Faithful Waiting

No one likes to wait.
Waiting in traffic.
Waiting in the doctor’s office with a sick child.
Waiting on the phone when you are put on hold.
Time seems to move along at a snail’s pace.

Waiting to open presents on your birthday.
Waiting to get your driver’s license.
Waiting for a baby to be born.
Waiting to buy your first house.
Time seems to stand still.

There is much to be learned in the wait.
Sometimes we are so frustrated as we wait, we fail to learn anything.

Now there was a man named Joseph, a member of the Council, a good and upright man, who had not consented to their decision and action. He came from the Judean town of Arimathea and he was waiting for the kingdom of God. Going to Pilate, he asked for Jesus’ body. Then he took it down, wrapped it in linen cloth and place it in a tomb cut in the rock, one in which on one had yet been laid. It was Preparation Day, and the Sabbath was about to begin. The women who had come with Jesus from Galilee followed Joseph and saw the tomb and how His body was laid in it. Then they went home and prepared spices and perfumes. But they rested on the Sabbath in obedience to the commandment. (Luke 23:50-56)

Joseph was an unlikely man to ask for Jesus’ body.
Joseph was a wealthy man who gave his own tomb to Jesus as an act of worship.
The tomb, in which no one was yet laid.
The tomb that was waiting for a King.

Joseph was a member of the Council…much like a Supreme Court for the Jews.
Council members were learned men who studied the law.
Joseph was waiting for the kingdom of God, and he used his waiting time well.
He studied the Scriptures and he saw in those Scriptures the promised Messiah.

Joseph risked so much by going to Pilate and asking for Jesus’ body.
There was nothing else he could have done.
He worshiped Jesus by caring for Him in death.

Now there was a man in Jerusalem called Simeon, who was righteous and devout. He was waiting for the consolation of Israel and the Holy Spirit was upon him. It had been revealed to him by the Holy Spirit that he would not die before he had seen the Lord’s Christ. Moved by the Spirit, he went into the temple courts. When the parents brought in the child Jesus to do for Him what the custom of the Law required, Simeon took Him in his arms and praised God saying, “Sovereign Lord, as You have promised, You now dismiss your servant in peace. For my eyes have seen Your salvation, which You have prepared in the sight of all people, a light for revelation to the Gentiles and the glory to Your people Israel.” (Luke 2:25-32)

Simeon was waiting his whole life to see the Messiah.
He saw Jesus as a baby in the temple.
He held Him in his arms.
He now could depart in peace.
He knew God’s promises…He believed them.
He saw those promises fulfilled in Jesus.

Two men waiting.
One seeing Jesus as a baby.
One seeing Jesus as a man.
BOTH seeing Jesus for who He is…the fulfillment of God’s promise.
The Messiah.

The women waited until the Sabbath was over so they could go to the tomb and anoint Jesus’ dead body.
They had no expectation of resurrection.
They expected their waiting to end with embalming and preparing Jesus’ body.

Their waiting resulted in the biggest surprise of their life!
Worried that they would not be able to roll away the stone, they found that it had already been rolled away.

While they were wondering about this, suddenly two men in clothes that gleamed like lightning stood beside them. 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? He is not here; He has risen! Remember how He told you, while he was still with you in Galilee: The Son of Man must be delivered into the hands of sinful men, be crucified and on the third day be raised again. Then they remembered His words. When they came back from the tomb, they told all these things to the Eleven and to all the others…But they did not believe the women, because their words seemed to them like nonsense. Peter however, got up and ran to the tomb. Bending over, he saw the strips of linen lying by themselves and he went away, wondering to himself what had happened. (Luke 24:4-12)

I am so glad that God shows us people who are waiting.
I am so glad that God shows us people who don’t fully understand.

We are not much different from Peter.
We all must stand in front of the empty tomb.
We must ask ourselves, What happened?
The answer to that vital question has eternal significance.

One waited to hold the Messiah in his arms.
One waited for kingdom of God to come.
One waited for answers, as he stood perplexed before the empty tomb.

Can you answer that vital question?

What happened?

 

 

2 responses to “Faithful Waiting”

1. Gina, great insight! Happy Easter to you, gal, and all your family.

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   • Thank you, Melt!
     Have a Blessed Easter with Lu and your family.
     One of these days…our visit will finally happen!
     Gina

     Reply