Good Friday!

Have you ever seen "Jesus Christ Superstar"? Did your version include the resurrection?

When I was in high school, a friend from church played Jesus in his school's production. Several of us from our youth group went to see it, and it was quite a powerful production. In order to not offend, however, the resurrection scene was cut. The death of my friend affected me deeply and, for days following the production, my spirits were depressed.

Imagine how much more affected Jesus' disciples were at his crucifixion. Their eyes had not been opened yet; they did not understand he was going to rise again in only three days time. Instead, they watched their friend and rabbi, the one they believed to be the Messiah come to save the Jewish people from Roman oppression, as he was tortured to death by those same Romans. They had given all, their professions, their families, everything in order to follow him around for three years. And he was dead. Buried. Gone.

For these next few days, forget you know the end of the story. Put yourself in the place of the disciples and feel, really feel, their agony and loss. The power of the resurrection is only understood through devastating grief.

Until Sunday,
Becca