In the Distance

Jesus came to earth on a mission to die. That’s not to say He had a death wish, but He knew that to live among humanity as it was always meant to be, He would have to sacrifice His life.

This was not a popular thought among His twelve apostles. They were thrilled to be in the Messiah’s inner circle, but they wanted the coming kingdom. Not His coming death.

When Jesus was taken into custody and then handed over to the Roman governor for execution, every thought of the kingdom evaporated. Mary Magdalene and other women watched and followed His every step, from His arrest to His judgment by the Roman prefect to his bloodied steps along the Via Dolorosa toward the hill called Golgotha.

They hardly recognized His broken body, but they stood close enough to hear the nails being pounded into his hands and feet. They could not leave His side. The watched Him at a distance—this beloved Redeemer who had freed them from so much darkness.

And now He hung on a cross, so disfigured that they strained to see the Messiah they had come to believe in and love.

He spoke a few words between strangled attempts to breathe. Darkness fell and they couldn’t see their hands before them. The earth shook and they nearly fell, but they did not leave. Not even when the darkness lifted and the soldier pierced His side. Not even death could take Him from them. From Mary, who probably needed Him most.

She stayed. She watched. She followed to see where they laid Him. She would return. She would care for His body. She couldn’t leave Him.

Not ever.

Prayer: Lord God, we cannot imagine the suffering Jesus went through on our behalf. We can barely imagine how those women could possibly stand there watching and waiting through it all. They didn’t run in fear for their lives. They stayed, perhaps in fear of losing sight of You. They loved You as we can only hope to love You. Give us a love like theirs for You alone. Help us to not only watch but stay. And never leave.