Bad news is terrible at any time, but it seems worse when it comes at a party time. Here is the story of a tragedy at a time of festival, but it turns out to be a well timed tragedy! and one that you can celebrate!
“Preparation day” was that day when the Jews killed the Passover lambs. This was the beginning of their celebrations to remember how God had rescued their forefathers from death and slavery in Egypt. The next day was called “Passover”, a “special Sabbath” (John 19:31.) which, like their Saturdays, was also kept as a day of rest from all work.
A Jewish day begins at 6:00pm so the evening is the beginning of their new day!
Late in the evening of the beginning of “Preparation day” the Jewish leaders had Jesus, the Son of God, secretly arrested. Throughout the night He suffered a most unfair trial. By 9:00 o'clock in the morning of that “Preparation day” He was being crucified!
Jesus’ friends hadn’t much thought of killing their Passover lamb! Instead they watched in horror the awful killing of a very special Lamb — “the Lamb of God”! (John 1:29.) What a horrible event to have to remember on “Preparation day” from now on!
Late that afternoon they were allowed to remove the dead body of Jesus from the cross. The “Passover day” would begin at 6:00pm and no work could be done that day by Jews, so His friends hurriedly put His body into a nearby tomb until after their “special Sabbath”.
But the Jewish leaders knew that Jesus had said “after three days I will rise again”, so they got permission to have the tomb sealed and guarded for three whole days.
Mary and the other friends of Jesus rested during the “Passover Sabbath”, which was obviously on the Thursday that year. The next day they would have had the time to buy and prepare the spices for Jesus proper burial. On the third day they would not have been able to do any work because it was Saturday, their weekly Sabbath.
At last the three days had passed!
“Early on the first day of the week, ..Mary of Magdala went to the tomb and saw that the stone had been removed.. She came running to Simon Peter and said, ‘They have taken the Lord out of the tomb..!’” (verse 1-2.)
Peter and John went quickly, and only found “the strips of linen lying there, as well as the burial cloth that had been around Jesus’ head.” What had happened the body? “They still did not understand from the Scripture that Jesus had to rise from the dead.” (verses 1-9.)
They would not be disappointed for long! Soon they would realize that Jesus had kept His promise to rise from the dead after three days. Because of this “He is able to save completely those who come to God through Him.” (Hebrews 7:24-25.)
So here is a more wonderful Passover you can celebrate! God can PASSOVER you without having to punish you for your sins because The Lamb of God died for YOUR sins and rose again! (1st Corinthians 5:7.) Trust Him now as the only One who can forgive your sins, and He will save you from eternal death, and set you free from the slavery of sin!
Read of this well timed tragedy that you can turn into a celebration in John chapter 20, verses 1-9.
John Nixon, Cork, Ireland. P31HD98. Contact: jnixonj@gmail.com
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