I have imagined the reactions and thought processes of those people involved in the Good Friday and Easter narrative.
I hope that it will assist you to meditate on these events with fresh thoughts.
I
had been an angry man – angry with myself and angry with those around me. Then
I met Jesus who commanded me to follow Him, which I thought was presumptuous at
the time but did so anyway.
Slowly
but surely, He refined my character by graciously encouraging and lovingly
chastising when necessary. Over time, I found that I was beginning to reflect
the Rabbi in loving those that we encountered – rich and poor, lovely and
unlovely.
It
did not mean that I did not stop making mistakes, but Jesus never stopped forgiving
me. Indeed, He drew me closer to Himself with new insights that made me marvel
even more at the wonders of God.
It
was at the Last Supper that I recall being placed at the right hand of Jesus, a
place of privilege and honour. I could almost hear His heartbeat as He told us
of the new covenant that was to be established with the breaking of His body
and the spilling of His blood. I didn’t understand it at the time as I couldn’t
comprehend how this new testament of love could instigated by what seemed to be
great hatred.
Despite
this insight that He gave us, when the culmination of His mission came, we all
disappeared in the night. We were grateful that Jesus had commanded the temple
guard not to touch us because we were too scared to put up a fight.
Something
within me felt uneasy about abandoning the Rabbi at this time so I used my
contacts in the Sanhedrin to see the pre-trial proceedings undertaken by the
religious authorities. I wanted to faithfully tell the other disciples what had
happened. My heart was broken that this Man of love had been arrested and
treated in such a brutal way.
The
bonds of love still drew me toward Him even the closing hours of His life. Even
in those horrific times, my memory recalled that His teaching that there was no
greater love than a man giving up his life for his brothers, although I did not
realise that Jesus was doing it for the whole world.
As
I stood beneath His cross, I shared His selfless concern for others. I agreed
willingly to care for Mary His mother as a son would care for his parent.
When
He appeared after the resurrection, I knew that the beautiful love of God had
won over the ugliness of sin and death. I also realised that, when I closed my
eyes for the last time in this world, I would then see Love personified in all
His glory in heaven.
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