They were looking for Him among the ranks.

Violent.

Powerful.

Hungry for a bloody fight and glorious victory.

A liberator. Messiah.

Someone to overthrow the government

Oppressive

Corrupt

Caesar certainly didn’t affirm traditional Jewish values.  Surely God would erect a political leader who would uphold such beliefs.

They looked in the political sphere

They looked for military prowess

But He was not there.

They were looking for Him among the scrolls.

Learned.

Astute.

A mastermind of the law, applying every last letter and punctuation mark to their perfect standard.

Someone who would restore the glory of the Temple to the days of King David.

The golden, good ol’ days.

So who was this man?  Healing on the Sabbath?  Teaching women?  Touching lepers?  Eating with whores?

This could not be the letter of the law.

Their law.

The law they loved.

They looked in and among the teachers of the law

Among the religious elite

But He was not there.

They went to find Him in a tomb.

Dead.

Done.

Finished.

Beaten to a bloody pulp.

Violently killed by the ones who were looking for Him – just in the wrong places.

He would not lead their mob

So they mobbed Him

He would not uphold their law

So their law condemned Him

They went to find Him beneath the earth

Buried in the dust He had created

But He was not there.

He

was

not

there.

And that changed everything.

That still changes everything.

He was not there.

Life itself died and was brought back to life unleashing the single-most powerful redemptive, restorative force the world has ever experienced.

Do you know with what price you have been bought?
Do you know you bear the marks within your own body?

If we claim – church – to be the Body of Christ we will bear the scars.

Scars of rejection

Because we are not a political force

Scars of disdain

Because we are not the letter of the law, but the fullness of it.

Despised and rejected by the powerful.

Mocked and scorned by the religious elite.

We will bear these scars, Body.  They were inflicted long ago.

Do you know with what price you have been bought?
Do you know you bear this new life within your own body?

If we are the Body of Christ – church – if we really believe this – we will bring life.

Where all hope has been lost.

The Body brings life.

Where all dreams have been crushed.

The Body brings life.

Wherever there is a person who has been cast out, disdained, abused and rejected.

The Body brings life.

Wherever there is brokenness, hurt and death.

The Body brings life.

Do you know?

Do you know?

He is not there

in the tomb, wrapped up safe in clean, white linens.

He is not waiting

embalmed and preserved, biding time in His tomb till the fullness of time comes.

Do you know?
Do you know?

His body – His living, resurrected, body – is not in the tomb.

His body is in the streets.

His body is with the sick.

His body is feeding the hungry, holding the orphan, loving the AIDS victim.

Do you know?

Do you really know?

He is not here.

He has risen.

And so

We

Rise.

(credit: moominsean)