A Few Hours Until Sunrise
As I sit here, I am thinking about our community sunrise service and our Easter worship service at NHBC. It is only a few hours now, until we will be worshiping Jesus together. We will leave in the dark, and we will look forward to the sunrise, because it will remind us of another rising, the rising of the Son. I am filled with anticipation of what God will do tomorrow as we worship Him.
How much different it was 2,000 years ago. The ladies had watched where they laid the body of Jesus, and then, they had gone home to rest and observe the sabbath. I wonder how much they slept on that sabbath night, as they waited for the sunrise? I am sure they had a sense of anticipation, but it was totally different from mine. They anticipated seeing the lifeless body of Jesus and finishing the task of wrapping Him properly for burial, since they had been so rushed on Friday afternoon. They waited for the sunrise, so they could see their Lord one more time, they thought. Eagerly they rose up from their beds before it was light, and they made their way in the dark to the tomb. What a surprise they had upon their arrival. The stone was rolled back, and Jesus was gone. Then, suddenly they saw two angels, who told them the glorious news, "He is not here, but He is risen!" They ran to tell the disciples, who were skeptical, at best, but the ladies knew a miracle had taken place. The sunrise revealed the Sonrise. Even though they did not completely understand, they knew that God was up to something fantastic. Soon, they would see Jesus face to face. What a time of worship of the Risen Lord! I pray that our worship tomorrow will be just as life changing and real as it was on the first Easter.
Tomorrow, I intend to read I Kings 17-19.
How much different it was 2,000 years ago. The ladies had watched where they laid the body of Jesus, and then, they had gone home to rest and observe the sabbath. I wonder how much they slept on that sabbath night, as they waited for the sunrise? I am sure they had a sense of anticipation, but it was totally different from mine. They anticipated seeing the lifeless body of Jesus and finishing the task of wrapping Him properly for burial, since they had been so rushed on Friday afternoon. They waited for the sunrise, so they could see their Lord one more time, they thought. Eagerly they rose up from their beds before it was light, and they made their way in the dark to the tomb. What a surprise they had upon their arrival. The stone was rolled back, and Jesus was gone. Then, suddenly they saw two angels, who told them the glorious news, "He is not here, but He is risen!" They ran to tell the disciples, who were skeptical, at best, but the ladies knew a miracle had taken place. The sunrise revealed the Sonrise. Even though they did not completely understand, they knew that God was up to something fantastic. Soon, they would see Jesus face to face. What a time of worship of the Risen Lord! I pray that our worship tomorrow will be just as life changing and real as it was on the first Easter.
Tomorrow, I intend to read I Kings 17-19.