The Resurrection of the Crucified

The Jesus story is distinctly different.  It is about the resurrection of the crucified. Jesus is unlike any other religious leader.  Buddha died aged 80, surrounded by a host of followers, Mohammed died aged 62, leader of a united Arabia, in the arms of his favourite wife.  The Jesus story is distinctly different. It is about the resurrection of the crucified. He died aged 33. An innocent man dying a criminal’s death. 

A cruel death.  Forsaken, betrayed, suffering, broken, lost, rejected, alone, alone, alone.  And in his final breath he asks for forgiveness for those who hurt him, wounded him, caused him pain. 

And he bows his head and dies.  But this story is about the resurrection of the crucified.

The bringing together of the lost, the forsaken, the broken.  The healing of hurt, of pain, of suffering.  The restoring of the betrayed, the rejected, the wounded.      

It is about the resurrection of the crucified.  The stone removed. The impossible becoming possible.

That thing that could never be moved, moves.  That impossible situation that we thought would never change, changes.  That impossible relationship that could never be restored, restores.  It is about the resurrection of the crucified.  Light breaking into the darkest parts of us.  The pain, the hurt, the loneliness, the relentless feeling of being alone. 

The Jesus story is distinctly different.  It is about the resurrection of the crucified. It says in the middle of the storm there’s a way through, in the middle of the darkest situation, light can shine, in that place of hopeless, hope can be found.  Because our story is about the resurrection of the crucified. 

The Jesus story is distinctly different and that’s why I am a follower of Jesus.