Communion #15
For us as believers, we imagine that when Jesus hung on the cross the world stood still. We assume that most consider that day to be the defining event in the history of the world. But there is no real evidence to suggest that, were you to look through history books alone. Yes, history acknowledges that Jesus died on a cross, but it certainly doesn't mark it with any special milestone besides its relevance to the Christian populace. The Bible tells us that on this day, great things occurred in the spiritual realms. That Jesus became the worthy lamb of God, the one who is righteous enough to open the scrolls (Revelations). But on that day, much of Jerusalem and the extended world would have continued to live as though this day were like any other. The marketplace would have continued to bustle with trade. The fields and its workers would have continued to plough. Marriage ceremonies would have been held. And the elite would still have drunk wine and ate choice meats.
His death didn’t draw crowds like our Easter services do. Most wouldn’t have acknowledged him. In fact, even some of his followers did not attend the event.
His death would have been accompanied by a degree of silence. Not only the kind of silence that equates to the absence of literal noise. But the type that quiets a person's heart and mind.
There are significant moments in life that happen for us too, that the rest of the world wouldn’t realise are the most defining in our present and future. The day we gave our lives to Christ. The day our heart was broken. The day we received the greatest advice we ever could receive. All the while, the rest of the world is oblivious.
We watch television programs that begin with fanfare and dramatic violin strikes. We watch movies where a soundtrack is the backdrop for the climactic scenes. But Jesus didn’t have fanfare on the day he died. There was no soundtrack to backdrop this climactic scene. There was nothing that humankind did to indicate that this would be the most significant of days. And so we also must recognise that the humility of Christ even extended to the way in which he both died and resurrected. It was significant to a few, but not consciously significant to all. We too must not search out the things that seem important by the attention it grabs and the showiness of the moment. The most significant things we do will be unseen and unknown. A model our saviour demonstrated well when He died on the cross, without an audience. And rose again, only to meet a few.