I Imagine

Can you sit back and imagine with me for a few minutes, the Easter story? This is not some literary story, told by people of old to spice up this time of the year.

Easter, a time for reflection and celebration, a time to sit back and enjoy the many blessings God has graciously delivered to us. A time to offer gifts and praise for the selfless act of kindness the father displayed when he took on the form of man, took our place on the cross and died the death of a wretched sinner.

Easter did not start with a celebration!

O what sadness was felt by Mary the mother of Jesus and Mary Magdalene when at dawn they found the tomb where he was laid empty, the feeling of hopelessness finally became real, their fears now a reality. He is dead, and worse his body stolen. With their heads bowed, they wept. He is gone, Mary’s precious Son, Lord and Saviour taken away and now the last fragments of his body gone too, nothing to remember him by, what sorrow they felt.

I imagine the disciples too, gathered together as usual encouraging one another, finding the strength to go on the day after their Lord and Saviour was killed. The man whom they saw performed miracles never before seen by men, the one who walked on water, the one who caused the blind to see and the lame to walk, the one who raised the dead.

I imagine Lazarus too, inconsolable from grief and disbelief that his saviour, the one who brought him back to life, killed and gone.
But still the one who humbly let them take him away from them? How dare he do this to them?

Peter too must have been really grief stricken, he denied his Lord, the Christ, O the look his master gave him moments before he was led away! Peter, I imagined locked himself away in his shame, cried and repented over and over again, but hoping and praying that his Lord would rise again as he said he would, praying and whispering, please come back, please come back.

I imagine the others too shocked to venture out for fear of reprisal from the crowd.

Hey, where’s your Lord and Master, the one who made himself equal with God, Dead huh? He hasn’t risen yet I suppose. You want to take his place? I imagine this.

Then I imagine the women as they stood by the tomb in agony as they realised that their saviour is gone forever, I imagine the angel as he spoke to them, women why do you look for him here? He is not here. He is risen, just as he said he would.

I imagine the change in their demure, the joy, the almost too good to be true expression that started with mouth agape and then spread to a simile and then to uncontrollable laughter and praise to the father.

I imagine them too excited to wait for the angel to finish his statement but ran, almost tripping on their garment to tell his disciple, he is not Dead, but he is "Risen" I imagine them stuttering over their words.

I imagined the disciples too, stunned with disbelief, confused, saying to Mary, slow down, speak quietly, what are you saying? You are not making any sense, what did you just say? And Mary, trying desperately to recount her encounter with the angels repeated, he’s not dead, he’s risen. Finally they got it, He is Risen he is not dead. He is back, like he said he would.

I imagine the joy, the cheers, the cries of, at last, he got up, he is risen, he is alive! I imagine this and I can’t help but dance and celebrate too.

This is for real, this is not a spiritual resurrection, not just my imagination, it happened. Jesus died and rose again. That’s what Easter is about.

A celebration of his resurrection, because with it, he gave us freedom from sin, sickness and disease, we can go to the father boldly and obtain mercy.

That’s what Easter is about.

I hope you too can know Jesus as Lord and Saviour and enjoy the joy and peace that comes with this knowledge.
Reflect on his death and resurrection and let that encourage you through whatever you may be going through, because if he rose from the dead, he can bring you out from whatever difficulties you may be facing.

Happy Easter. He is not dead he is alive because...........
Only he can take my sins and wash it white as snow.
Only he can take my pain and turn it to gain
Only he can touch my life with love so true and real.
Only he can comfort with words of peace and joy
Only he can turn a dark dull day and make the sun come shining through.

© Deboo April 2009.

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