THE NEXT DAY
The Sabbath meal continuing the Passover went on as usual that Friday evening all over Palestine and Jewish communities scattered throughout the Middle East. Only those in Jerusalem and within a few miles from it knew what had happened at Golgotha that day.
Those who had been at the cross were still trying to comprehend what they had seen. Most were too stunned to even to even try to understand. To add to the confusion, some families in the city were joyously welcoming back members who they had recently put in the grave. Who could make any sense of any of this?
Jesus’ followers were too upset to be thanking God for intervening in their nations past history. They huddled in various houses throughout the city. Most so emotionally drained they didn’t have the faculties to begin to put a string of words or thoughts together. The lamps were blown out early that night. Some went to the rooftops to sleep, even though it was cool, they just needed to be alone. As they lay there gazing at the stars, they wanted to ask the whole heavenly body and its creator, “Why had God forsaken us?”
The sun came up the next morning as usual. This time there was no interruption as it traveled its course. Since it was the Sabbath, no one could travel very far. Some would go to the Temple, or the local synagogue, most of Jesus closest followers didn’t. Since it was one of the most holy Sabbaths of the year a large crowd who made it through the Gate Beautiful were stunned to gaze into the Holy of Holies. A sight usually reserved only for the priest who was on duty. The officials wanted to repair the curtain during the night, but the Pharisaical opinion was it would be work, therefore banned until sundown of the Sabbath.
The disciples gravitated back to the house where they had had their last meal with Jesus. All of them had the look of whipped pups. Peter, less that forty-eight hours ago had bragged that he would never let down the Lord, was inconsolable. In tears he had confessed to his compatriots of his betrayal of Jesus. They tried to make him feel better, knowing that they had too had scattered in fear after the Lord’s arrest.
The group was smaller. They had heard conflicting reports that Judas had committed suicide by jumping off a cliff, some said he hung himself. The group was incredulous that one of their own had sold out their Lord out for money. They began picking the now dead Judas apart. He was always too worried about money, said many. Yes he did function as their treasurer, but held on to those monies like they were his own. Many people had been generous contributing funds to help the group buy food and other necessities. A lot of it was given to the poor under the direction of Jesus. Several of the disciples had families at home that needed to be taken care of. Judas was always reluctant to parcel out the funds. Several times Jesus had rebuked him for his stinginess. Judas was also always encouraging Jesus to more aggressive in pursuing his Messianic mission. Maybe he was holding on to it to buy weapons, thought several of them.
As a group they were glad that he was dead; now they didn’t have to deal with the evil thoughts about what they would do to him if given the chance.
The disciple’s opinion of the Temple leaders and the Pharisees, which hadn’t been high, now was encased with bitterness. Those groups were the instigators of this whole tragedy. How could these so-called men of God, be so vile to kill the kindest man anyone had ever known? Some were even thinking of ways to take out revenge on these pariahs. Jesus’ teaching of forgiving seventy times seven became a harder concept than they had originally thought.
The biggest question that was on the minds of everyone in the room was, “What was going to happen next?” Would the authorities be coming after them? In the fearful state that they were in, it only made sense to them that killers of Jesus would try to wipe out the their whole bunch. Were their spies looking for them right now? Even if they weren’t being pursued, they all agreed it would be best to leave Jerusalem as soon as possible. Several decided to leave the city early the next morning. Since many were from the Galilee region they made plans to break up into small groups. They could probably immerse themselves in the throngs of pilgrims as they left the city after celebrating the Passover.
They spent the long day talking in hushed tones, telling stories of their departed love one. All had their special moment that they recalled about their Lord. For the first time, they heard from Peter and John about what happened on top of the mountain. As the stories were told, the teller would break down and weep at the realization that he was truly gone. Someone noted that the Master had recently warned them many times that he was going to Jerusalem and there he would be killed. No one brought up that he also taught that in three days he would rise up. On this day their minds were too seared by despair for the chance of any hope to enter in.
What about their future? Could they go back to their previous professions of fisherman and tax collectors, and other occupations after being with Christ these last three years? After witnessing so many improbable events, could they settle down to a commonplace life? They couldn’t see how that would be possible.
At the insistence of Mary and Martha, Jesus’ family and some of the faithful women traveled the short distance back to Lazarus home in Bethany. Lazarus and his sisters did their best to console the grieving. Only a little over a week ago they had been going through the same anguish. The sisters took turns holding Mary in their arms, not saying much, knowing it wasn’t time for words.
Since no one was home to prepare a Sabbath meal doing the day there wasn’t the usual big meal to partake of. No one was in the mood for it anyway. They did nibble at some of the pieces of food that was left over from yesterdays Seder, since most hadn’t eaten all day. As the evening progressed, they laid down in secluded spots hoping that sleep would come early. For most, it didn’t.
. Lazarus didn’t even attempt to sleep that night. His mind was racing through all the events that had happened, including his own resurrection. If Jesus could bring him back from the dead, why couldn’t he bring himself back? Lazarus now believed that anything was possible. Could it happen, he asked himself. Or was he just grasping at straws.
After a night of fitful sleep, if any, the group at Lazarus’ house stumbled around the next morning, mostly trying to avoiding talking to each other. By afternoon the realization settled in that Jesus wasn’t going to walk in the door, like he had done so many times before. Conversations turned to practical matters.
Most of this group had watched the Lords body being taken down for the cross. Mary had given her blessings to Joseph to have it taken the tomb he had purchased. A small procession had followed the body to the tomb. Because the Sabbath was about to begin and they had some distance to go before sundown, they didn’t know what preparation had been make to the body.
Now the faithful women were making plans to make sure the body had been prepared in the correct way. They didn’t know how much time Nicodemus and Joseph had to prepare the corpse and they wanted to make sure it had been done right. Even before first light, several of them would go to the tomb with water to properly wash it, add the spices, and then rewrap it.
Back in Jerusalem, the Pharisee and Temple leaders were feeling pretty good about what they had accomplished. Now they wouldn’t have to hear anything more about the great wonders that this Jesus was doing. They would not longer be embarrassed by they way he had made them look so small, and the many times he had been out right disrespectful. And even more important they wouldn’t have to worry that the Romans were going to have a crack down on them because of this out of control mystic.
Even though they wouldn’t express it out loud, several of them still had doubts about what they had done. And what about those unexplained events like the three hours of darkness. Had they ever felt anything as evil as that? Was it just a coincidence that an earthquake would hit just as Jesus died? What about these reports that some of the dead had come out of the grave? It was all very troubling.
Still some of them were concerned that this was still not over. They had been close listeners to what Jesus said when he was teaching. They recalled that that he had been predicting his own death and that in three days he would come back again. Now none of them believed that he was going to be coming back, but they were worried that his followers but try to make it look so.
A delegation was sent to Pilate to express their fears that the body would be stolen, and the best way to stop that from happening was to post a guard at the tomb. Pilate was tired of this group and their conspiracies but went along with them one more time just to get them off his back. As they left, he just shook his head in disgust, first he had been convinced to have this innocent man killed and now he was having the body guarded, what a crazy bunch of people these Jews were! He couldn’t wait to get out of this town.
Matthew 27: 62 Luke 23:56
