I will turn your mourning into dancing

Imagine if you went for a meal with a friend and they started talking all mystical about death and life and how you should be serving one another, you might begin to feel a sense of unease. Track to 24 hours later the same friend, was arrested, betrayed by another of your mates, subjected to a show trial, sentenced to death, whipped, beaten, nailed to wood, displayed in agony for the world to watch dying....

Then as if that wasn't enough an earthquake, an eclipse and a thief quoting scripture. You have lived with this man for three years... You knew that his cousin John was beheaded. But you never even guessed that death would come for Jesus too. You have walked and talked with him, listened to his jokes. Listened to him goad the Pharisees... Cooked his meals, fished with him, climbed a mountain with him, heard all his stories, more than once each, so that you too know them, prayed every day with him with a strange intensity that could bring an incredible peace.

You have seen him bring healing to people's minds and incredibly also to their bodies. You were there when you heard Peter say to him "You are the Christ, the son of the Living God" when Jesus had asked him "who do you say I am?" ever elusive to questions. Like a quizzical Rabbi.

Now you are locked in a room with others that had travelled with Jesus, shaking with fear, from anxiety that they will come for you next. How could it have come to this. That Jesus, your friend and 'brother' went through this. You think about his last moments. How even at the last gasps he was praying a psalm

One of your friends in the room with you is reciting Psalm 29, saying over again "I will turn your mourning into dancing."

For Reflection:

Who do you say Jesus is?

Dear Jesus, reveal to my heart afresh today what your death was all about. Send your Spirit to me where I am praying, let it open my eyes to the fact that you took on my sin and have given me the route out from it. Let me accept again today that you are my Lord. Let me travel with you over the next three days into the resurrection experience. Fill me again with your joy and turn my mourning into dancing. Amen