Jesus Christ is dead and the disciples are hiding

I have always wondered what these next few days must have been like for the Disciples of Jesus.

Jesus is dead. Buried.

And...the Disciples are in hiding.

Of the 12...only John found the courage to stand at the feet of Jesus as He hung on the cross.

Peter had denied Him...3 times...and...as the cock crowed...Jesus looked across the courtyard...and...their eyes met.

Oh the shame!

The other Disciples?

Judas was now dead. The others had disappeared after the arrest of Jesus.

This must have been one of those times...one we call:

"The lowest of the lows."

In the MIDDLE of the pain...in the MIDDLE of the trial...what must the Disciples have been thinking?

We know of their fear...although this was just the beginning of great persecution of Christians.

Things would WORSEN in due time.

Little did the Disciples know the years ahead would bring such trial...tribulation...and even death.

This moment to them seemed to be the "depths of despair."

"Can it be any worse!?!" they must have cried.

WE know the story is about to take a triumphant turn...but...the disciples had no such luxury of knowing what was ahead.

And...AFTER Christ's resurrection...PERSECUTION would increase EXPONENTIALLY.

These next few days must have been mentally torturous.

Here are my wonderings:

Did the Disciples pray? Did they even feel like eating? Were they planning their next move...how they could get out of town unnoticed? Was any disciple attempting to bring smiles to the faces of those in despair?

You see...the MIDDLE is often the most dangerous place of all.

It is in the MIDDLE of a trial that we encounter the "fork in the road."

Will we give up...or will we hold on to the PROMISE?

I am not saying hold on to the FALSE PROMISES of WAYWARD prophets...those who seek to INSPIRE...even as they speak words that God has not spoken...attempting to speak for God PROMISES that He did not actually make.

I am talking about the promise of Jesus...that He will accomplish ALL that He has spoken...with NOTHING being impossible to Him.

Think back...and remember:

Jesus HAD promised He would rise again...after 3 days in the tomb.

But...in His final days with the disciples...He had also promised THESE things to the disciples:

---They would be hated.

---They would be persecuted.

---They would be hunted down.

---They would be imprisoned.

---They would be put on trial.

---They would face death...most of them becoming martyrs.

And...

---They would be VICTORIOUS OVERCOMERS.

But...he Scriptural definition of an OVERCOMER has been greatly skewed today.

What the future would hold for the disciples...if they remained faithful...was VICTORY...yet...it would end in MARTYRDOM.

Victory...THROUGH trial...THROUGH tribulation...THROUGH persecution...THROUGH hatred...THROUGH fear...THROUGH doubt...and...THROUGH death.

The path to victory would be paved with two things:

1. Faithfulness

2. Endurance

We already know the story of "tomorrow" for the disciples:

Jesus overcomes death...and the disciples will rejoice!

But...the RESURRECTION of Jesus is only the "calm before the storm."

What awaits them will never quite reach the ECSTASY of resurrection day.

Life will then become a TEST of their ENDURANCE.

Yet...it will not be long before something happens to the disciples...in an UPPER ROOM...that finally ESTABLISHES them...and they will march on in UNWAVERING FAITH.

(That is ANOTHER story to be told! I will again write on that very soon.)

But...what of today?

What is to be TODAY...Thursday night?

How oft I hear some semblance of these words:

"It seems like Friday night...but Sunday's on the way!"

How true!

But...THIS is only THURSDAY.

What now?

And...even though "Sunday's comin'!"...so is Monday...and Tuesday...and Wednesday...and Thursday....and...then...once again comes Friday.

The pattern continues...as emotional highs come and go.

The question I ask today?

Can we...WILL we...be FAITHFUL during LIFE in the MIDDLE?

You see...every day is not CRUCIFIXION day.

But...neither is every day RESURRECTION day.

What do we do in the MIDDLE?

---In the MIDDLE of TRIALS

---In the MIDDLE of TRIUMPHS

---In the MIDDLE of the MUNDANE

I often say:

"It is LIFE in the MUNDANE...times when life is neither EXCITING nor GRIEVING...that most often brings DEFEAT and FAILURE in our walk with the Lord."

You see...USUALLY:

In times of extreme TRIALS...we pray.

And...in times of VICTORY...we give THANKS in PRAYER.

But...in the MIDDLE of life...we often FORGET...we often FAIL.

So...it is Thursday night.

It is "life in the MIDDLE."

What will we do now?

Will we insist on "declaring" that "no trouble will come nigh my dwelling"...as if we can actually stop all problems by some simple "decree?"

Or...will we ESTABLISH ourselves in the Word of God...understanding that we are destined to face MOUNTAINS and VALLEYS...HIGHS and LOWS...complete with the Scriptural "promise" that we will be HATED...SCORNED...and PERSECUTED if we even have the STRENGTH to ENDURE the CROSS that Jesus INSTRUCTS us to BEAR?

Our path here on earth is the NARROW ROAD that is TOUGH yet eternally REWARDING!

The choice is yours.

Endure.