Before the Resurrection: When Life Doesn’t Turn Out Like We HopedSample

Day 1 - Setting The Scene

The Savior who rode into Jerusalem on a donkey with people shouting “Hosanna in the highest” was crucified within the week. He carried His own Cross to the place that He would hang - nails and all, the sky would go dark, and He would die.

We know the end of the story. This same beaten Savior would rise from the dead 3 days later, having defeated death itself, and bridged the gap between God and His people. But - what if we didn’t know the end of the story?

This was the reality for each and every disciple of Jesus after His Death. In the 3 day period - they found themselves confused, disappointed, ashamed, jobless, and probably terrified. Sure, Jesus told them He was going to conquer death - but they didn’t quite understand Him. Why? Because their Savior ultimately didn’t look like they thought He would.

To the Jewish people during this time, they expected the coming Messiah to be a war hero. He would conquer all of the nations and put the Jewish people back on the throne. After all, they were His chosen people.

But instead, the Messiah came as a needy baby in a manger - a place where horses and cattle ate their food. And while His disciples came to understand who exactly Jesus was and that He was in fact the Messiah, everything fell apart to them the day He died.

Take a moment to really put yourself in their shoes. The truth is - you’ve probably felt the same before.

You gave up your career because the Lord was Calling you to ministry and then 5 months in - the Church collapses. Peter, Andrew, James & John probably felt the same. They gave up their boats, their nets, and their fish to become fishers of men - and then suddenly there is no point anymore.

You thought you heard the Lord telling you to make a sizable donation to a charity that you deeply love and then the next thing you know that charity is being audited for fraud. I wonder if Mary struggled with the lie that her perfume was wasted.

There are a dozen more examples of the disappointments we may experience in life when we thought God was doing something and then He seemingly lets us down. It hurts. We lose trust in Him. We may even turn our backs on Him. We may hate Him.

But what if Resurrection is right around the corner? What if we are nearing the break of dawn? What if we miss it because we stopped looking?

Throughout the next couple of days, we are going to talk about what the disciples might have felt like before the Resurrection and how it relates to the lives we are living now. If Easter doesn’t feel like a time of great celebration this year, this devotional is for you, your family, and friends.

Take heart - because our Savior didn’t stay in the grave and you won’t either. Keep going.