Final Moments

I’ve been reflecting on those who had the opportunity to be near Jesus during His final moments. The soldier whose ear he healed after it was slashed by one of Jesus’ followers [Matthew 26: 51-52]. What an act of mercy and grace! The soldier didn’t ask for healing or even believed for it. Many of us, including me, would dare to say he deserved it. What do we know? It takes more than human kindness to extend grace to an enemy who overtly attacks us with the intention to take us down. For sure that one act of mercy was worth a thousand sermons to that soldier. I wonder what he thought when he heard about Jesus’ resurrection?

As Jesus carried His cross on the road to Golgotha, He must have gotten weary. Simon from a North African country called Cyrene was forced to carry the cross for Jesus [ Mark 15:21]. Simon must have looked into His eyes– saw the pain He felt. I wonder if Jesus said anything to Him. I can imagine that image being etched in Simon’s memory until the day he died. He was called upon to help Jesus bear a load that was too much for one human. What came to his mind when he heard about the resurrection?

The captain of the Roman army who was given the charge to oversee Jesus’ crucifixion saw every horrendous detail of His death. He and the other soldiers also experienced the darkness and the quake that shook the earth when Jesus finally died. They were terrified. All that they witnessed caused them to conclude that Jesus was truly the son of God [Matthew 27:54]. They might have seen many crucifixions before, but none like this one where the earth cried out. I wonder the impact that this had on them for the rest of their lives. What ran through their minds when they heard about Jesus’ resurrection?

Today Jesus is no longer hung on a cross. He is now at the right hand of God the Father interceding for us– a rebellious people. Many of us have had various encounters with Him, even though we may not label it as such. He has been present at many crossroads in our lives. Times we were at death’s door or facing an impossible situation. Seasons when we felt like we were drowning in an ocean that overwhelmed us. Moments we felt like we were falling over the edge– becoming unhinged because of all life threw us. I pray that we never ascribe His presence in our lives to that imaginary thing we call good luck or better yet our own intellect or human effort. While we were endowed with gifts and abilities that help us navigate this life with some measure of success, it is my hope that we have come to discover our limitations as humans. We can only accomplish so much on our own– there will be days when we just can’t. Hence our need for a savior. His death and resurrection will always be the reason I face today and tomorrow.

How about you–what comes to mind each time you hear about, read about or reflect on Jesus’ death and resurrection? I pray it never becomes common. No one else will ever do that for you or for me. Blessed Resurrection Day–now and always.