Preacher C Wonders What it Would Be Like to Be There

I have an annual Holy Week ritual. Actually, it usually begins about the Saturday before Palm Sunday. I begin to listen to Andrew Lloyd Webber's Jesus Christ Superstar. Each year I choose a character from the drama to become - to live into, if you will. Through the years, I've been Mary Magdalene, Pilot, Herod, a person in the crowd, Caiaphas, Peter, John, Simon the Zealot, a leper, etc.
I've been doing this long enough that I ran out of characters! This year there was no one left to be - no one, that is, except Jesus. I was rather put off by the prospect of living into that particular character. In fact, I felt unworthy, ashamed, even a little afraid. As a director, I've coached actors to portray Jesus in productions of Godspell, Cotton Patch Gospel and Superstar. Yet when faced with the reality of trying to BE Him, to have the heart, the mind, the soul of Christ as I move through the events of Holy Week, I found it completely daunting.
Jesus and 12 men were together day and night for 3 years. They experienced life together. Miracles. Healings. Feedings. The blind can see. The lame can walk. The word Messiah keeps coming up. The teachings. Some believe He will lead a revolution against the Roman occupation. Some believe He is a prophet. Some believe He is a rabbi. Some believe they just feel good being around him.
I've served in churches for 26 years. We've been through life together. Miracles. Healings. And I can tell you as a Methodist, there've been TONS of feedings. I've seen the blind healed; the lame, too - not by me, mind you, but by the Jesus I serve. We talk about the Messiah and his teachings. There's always some contingency in the church that wants to overthrow some other group in the church and wants me on "their side". I can relate to all that.
Jesus keeps trying to lay it out for them. Love God with all your heart, mind, soul, and strength. And love your neighbor as yourself. They keep trying to complicate things.
I can relate to that too. We just have to love God and each other. Yet, we get mad and hate each other over petty things like the color of the carpet or the people who wear shorts to the contemporary service.
And then when things get rough for Jesus, his friends all desert him. One even betrays him to the enemy.
Hey, come to think of it, I've been there too. Haven't we all at one time or another?
No, I'm nowhere near being Jesus. But I'm finding myself really moved, even changed by finding how much he had to face exactly the things I've had to face in my life. He knows EXACTLY how I feel when I cry out to him.
And when he was on that cross and cried, "My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?", he knew God hadn't forsaken him, just like I know God never forsakes me. But he FELT forsaken, the pain of loss, the heartbreak of loneliness, the human emotion of being alone and, like us, he cried out in frustration for the One who never forsakes us.
Then, three days later, He sees his friends again. Slowly they return to Him. Now they are with Him forever, as we will one day be as well. I haven't experienced that yet. But I'm looking forward to it...