Facing The End
Author: Curtis and Tina Norton
June 03, 2019
Facing the End
“The angel said to the women,
“Do not be afraid, for I know that you are looking for Jesus, who was crucified.
He is not here; he has risen, just as he said. Come and see the place where he
lay.” – Matthew 28:5-6, NIV
The news begins to spread
among the disciples: Jesus has risen! When Jesus appears in the flesh, the news
turns into a celebration. Joyous wonder envelops the group of His followers.
But remind just three days ago
and you’d find anything but joy. There’s only pain. Suffering. The feeling of
abandonment. The crushing weight of shame. The burn of the thorns. The sting of
betrayal. The sound of flesh being ripped from bone. The bitter disappointment.
The questions…
Why?! I thought I was following the Messiah…
Was He who He said He was?
He was coming to restore Israel’s kingdom…what happened?
In moments like these, the
questions swirl without answers. And you’re left feeling like this is the end. The
end of your life. The end of everything good. The end of joy.
But perhaps that’s the paradox
of the Crucifixion. What feels like the end is actually the beginning. The
beginning of the Holy Spirit’s work. The birth of the church. The start of a
beautiful eternity.
The next time the enemy
whispers in your ear, “This is your end”, you remind him that so was the
Cross…until three days later. This is the hope of Christians everywhere—that
death does not have the final say. That death is not all powerful. That it
isn’t a foe we have to fear.
It’s just another new
beginning.
God, thank You for Jesus and His sacrifice. Because of it,
I can live with hope and comfort. When all I can see is the end, please remind
me once again that You have a knack for turning the end into a beautiful
beginning. In Jesus’ name, Amen.
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