The Third Day

April 20, 2014 Background Scripture: Hosea 6:1 – 3; Luke 24:1 – 12 Lesson Passage: Hosea 6:1 – 3; Luke 24:1 – 12 In our lesson today, we are reviewing the phenomenon that occurred Easter Sunday morning after Jesus’ crucifixion. The events presented by Luke in this text flow like the unfolding of a “whodunit” mystery. First we have a group of women who were part of the Christ following crowd during the years of his ministry. Out of respect for the Law, they observed the Sabbath from sundown Friday until early Sunday morning. Out of respect for their great Teacher and Miracle Worker, they went early in the morning, Sunday, to finish what time did not allow on Friday—that is the burial anointing of Jesus’ body. Jesus’ followers clearly expected his body to be in the grave Sunday morning. So sure were they that Jesus’ body would be there, that they carried the spices they had prepared to anoint it. When they arrived, they found the cave was opened and they saw that there was no body inside of it. In their confusion, they were surprised by the presence of two men in shining apparel. These men stated that Jesus had risen from the dead even as he had informed his followers he would prior to his death. These women recalled Jesus’ words upon being reminded. So the women left the cave and returned to the rest of the group and informed them as to what they had experienced. Their words fell on deaf ears as the apostles found them difficult to believe. Their message was too surreal to be plausible. Peter went to the cave to examine it for himself. Peter went into the cave and found the linen cloth that had been wrapped around Jesus prior to his internment in the cave but the body was not there. Peter left the cave still confused about the matter. These are details of one of the greatest mysteries the world has ever known. Nothing Jesus did for the three years they had known him could compare to this. It was evident before that God was with Jesus and the miracles were the proof. While he lived, Jesus was invincible. Even the wind and the waves obeyed his voice. There was no sickness or disease beyond his healing ability. Even those born with infirmities were healed by this miracle worker named Jesus. He even raised Lazarus from the dead after his body had begun to decay and stink. But did not all of that end on Friday when he was brutally beaten and died? His followers had seen his body hanging there in shame for all to witness. The religious leaders had ridiculed him even in that state. The Gentiles had shown no mercy in their ill treatment of him. The Centurion soldier had verified he was dead and even split his side open with a spear just to be sure. Nicodemus and Joseph of Arimathea had removed his limp body from the bloody cross—that emblem of torture and shame. They hastily wrapped it in a linen cloth and interned it in the cave Joseph had dug for his own use. The Roman soldiers had sealed the cave with a large stone and posted watchmen to ensure that no one would take his body and give his followers a sense of hope. But now, nothing added up. The body of Jesus was missing and the linen cloth was still there. As word spread that third day, the Jewish authorities accused Jesus’ followers of a crime they were confused about. Today we can thank God that there is no mystery as to what really happened to the body of Jesus. And there will be much discussion concerning it on Easter Sunday. But for now, we get to experience the tension, confusion, and fear that must have gripped the hearts of Jesus’ followers on that third day. Robert C. Hudson April 14, 2014