As the years go by, I find myself rejoicing more and more each year during Easter. This is because I can only imagine the overwhelming, overpowering joy of Jesus’ disciples and followers on seeing His resurrected body. I’ve had some really desperate days when I’ve gone from feeling like the sky was falling, to feeling like everything was coming up roses in just a matter of minutes. I can’t imagine a lower low than seeing a man you’ve loved and followed — a man who’s changed your life — be put to death. I can only imagine the utter sense of loss and confusion of those who had put all their faith and hope for the future in Jesus. I imagine them walking around absent-mindedly after His death, mumbling, “Now what?”
A Feeling of Hopelessness
The Bible doesn’t tell us how the disciples or any of Jesus’ followers felt while He was in the tomb, and it is unclear how much they really understood. I imagine they felt duped. The man in whom they had placed all of their faith, trust, and hope had been killed, and He hadn’t even put up a fight!
I imagine the believers feeling empty and deflated for those few days, maybe even angry. I imagine that they felt totally hopeless.
Hope Restored Through His Resurrection
Then all of the sudden, wonder of wonders, He is alive again! Hope is restored. They all go from the deepest depths of despair to the highest hope and joy in the blink of an astonished eye. They feel whole again (Luke 24:1-9).
We are whole too, because He lives. We share in the hope and joy of the resurrection (Romans 4:25; John 11:25-26).
Like the disciples, we are overjoyed because our Savior is alive!
