It was over. The only thing any of them had ever wanted was gone. Actually, dead. And the only thing worse than the death of their dream, was the death of the guy who said he would make their dream a reality.
But he was gone. Buried in a borrowed grave. It had been a pretty dramatic and disgusting end to the whole thing too. For Pete’s sake. Well actually, Pete had his own embarrassing episode during the whole long, drawn out fiasco.
What a waste. Three long years. They had walked away from their careers, their families, everything in order to follow their Pied Piper. He promised. And now he was gone.
We know they had lost hope because when the miracle happened and He really was gone from the tomb and the women tried to tell the disciples all about it, this was their response, “They did not believe the women, because their words seemed to them like nonsense.” Luke 24:11 Does that sound like men who were waiting with bated breath for their dream to resurrect?
And maybe today, on the Saturday before Easter you have lost hope too.
Maybe your marriage has crashed and burned and all those dreams you had when you were dressed in white are cindered, black and smelly.
Maybe you got that pink slip yesterday. Your high hopes of promotion and growth and success now seem about as likely as a trip to Pluto.
Maybe, God forbid, your child is gone. And that has torn everything thing you thought you knew to be true into disarray leaving you stripped, barren, broken.
Not a single shard of hope. You get it. You know how those disciples felt. And yet.
And yet.
Their story wasn’t over. Your story isn’t over.
And actually, all because Sunday already came, you don’t have to be hopeless either. You can cling to that resurrected reality, even if by the slenderest of threads.
Oh dear friend, cling as hard as you can. And then, it will be the resurrected Christ who will come and hold you up. He is the one who will restore your heart. I promise. He promises.
After the resurrection, Jesus appeared to his disciples you know. They were actually all huddled fearfully together, locked in some hidden room when he came to them. And the first words out of his mouth were these, “Peace be with you.” (John 20:19)
Can you imagine?!? Peace. After all that.
Peace.
So today as we await our own celebration of resurrection on Easter Sunday, let’s join together and open our weary, discouraged and hopeless souls to his exquisite, soothing balm of peace.
Peace.