and disillusionment to occur?
Perhaps
it was understandable that in their grief and fear they did not
remember the words that He Himself had graciously told them about
these events before they unfolded, so that they might believe.
Perhaps
in their mere humanness and self-focus, these men, who had been His
closest disciples day in and day out for more than three years, could
not see beyond their own personal brokenness and horror.
And
while they were immersed in mourning and bitter disappointment at the
immensity of the loss suffered, the world around them rejoiced in
raucous discord. The troublemaking rabble-rouser had finally received
His just reward; destroyed on the Cross as a vile blasphemer and
criminal.
Then
in the darkness of that cavern Tomb, unseen by human eyes, a light
burst forth like that which had been at the start of Creation, and
Life returned to that lifeless Body.
He
who had died in such agony, made Himself alive again, just as was
foretold according to the ancient Scriptures. He who was the Light of
the World, the Word of God, the Bread of Life, the Door, the Good
Shepherd, the Way the Truth the Life and the Resurrection, became
alive again forever more.
And
as the entire Host of Heaven raised their voices as one in glorious
angelic praise to the One who is, Who was, and Who is to come, all
the defiled Legions of Hell screamed in demonic agony and terror,
knowing that their days were short, and their end in eternal
destruction assured.
And
then the cry of “HE IS RISEN!” went forth to all the world
forever changing, not only the course of history, but the very human
heart itself.
© Bill Lilley 2011, 2013
