RESURRECTION REFLECTIONS

We stumbled down the dusty road, seeing through
red-rimmed eyes;
remembering other mornings like this, when our Jesus
walked alongside.
Our hearts were heavy-laden, our eyes were prone to weep.
We would rather have gone anywhere else than to the tryst we
had to keep.
But we were Jewish women, daughters of Father Abraham's line,
and we must fulfill the traditions
and see   Jesus     one     last     time.
The carefully-chosen spices, our final gift of love to share,
we carried sadly toward the tomb to place 'round His body there.
We wouldn't shirk our duty now; no, we'd honor our Friend
this day;
so, with silent tears and trembling hands, we steadfastly
kept on our way.
          ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

We thought the women imagined it; that grief had clouded their
weary minds.
Instead of annointing His lifeless body, they'd dropped the spices
and left them behind.
Yet, they had stood beneath the cross until He surrendered
to death;
courageously loving their suffering Lord until He drew His
last breath.
Except for John, we men had fallen back, afraid to face the
angry mob; and I, who'd spoken such lofty vows, denied I knew
the Son of God!

Now, swallowing fear, both John and I ran briskly to that
joyless place;
then John stood, lost in memories, while I stooped and entered the dismal space.
Just as they said, the tomb was empty; no morbid body lay in death's cold hand.
I saw the strips of linen, and the face cloth; my eyes beheld what I could not understand.

(We didn't know, when the third day dawned, and the brilliant sun rose  in the sky, that our sins had been paid for by the blood of Jesus as He hung on the cross to die.)

Poor Mary.  She insisted she'd seen Him that morn, that He spoke with her, then went on His way.
We let her console herself with her daydreams; they were all she had left that tragic day.
For the rest of us, bowed down with grieving, it seemed now that evil had won;
Not even a tomb for remembance, for His dear, battered body was gone.

As we clustered together that evening, confused and just needing our Friend,
He suddenly stood there among us --
          our Brother,
                    our Teacher, 
                              our Master, 
                                        our Messiah --

                             JESUS WAS LIVING AGAIN!

We reacted with terror; stood frozen with fright --
so sure that He must be a ghost.
Then  He spoke, in the voice that we loved and remembered, 
dissolving our fears and drawing us close:
 
                      "PEACE   be  with  you!"

Hosanna, King Jesus!   You're living today!
You have conquered the darkness; even death holds no sway!
You hold every answer our hearts need today.
You're reigning in glory to show us the way.
You suffered and bled for our sins to pay.
We worship You, Jesus!    You're living today!

 
  I AM the resurrection and the life; he who believes in Me will live, even though he dies.........John 11:25