Thought for the week: Celebrate the resurrection not just tomorrow, but all year - ​Rev Dr Norman Hamilton

​Today is that ‘in-between’ day as we remember the intense pain on Good Friday and look forward to the wonderful exuberant joy of celebrating the resurrection of Christ tomorrow - Easter Sunday. And celebrating that fact will get many out of their beds to join with others as the sun rises here at 6.37 tomorrow morning.
By Rev Dr Norman Hamilton
Published 8th Apr 2023, 07:50 BST
Rev Dr Norman Hamilton- Thought for the weekRev Dr Norman Hamilton- Thought for the week
Rev Dr Norman Hamilton- Thought for the week

​It is all too easy however, to forget that there were many other emotions as Christ’s path to the cross unfolded in the days immediately beforehand. At the beginning of the week, Palm Sunday reminded us of the scenes of great public expectation and high drama as Christ came into Jerusalem riding, not on a chariot or magnificent horse – but on a donkey.

Then, at the Passover meal with His disciples, we read that Jesus was "troubled in spirit" (St John 13.21), knowing that He was about to be betrayed. Shortly afterwards, we read of St Peter’s rash promise: "I will lay down my life for you”' and the response of Jesus -"I tell you,before the rooster crows, you will disown me three times!"

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He then comforts His disciples with words that have echoed down the centuries: "Do not let your hearts be troubled. You believe in God; believe also in Me". (St John 14.1) Shortly afterwards, He acknowledges that they were ‘filled with grief’ as he told them of his imminent departure.

St Matthew 26 is drenched in sadness: Then Jesus went with His disciples to a place called Gethsemane, and He said to them: “Sit here while I go over there and pray”. 37 He took Peter and the two sons of Zebedee along with Him, and He began to be sorrowful and troubled. 38 Then He said to them, "My soul is overwhelmed with sorrow to the point of death. Stay here and keep watch with Me"..

But they couldn’t stay awake with Him. And, of course, there was the famous incident in the garden of Gethsemane where we see Peter’s impetuosity in full flow: John tells us that he ‘had a sword, drew it and struck the high priest’s servant, cutting off his right ear’, only to be rebuked by Jesus Himself. (St John 18.10-11).

.And as we were reminded yesterday, deep emotions continued to be seen as the trial and crucifixion of Christ unfolded in all their horror. I think it is very important that we appreciate as best we can the intense human trauma of what happened as God’s plan of salvation came to its climax. We do not only celebrate the significance of the facts of Easter, nor their significance for eternity. We see God, in Christ, sharing the deepest trauma of human pain to bring that salvation to us. That is why it is not only so appropriate to celebrate the resurrection tomorrow – but also to celebrate it all year round.

The cost was huge, in every way. Let’s never forget that.

Related topics:JesusJerusalem