I know what you’re thinking... What on earth does disappointment have to do with Easter? Why would there be any Easter disappointment?!!
Hang tight though while I propose to you a thought that may just spark a new perspective for you in this time that we as Christians reflect on (and celebrate) the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ.
About 6 years ago I was lucky enough to go to Israel as part of my Masters program for researching “archeology of biblical lands”... and boy… talk about life changing. It was amazing; Eye opening; Faith stabling; Heart wrenching and heartwarming (I’ll have to share more about my experiences there at a later date!).
Above all that though - the biggest take away for me from my time there was understanding for the first time the true context of the biblical texts (especially the Old Testament). It was as if I was able to stand in the clothes and shoes of those that lived in that time and see as they did, which made the Bible come alive to me in a whole new way.
One thing was certain - life was simpler in a lot of ways… from what I learnt there and perceived, life really revolved around 3 things, land, water, and livestock. Yup. Everything was governed by this. Land particularly was what was constantly fought over between tribes and nations. We see clearly in the Old Testament this core part of their lives woven throughout (See Psalm 107 for example, the importance of land and water). The Israelites particularly had been on a rough journey with this. They were enslaved, then free, enslaved again, freed, enslaved, had their land invaded, taken, homes torn apart, the list goes on.
And what hope did they hold onto?
The coming of a King that would save them (see Is. 9:7; 2 Sam. 7:12; Dan. 2:44).
Sounds nice to us. But for them it was more than a nice concept or lovely phrase. They literally needed a saviour. Like, to be freed from oppression. They were anticipating a king, LITERALLY. What you’ve got to understand about their frame of mind and perspective on things, is the context and culture they were in. Kings were common. They ruled, they reigned, they controlled. Ancient kings would either suppress God’s people or liberate them. And they (God’s people), generation after generation, were suppressed over and over by different kings.
So can you imagine when they’re hearing prophecies of a coming king that will save them and redeem them, what they were picturing?
They were probably picturing the rise of a mighty, valiant king, most likely of great physical strength with mighty men in tow that would literally overthrow the current kings, and set them free….
Enter, Jesus….
Can you understand now why not everybody believed Jesus was “the one” that was prophesied about. The king that would liberate them forever? Yeah...
This man? The boy from Nazareth, the carpenter's son from down the road? No. He’s no king. He doesn’t have the soldiers or the status to overthrow the power of Rome and free us. This is what I’d suggest most of them were thinking.
In essence, what they were wrestling with was this:
“This isn’t what the miracle was meant to look like”
And this my friends… is what we so often can experience as Christians to this day.
We have a prophecy, receive a word, perhaps read some things in the Bible and instantly (more often than not subconsciously) create an image in our minds of what that miracle will look like (in great detail sometimes too). And like the Israelites, when the miracle comes and it doesn’t look the way we thought it would, we are left disappointed.
Can you imagine the depth of disappointment some of those ones felt when Jesus was hung on that cross that day? When he breathed His last?
“This was meant to be the triumphant king that would deliver us…. and now he’s.. dead!”.
What despair, disarray and disappointment would have filled their hearts...
What they didn’t realize though, is the miracle was still THE promised miracle, it was just happening differently to what they had imagined.
He WAS the promised king (the King of Kings!!) - but didn’t appear as the ones they knew of. He WAS God’s son - but didn’t appear as a celestial being they may have imagined. He WAS saving them - but they probably didn’t expect that He would have to die in order to do so. He WAS overthrowing kingdoms - but not the one they thought He’d overthrow. No, He was overthrowing a much darker kingdom that was unseen.
Perhaps you too have been left disappointed when something didn’t go the way you thought it would. The way it was prophesied or promised, even. I hope in realizing that God’s people 2000 years ago were also left hugely disappointed when the miracle didn’t look ‘right’ would encourage you to remember that God’s ways truly are higher and greater (Is. 55:9). There’s always more than just what is seen… and we can trust Him. We can trust He is at work. Just as He was those thousands of years ago when it appeared hope had died, yet it was fully alive, doing damage to darkness, eventually rising to prove to God’s people that Jesus was in fact, the promised Redeemer. Hallelujah.
Have a blessed Easter.
Remember - Reflect - Rejoice.
With love,
*** Side Note: This in no way is intended to take away from the core message that is Easter, JESUS ATONING OUR SINS! It's simply a part of the story I've been reflecting on, and a perspective that I believe may be helpful to those in the throws of disappointment, just as Jesus' disciples would have been all those years ago before He appeared to them.
