Shall We Mourn

Shall we mourn? I've heard and read of many either attending solemn services or partaking of fasts on Good Friday and today in observance and remembrance of the death and burial of Jesus; Undoubtedly the most spiritually, physically, emotionally, even creationally intense and tension wrought events in all of history. However, in remembering the death, burial, and resurrection of our King and Savior Jesus, is it appropriate to take a posture of solemnity or even grief? Certainly the disciples of Jesus, in the days leading up to and immediatley following His crucifixion were grief stricken, confused, and hopeless. Certainly we, Jesus' disciples today, should remember that sorrow, but is it appropriate to recreate or participate in it? Shall we mourn over the death of Jesus Christ?

This is the very question I've been pondering over for the past few days. It started with a Passover seder meal we participated in which really brought joy to my heart. Seeing the Scriptures and the symbols of the meal brought to fulfillment and given meaning in the realization of Jesus, the true Paschal lamb, made me wonder how we as His followers could ever understand, never mind share in the sorrow experienced by those disciples nearly two millennia ago. They didn't have the fact of Jesus' resurrection to guide and comfort them through those hours and days. They didn't know the victory Jesus was manifesting through His death. They were bewildered, distraught, and maybe even feeling a little foolish for believing that this carpenter's son was the long awaited Messiah.

And behold, two of them were going that very day to a village named Emmaus, which was about seven miles from Jerusalem. And they were conversing with each other about all these things which had taken place. And it came about that while they were conversing and discussing, Jesus Himself approached, and began traveling with them. But their eyes were prevented from recognizing Him. And He said to them, “What are these words that you are exchanging with one another as you are walking?” And they stood still, looking sad. And one of them, named Cleopas, answered and said to Him, “Are You the only one visiting Jerusalem and unaware of the things which have happened here in these days?” And He said to them, “What things?” And they said to Him, “The things about Jesus the Nazarene, who was a prophet mighty in deed and word in the sight of God and all the people, and how the chief priests and our rulers delivered Him up to the sentence of death, and crucified Him. “But we were hoping that it was He who was going to redeem Israel. Indeed, besides all this, it is the third day since these things happened. - Luke 24:13-21

While this reaction, this mourning, is what we would expect from those, even those that knew Jesus in the flesh, in that historical context, and while it is necessary to understand their state of mind, we must realize that we are not those people! There is no doubt, no reason for us to mourn for our historical context is one that has the blessing of the risen Christ illuminating the Law, the prophets, His death and His burial. Consider how the resurrected Messiah Himself answers those He was walking with that day. "And He said to them, 'O foolish men and slow of heart to believe in all that the prophets have spoken! Was it not necessary for the Christ to suffer these things and to enter into His glory?' ” Luke 24:25-26. Jesus was rebuking them for mourning, for doubting. He was saying that if they had actually listened to Him before He was crucified, they would not be so bewildered and hopeless. He was showing them, and us, that if they truly understood they would not have reason to mourn for they would have known that the sufferings of Jesus were necessary for Him to be known as King and Savior. Remember how Jesus reacted to Peter when the apostle vowed to protect Him from death: "But He turned and said to Peter, “Get behind Me, Satan! You are a stumbling block to Me; for you are not setting your mind on God’s interests, but man’s.” Matt 16:23 (cf Mark 8:33)

But the LORD was pleased To crush Him, putting Him to grief; If He would render Himself as a guilt offering, He will see His offspring, He will prolong His days, And the good pleasure of the LORD will prosper in His hand. As a result of the anguish of His soul, He will see it and be satisfied; By His knowledge the Righteous One, My Servant, will justify the many, As He will bear their iniquities. Therefore, I will allot Him a portion with the great, And He will divide the spoil with the strong; Because He poured out Himself to death, And was numbered with the transgressors; Yet He Himself bore the sin of many, And interceded for the transgressors. - Isaiah 53:10-12

Now I make known to you, brethren, the gospel which I preached to you, which also you received, in which also you stand, by which also you are saved, if you hold fast the word which I preached to you, unless you believed in vain. For I delivered to you as of first importance what I also received, that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, and that He was buried, and that He was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures, - 1 Corinthians 15:1-4

So the question comes again: Shall we mourn? Though horrible as the event must have been, shall we find sorrow in that which we now know was necessary for us to know Jesus as our King. Shall we find somberness in the blood that was shed to covenant us with the God of all creation? In remembering the death and burial of Jesus shall we not remember, as Paul shows the Corinthians, the gospel of Jesus? Shall we not see that the death and burial of our King was foretold by the prophets and foreshadowed in the Law? Shall we not remember that the death and burial of Jesus our Messiah was proof positive that YAHWEH is faithful to His promises and keeps the covenant He made with His people? People of God, shall we mourn because our Messiah was crucified and buried? Or shall we rejoice?