An Amazing Story

Scripture – Luke 18:31-34: 31Jesus took the Twelve aside and told them, “We are going up to Jerusalem, and everything that is written by the prophets about the Son of Man will be fulfilled. 32He will be handed over to the Gentiles. They will mock him, insult him, spit on him, flog him and kill him. 33On the third day he will rise again.” 34The disciples did not understand any of this. Its meaning was hidden from them, and they did not know what he was talking about.

Reflection: It’s so easy to look back and wonder how these Twelve could not understand what Jesus was telling them. I mean, I know the story. I’ve heard it all my life. What I often overlook is this is a story of real people. The gospel of Luke is not a work of fiction.

These were real people looking at Jesus Christ in the flesh. In that kind of setting, I’m pretty sure I would not have understood either. What He was describing fit with no idea they’d ever heard concerning God’s Christ. And it certainly didn’t jive with their (or our) understanding of life and death.

A lot of times I think it would have been really neat to have lived with Jesus on earth – to have spent time with Him. And I do think that’s true. It’s just that I would like to live with Him knowing what I know now. The Twelve didn’t have that. They were living the story. All that He said would one day begin making sense. But at this point Easter was an unknown experience.

I’ll keep that I mind as I talk with people in this day and age. I tend to overlook how amazing – how awesome – the story is. Jesus did willingly go to Jerusalem. He was mocked and insulted and beaten and killed. And He was raised from the dead. This really happened. And everything in my life and yours is changed because of that.