Easter: When Disappointment Was Turned to Delight
Easter was a time when disappointment was turned to delight, and delight was turned to destruction.
Surely Satan and the forces of evil must have thought they had won. And if the forces of evil could have danced, surely they must have been dancing on that day when that they thought they had killed the Son of God. Darkness seemed to have been reigning supreme from the time when Judas and an armed consort came to arrest Jesus. They came under the cloak of darkness, a darkness intended to provide cover for their evil intentions and sadly it also provided cover for the shameful abandonment of Jesus by his disciples. Even Peter had to slink away into the darkness to hide his shame.
How Satan and the forces of evil must have rejoiced as “from noon onward there was darkness over the whole land,” until at last Jesus “gave up His spirit.” How they must have believed that this darkness was just a foretaste of the spiritual darkness which would envelope the earth unabated by the Light of the World. But God had another plan and turned their delight to disappointment. Darkness instead of triumphing over Jesus simply provided a backdrop against which the dawning of the Light of the World could shine with increasing glory.
While darkness still seemed to reign, Mary Magdalene and her companions, and later Peter and John, came “while it was still dark” only to find an empty tomb. Disappointment upon disappointment, or so it seemed at first, but when they realized that the face cloth was separate from the other burial wrappings, a ray of hope and light pierced the darkness, never to be extinguished again. It was a ray of hope and light which was to grow in brilliance as Christ’s resurrection became known and understood. Praise God, disappointment is turned to delight!
“The New Testament writers speak as if Christ’s achievement in rising from the dead was the first event of its kind in the whole history of the universe. He is the ‘first fruits’, the ‘pioneer of life.’ He has forced open a door that has been locked since the death of the first man. He has met, fought, and beaten the Prince of Darkness, the King of Death. Everything is different because He has done so. This is the beginning of the New Creation: a new chapter in cosmic history has opened,” (C.S. Lewis, from Miracles)
Jesus anticipated and warned them of their disappointment; “Truly, truly, I say to you, you will weep and lament, but the world will rejoice; you will be sorrowful.” (Jn 16:20) but he also promised that “your sorrow will turn into joy.” Wouldn’t you love to know more of what Jesus did during the forty days after his resurrection? Whatever he said, and whatever he did, enabled them to return to Jerusalem with great joy. (Lk 11:52) Most people are sorrowful when a loved one departs for heaven, but it was not so with Jesus’ disciples. They understood that his resurrection and ascension into heaven opened the door for the Trinity to forever be with them and all who believe. So their great sorrow was turned into everlasting delight.
Wherever, or whenever, you are experiencing great darkness of the soul, Jesus is there, a Light shining in darkness. He can turn our disappointment to delight. The resurrection not only holds the promise of eternal life, but also the promise that Satan and the forces of evil will not prevail in our lives. In Christ, you are a new creation, and you can experience the joy of living as a new creation let the LIGHT so shine.
