Anticipation
Picture this: a beach, lightly covered in snow, greeted by the sunrise peering over the Atlantic ocean, introducing much needed warmth against the unforgiving frigid wind of the north. Now imagine the curious eyes of a three year old looking out to sea, from a home, older than any human alive. This was how our oldest daughter (Nora) welcomed the day on February 2, 2023 from a house in Saco, Maine. It’s one of those images burned in my mind forever. Nora woke up with anticipation that morning, grabbing the binoculars as though she would meet the sun at sea, before the light touched the shoreline of the eastern coast. It’s the anticipation which sits with me. As we prepare for the Easter season, I cannot help but feel a similar level of anticipation. I’ve long considered what the disciples, followers of Jesus, and blood family thought as the morning of the third day dawned. How certain were they regarding the promises of Jesus? All four Gospel writers mention the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus Christ. While the writers don’t agree who first showed up to the tomb or who was at the tomb to roll away the stone. They do all agree - something happened and Jesus had risen.
Luke 24:1-8
On the first day of the week, very early in the morning, the women took the spices they had prepared and went to the tomb. 2 They found the stone rolled away from the tomb, 3 but when they entered, they did not find the body of the Lord Jesus. 4 While they were wondering about this, suddenly two men in clothes that gleamed like lightning stood beside them. 5 In their fright the women bowed down with their faces to the ground, but the men said to them, “Why do you look for the living among the dead? 6 He is not here; he has risen! Remember how he told you, while he was still with you in Galilee: 7 ‘The Son of Man must be delivered over to the hands of sinners, be crucified and on the third day be raised again.’ ” 8 Then they remembered his words. The two men who appeared suddenly, reminded the women of what Jesus had said, “remember how he told you…the Son of Man must be delivered over to the hands of sinners, be crucified and on the third day be raised again.”
There was a level of anticipation felt by the women who approached the tomb. What would they find? It seems as though they planned on finding the body of Jesus, lying in the tomb. However, to their pleasant surprise, they discover, “he is risen!” There will be moments of great anticipation in our lives. Thankfully, we no longer have to wait for the news of the resurrected Messiah. Now, our anticipation rests in longing for his return. We are only a few weeks away from Holy Week, the season of Lent drawing to a close. This has been our time to be observant and intentional about what draws us closer to God and what pulls us away. Lent has served to provide us with a space to reassess which direction we are looking. As we are fixing our proverbial gaze on the horizon, let us remember the words of our Lord, “the Son of Man…will be raised.” In the theology of the resurrection our anticipation is met with great joy and clamorous shouts of hope. Anticipation gives way to remembrance. Remembrance gives way to participation. Participation is our gift, our inheritance this Easter season.
Peace to you , Rev. Taylor Kibler
