Thoughts During the In Between Time

Don't you hate the "in between" days?

So here are some random thoughts to get you through this Saturday:

• What would a body on the cross look like? We've all seen the blood stained wood replicas, but can you imagine a body hanging there? At our service last night, I stood before the cross and tried to imagine the horror of an actual body hanging there, suffocating to death in front of me - it was ghastly...
• What could the priests and Pharisees have thought when the darkness fell upon the land for three hours? What about when the veil was torn? How could they possibly explain that away? There had to have been witnesses because the work of the priesthood was continual...
• Did Jesus' mother know that He would resurrect in three days? Jesus taught it several times - He didn't hide it from anyone, and yet no one seemed to grasp it. But Mary was a thinker and she tended to treasure truth in her heart - do you think she knew? What were her "in between" days like? Who was she with? I'll bet she was with John...
• I've spent some time looking at the crowd from up on the cross (because I can no longer stand the picture that comes to mind when I look at Jesus on the cross) and tried to take in the whole picture - the small gathering of those that loved Jesus, the sneering rulers, the Roman guards, the onlookers, the frightened and shocked ones that could not draw near...
• Why do you think people couldn't recognize Jesus at first? I was thinking about this today and I think it may be because He was so torn apart physically by the scourging that no one could imagine Him completely whole and healed, let alone walking around. Can you see it? Imagine the damage from a terrible burn being gone in the blink of an eye - now times that by a thousand - everything I've heard about scourging, Jesus could very well have had bone exposed and some of his organs protruding and ruptured. Never in a million years would anyone expect to see Him in a perfect body just days later...
• So what EXACTLY did Jesus do in the "in between" days? I believe He went into Sheol and released the Old Testament saints from their paradise and ushered them into the presence of His Father. If that is what happened, what in the world did that look like? Did Jesus used to hang out there before His time on earth, so when He returned, showed them His hands and explained that He had paid their price, they could grasp the magnitude of what had happened? Did He actually take them to the Father or did He just send them? Could those in Hades see what He had done? Maybe there was a big screen showing His life in real time down in Sheol, so everyone could watch the story unfold! I'll have to ask someone when I get to heaven what that all looked like...

The "in between" time still stinks, even though I know the end of the story. I have found myself bearing the sorrow of the women in Jesus' life these few days. It's no where near what they felt, because I do have the bigger picture in mind, but I still can't shake the sorrow of Jesus' death.

But the truth of the matter is this: Jesus willingly laid down His life and His goodness to become sin for me and take my punishment. All the visual and emotional aspects of the cross and the in between time before His resurrection cannot be observed without the personal responsibility placed on my shoulders.

Willingly.

Became sin.

Took my punishment.

Paid my price.

Was torn from the Father.

Endured His wrath.

Willingly.

Willingly.

Willingly.

Can't wait for tomorrow. Maybe this headache will be gone in the morning...so ready for the celebration.