The week leading up to Easter is an important time for me as a Christian. I believe that it is important to understand the events that led to the arrest and death of Christ before we can truly appreciate the Resurrection. My biggest problem with this is: I already know “the rest of the story”. I already know what happens on Easter Sunday…and yet, for my own spiritual growth, I feel the need to spend time dwelling in the middle of the story, so that, come Sunday, I can truly rejoice in the climactic triumph of Life over death.
Is it possible to mourn, though, when the happy outcome is already known? Perhaps the story of Lazarus might give us a clue: John 11 tells the story of the death of Jesus’ friend Lazarus…but also tells us how Jesus miraculously raised Lazarus from the dead. Jesus already knew the whole story…even before Lazarus died. He knew that Lazarus would die, and he knew that he would bring him back to life…and yet…before he performs the miracle, John tells us in verse 36 of the chapter, “Jesus wept”. Jesus grieved over the passing of his friend. He grieved with Mary and Martha over the loss of their brother. He knew the triumph to come, and yet, he grieved in the middle of the story.
My prayer for this Holy Week is that God would allow me (and you) to dwell for a while in the middle of this story without rushing to the end. My prayer is that the victory of Easter will be made that much more glorious because of the grief of the week.
There are no good stories that consist of only the ending…the tragedy, the conflict, the challenges along the way are all crucial. The story of Christ is no different. Take the time to remember all the aspects of his life. Easter Sunday is coming, but don’t rush the story. I think we’ll all be richer for it if we allow ourselves to experience all the trials along the way.