It's Not Over Yet

The ultimate comeback of all time must be the resurrection of Jesus Christ. Jesus said, "It is finished," and everyone who knew Him thought that it really was. It didn't seem to matter that He told them that He would come back in three days. They hadn't heard those words as He intended them. We tend to interpret things in ways we understand. No one believed a man could come back to life after being dead . . . especially after a crucifixion. And surely the words of those who passed by at His execution made sense, "If you can save others, come down from the cross and save yourself!" He had not saved Himself. He had no apparent power over His accusers nor His executioners.  Surely, it was truly over.

So, with hope gone the disciples are without direction. They suppose to go back to their professions. Their supposed purpose in following this miracle maker is useless. There had been some good times. They would have be good stories for the grandchildren some day. They could tell of feeding thousands with only a little, of a man who walked on water, dead coming back to life and people being healed. Great stories, but what difference would it make if Jesus was dead and it was all over.

That, of course, makes the Easter surprise even more special. All of their hope had been removed. They had seen Jesus escape miraculously in the past but taking a dead body down from a cross, wrapping it in grave clothes and placing it in a tomb has the tendency to remove all hope of a comeback.

God takes us to the end of ourselves before He arrives. He puts us in places of thinking it ia all over before He declares that, with Him. it really isn't ever over.

On the other hand, I suppose without Him, it is already over.

As for me, I'm going to stay on the "it's not over" side.

Luke 24:6-9 (ESV) 6 He is not here, but has risen. Remember how he told you, while he was still in Galilee, 7 that the Son of Man must be delivered into the hands of sinful men and be crucified and on the third day rise.” 8 And they remembered his words, 9 and returning from the tomb they told all these things to the eleven and to all the rest.