Transcript
Speaker: The following podcast is a Jill Devine Media production. Christianity has become known for judgy people, strange words, ancient stories, confusing rules, and a members -only mindset. This is why I stayed away from the church for so long, but it's not supposed to be that way. I'm Jill Devine, a former radio personality with three tattoos, a love for a good tequila, and who's never read the entire Bible.
Speaker: Yet, here I am hosting a podcast about faith. The Normal Goes Along Way podcast is your home for real conversations with real people using real language about how faith and real life intersect. Welcome to the conversation. I'm Jill Devine, the host of Normal Goes Along Way, and our Holy Week reflection and prayer time continues with Laura Fleetwood.
Speaker: It's Saturday. Jesus has died and his body has been lovingly taken from the cross, anointed with oils wrapped in claws and placed in a tomb. The rituals have been performed. His disciples have fled most of them before he even died.
Speaker: And this loving group of women who have followed him throughout his ministry are the ones caring for his body and placing him at rest. What were they thinking? Did the disciples even recall that Jesus had said that he would die and be raised back to life?
Speaker: They were hiding. They were probably fearful and scared that something similar would happen to them. Peter had disowned Jesus three times. Judas had betrayed him. Others fled. They were mourning. They were scared.
Speaker: certainly doesn't seem like they were hopeful. How many times has fear clouded our eyes to the truth? How many times have we sought to protect ourselves in situations where God has already promised victory? Just like the disciples, we often cower in fear and hide away and forget the promise
Speaker: that God has made to us that He is always with us, that He loves us, that He works everything out for the good. It seems like the disciples forgot that Jesus said He would overcome. Maybe they were waiting, but definitely they were hiding. They had the words of Jesus that He had said,
Speaker: We have the benefit of knowing how the story ends. So today on Saturday, as we wait, we wait in expectation for we know what tomorrow brings. What if we could wait in that same expectation every day?
Speaker: knowing that God is good, that love wins in the end, that no matter what kinds of death we're facing in our everyday life, death of dreams, death of a marriage, death of loved ones, that no matter what kind of death,
Speaker: God promises that eventually that death will be turned around into new life and new beginnings. And He doesn't want us to wait until heaven. For what He does tomorrow proves that resurrection is possible in this life. For our dreams. For our relationships.
Speaker: for our stories, for our eternity. So we wait with hope. We wait with great hope. And we look forward to the miracle that is to come. Dear Heavenly Father, it's been heavy as we have walked with Jesus toward the cross. And if we're honest, we admit that we don't understand it all.
Speaker: Our tiny human minds can only like begin to grasp at the enormous implications that Jesus's death has on our lives. But we know it's there. We feel it. We feel his love as he walked that walk for us. So Lord today that is
Speaker: the word that's on our heart, love. For though it seemed very dark for the disciples as they mourned the loss of the one who they thought was the answer to everything, but they didn't know. They didn't know that heaven was just counting to three. Amen.
