First Day of the New Creation - Marvelous and Messy

The day didn't start too well.

The women got up that morning and went to the tomb with certain expectations. They had a job to do and they were worried about how they are going to do it.

Who will roll the stone for us?

When they arrived at the tomb, the stone was already rolled away. Now, that's strange... And when they poked their heads into the tomb, the body was... gone. The job they came to do... well... there was no job to be done!

So, they went from expectations to assumptions:

Somebody stole the body!

What an awful thought... Desecrating the tomb and stealing the dead body?!!! Mary wept and wept. She was so grieved that she didn't recognize Jesus when He stood next to her.

Now, I do that a lot.  So taken by my thwarted expectations that lead to false assumptions which lead to blinding grief encasing me like a tomb...

Until Jesus says,

Mary! 

Until Jesus says my name.

His voice... like no other.

And then, Duh!,  I remember His words.  I remember what He said. And I want to cling to Him and never let go.

But, He sends Mary away to His disciples, to the grieving, unbelieving, fear-ridden crew, who think that what the women are saying is crazy, that they are talking nonsense.

Such is the story of the first Easter - marvelous and messy.  The beginning of God's new creation. The beginning of the wonder of God's amazing love and patience towards stubborn, unbelieving, slow-to-get-it, confused, terrified, grief-stricken humanity. Me and you.

But messy is O.K. For this is not the end.  This is only a beginning... For, there was some unfinished business that needed to be taken care of.  There were some second chances that needed to be extended.  There were some expectations that needed to be realigned... There was a lot of growth that was still ahead... But, that will all come in time... For right now, we can finally stop looking for the Living One among the dead. For He is not dead.  He is alive just as He said.

I am the first and the last, and the living One; and I was dead, and behold, I am alive forevermore, and I have the keys of death and of Hades. Revelation 1: 17-18