Last Night

This past week has been Holy Week, and I have tried in all the trials of life and work - mainly trials of work :-), to focus on that. Maundy Thursday (whatever that means!), Good Friday, and upcoming Easter/Resurrection Sunday.
I had one disapointment this year. I like to take in a Passion Play to help get my focus on the real meaning of Easter, but couldn't seem to find one in the area. You would think that in a town the size of Bloomington that there would be a church somewhere that was having one, but that didn't seem to be the case. Bloomington isn't much smaller than Boardman, Ohio, and there were usually at least two churches there putting one on, even using camels and the like.
Since I had no Passion Play to go to, I focused on my Easter music, and no, not Jeff and Sheri Easter, though they rank among my favorites. :-) I have compiled several songs that have to do with Easter on an Easter playlist. "I've Just Seen Jesus", "Because He Lives", "Via Dolorosa", and several others.
A new one added this year has become a favorite, "Last Night", recorded by Karen Peck and New River - yes, Southern Gospel, but is a really good song.

Verse 1

Last night the disciples had supper with Jesus
Their last meal together before He was betrayed
After prayer in the garden He was arrested
Tortured and questioned until the next day
That day the mob cried out "Crucify Him!
The sweet Rose of Sharon was crushed on the cross
A rich man named Joseph took care of the body
While Mary and loved ones mourned their precious loss

Chorus:

Last night they buried the Rose in the garden
The fragrance of sorrow hung thick in the air
Satan was breathing a sigh of relief
While angels were silently bearing their grief
God knew that His Son would arise with great power
But for now He was waiting and counting the hours.

Verse 2

Mary and Martha spent the third morning
Gathering spices and watched for sunrise
The disciples were hiding, defeated and grieving
Too distraught to remember Christ said He would rise
The soldiers were sleeping outside of the grave
Unaware that their prisoner was stirring inside
The stone rolled away, Jesus stepped from the darkness
The dawning of grace had finally arrived

Chorus 2

This morning the Rose blooms in the garden
The sweet fragrance of victory still fills the air
Last night there was weeping with no consolation
But this morning rejoicing in the God of salvation
Today there is hope in the morning light
What a difference God made between now and last night

Tag:

No matter how hopeless and final the night
It has to give way to the Son of pure light

I cannot imagine the feelings the disiples and others were feeling. Here their hoped for Messiah and Savior was dead, all hope was gone. Talk about your sleepless nights, I am sure there wasn't much sleeping going on that week-end, and as the song says, what a difference in Sunday morning and Saturday night.
This really shows how stupid the devil is. You would think of all that he had seen God do down through the centuries, that when Jesus said He would arise in three days that he could really stop that? Imagine his shock when his evil plans only brought about God's greatest plan: redemption. There could be no redemption had Christ not died and rose again, and do rise, He had to die, something Satan brought about. The very author of evil himself helped to bring about God's greatest work of all - how ironic for him!
I was reading that devout Catholics in the Phillipines are actually having themselves beaten, and some actually nailed to crosses to commemorate Christ's crucifixion. I sure am not going to do anything like that. I will simply sit back, listen to my Easter music, contemplate on the greatest event the world has ever known, and go to church tomorrow to rejoice in a risen Savior - something no other religion in the world can say. Their gods are all dead, but ours lives on forever.