Easter Story, Emmaus

Easter story, Emmaus

It was already getting dark. The three people had gone to an inn. When I arrived there I saw only two people. Where was the third one? The two people were actually a couple. They were jumping up and down as if they had seen ghost. “No” they shouted. “It was the Master. When he was breaking the bread, we recognized him. But then he disappeared. He is alive. We must go back to Jerusalem to tell the disciples that he is alive.” Before I could say anything about the tomb they were off, running. So I ran with them. I managed to say that I had seen the tomb empty. That only shows it.
Arriving at the Upper Room they knocked on the door. Inside there must be lot of shouting, because the door remained shut. I went to the back of the building. I knew there was a window, a bit high but the shutter was open. I shouted until one man, I think it was Thomas, looked down. He recognized me and took my hand and pulled me in. What a scene!
I saw some women crying. They had gone to the tomb, saw it empty and asked the gardener whether he knew about the Master’ body. Then he said”Mary”. It was such a joy.
Also I went to Peter to tell what I had seen. He said that he and John ran to the tomb and found it empty and John believed that the Master was alive.
Every body was singing, “Alleluia; Jesus is raised from the dead”. I have never seen such a celebration. There I was, a follower of the Master, probably the youngest of the lot.
I met the couple whom I met in Emmaus. They still had some of the bread that Jesus broke. They gave me something of it. I ate it because I was very hungry. Other people also had started to eat.
All of a sudden every body stopped talking and were quiet with great amazements. Jesus appeared to his disciples as they were eating. He said to them,” May God give you peace!”
He said again,” I am sending you as the Father has sent me.” Then he breathed on them and said, “Receive the Holy Spirit.”
The disciples seemed to be frightened and terrified because they thought seeing a ghost. But Jesus said,” Why are you so frightened? Why any doubt? Touch me and find out for yourselves.” The disciples got very close to him and touched him. They were absolutely happy. Jesus said,” Next time I see you in Galilee at the lake. Remember where it all began”.

There I became a follower. Now I am a believer.With the disciples I went often to thetemple praising God.
I must tell Sam.

Easter Story, The empty tomb

Easter Story; The Empty Tomb

Late in the evening I banged on the door of my flat mate Sam at B&B near the wall of Jerusalem...
He opened the door and said, “You’ve got nothing on”. I told him what happened in the Garden of Gethsemane where our Master was arrested by the Temple police. All of Jesus’ disciples ran off and left him. I am one of them. The police grabbed me by my tunic. But I scrambled and left my tunic behind, so here am I naked. Quickly Sam let me in and gave me his spare tunic. I told Sam that the Master was in for a rough time, knowing the temple police who acted on behalf of the Temple Priests. Sam gave me a straw mattress for the night. I did not sleep well.

In the morning we heard from the neighbors that the Master was lowered down into the dungeon underneath the high priest Caiphas. I knew the place and seen the hole into the dungeon when I was there once on a cleaning job.

Later on I heard terrible noise outsides and still afraid of the police I opened slightly the window shutter and saw Roman soldiers pushing some criminals carrying crosses down the road. To my shock I noticed the Master was one of them. The Romans are very cruel in killing their enemies by nailing them naked on a cross using square nails through the pulses and feet. Dying could take hours. My master did not deserve that agony.
I did not dare to go outside, even when I was told that he was buried in nearby cave.
I spent the day thinking WHY? Being a young guy I have questions. Why did my master let himself be crucified? Why was he a victim or a sacrifice? I think he loves me more than anybody. Some of my adult friends call it a mystery of Atonement.
Next day, after nightmares I told Sam that I was going to see the cave or tomb. Very quietly I approached the place and saw soldiers keeping watch. A hugh stone was rolled in front of the tomb. I wondered whether I should tell the disciples who were probably in the room of Passover Meal, the Upper room. But I went back to Sam who told me to stay inside. “Safer” he said.

On the Sunday morning I sneaked out again. The full moon lit up the track to the tomb. I was so curious to have a look at the tomb. Did the Master not say something about three days?
The first thing I noticed was that the soldiers were gone. Getting closer I saw the big stone rolled away and a white light coming out of the tomb. What happened? I was totally surprised.
Within the tomb and surrounded by the light I saw the flat surface of an empty bench, and some cloth neatly folded on one end of the bench. Any way there was no body. Also there was no clue of struggle. It did not make any sense to me. I went outside; there was the empty tomb; in the distance up the hill I saw three crosses; no corpses hanging on them. A long way of I saw three people walking towards a little village. From memory I knew it was called Emmaus. Had these people been at the tomb and seen it empty? They were not carrying anything; certainly not a body.
What to do? I could go the Upper room to tell the Master’s disciples, or walk as fast I could to the three people. I decided the last thing. Up to Emmaus!