Have you ever considered what it must have been like to be a disciple of Christ the day after he was crucified, that lonely Saturday after Jesus breathed his last, his body broken and blood-soaked after hanging on a cross?
On Good Friday some 2,000 years ago, our Lord was beaten and excoriated, the stress upon his mind and body so great that He exhibited two rare medical conditions: The water flowing from His side revealed hypovolemic shock and hematidrosis, showing that His body was under such extreme stress that capillaries under the skin burst and blood broke forth in Gethsemane before his scourging had even begun.
From his followers’ perspective, imagine the horror of watching the man you followed and loved for three years, nailed to a wooden cross, hoisted in the air and hanging in agony.
Imagine the fear that would take hold, forcing you to consider hiding in your house before the Roman soldiers came to give you the same treatment.
Imagine the overwhelming feeling of defeat and thinking that all your hopes and dreams died with Jesus on that tree.
That Saturday between the Cross and the Resurrection must have been indescribably terrifying for the followers of Jesus.
But what Glory they found on Sunday morning!
Our world is suffering a different kind of terror these days, and while our dreaded consequence may not result in hanging on a cross, the fear of death is palpable for some. For others, forced confinement in the time of COVID-19 may have allowed a bitter root to set in, leaving even believers in fear and dismay over their circumstances.
But let me assure you, just as Sunday morning came nearly to thousand years ago, it will come again tomorrow. Our Lord is ALIVE!
And God is with us. What is happening in our day may well lead to a powerful renewal for which we have been praying for many years!
The oppressive rule of Big Government is being exposed as unworthy of our confidence, exactly as the Founders warned. They knew where our faith should lie – in God, not in a government of men.
This Easter, perhaps more than any Easter we have witnessed in our lifetimes, truly exemplifies the meaning of the observance. For Easter is about hope and deliverance from this world’s crushing burdens.
Roughly 2,000 years ago, at a Passover dinner, our Lord gave us a new commandment, “love one another as I have loved you.” In this time of trials, confinement and leanness, it would be easy to let anxiety or fear take hold.
But my friend, I encourage you during this time of waiting between the Cross and the Resurrection, to keep your eyes on our Savior — the King of Kings and Lord of Lords.
I encourage you to take this time to pray for the soul of our nation, for the weak, the hurting, the exhausted, the ill and the fearful. Pray for our leaders, that they would know the love of Christ. Pray for strength for yourself and your family to endure this trial and know that joy still comes in the morning!
For tomorrow is Easter, the day God fulfilled His promise and sealed a New Covenant, a covenant that blankets believers with the saving grace and blood of Christ. A covenant that defeats Satan and all his wiles, a covenant that offers all who believe an eternal place in His Kingdom!
Praise the Lord! Joy comes in the morning and may His will be done on earth as it is in Heaven.
In His Service,
Richard Forton,
Keys to Freedom Ministries Board of Trustees