Afterward.
That’s a cliff word.
A leap. A jump. A spiral. A dive.
In today’s #LentChallenge reading of John 21:1-14, we begin find the disciples fishing again. But the passage launches with three syllables…
Afterward.
Which means there’s a Beforeword.
That’s where we find ourselves today. Darkness descending. A holy corpse pinned to a pair of rough boards. Sword slits his flesh. Blood and water drip in a mind-bending cosmic reality.
This is Good Friday. A day when those who stood at the foot of the cross saw nothing good.
I wish it was hard to imagine. But for most of us, it’s all too familiar.
Even if our pain didn’t involve swords or boards, we’ve tasted the salty sweat and steamy tears of suffering, a day that seemed like it would never end.
Sometimes the weight of the wait seems like more than we can bear. The weight is so heavy because so much is at stake.
My friends, TC and Maegan, know the weight of the wait. They waited for almost 3 years to bring their adopted daughter home from Africa. The reality of children being politicized, paperwork hoop jumping, and beauro-crazy, gnawed at their hope and resolve.
Last spring, they waited in Kinshasa in the Democratic Republic of Congo for their long-promised one.
On Good Friday, the power went out. Sitting in the darkness, a vicious storm peeled and crackled.
Through the inky blackness, their tight knit group of five adoptive parents didn’t miss the irony.
The dark of the original Good Friday.
The powerlessness of those who watched.
The violence of heaven and hell crashing into each other.
They whispered of how long those days felt… for them… for us… for those who didn’t know holy surprise waited in the wings to shatter the darkness.
Maegan describes the weight of the wait:
“Our tight knit group of five was a group that had access to resources to get things done.
For the first time in our adult lives, we could ONLY lean into our faith to carry us through that weekend.
None of us had ever just sat. Dwelled. Rested. Reflected. Reckoned with the silence and the faith the disciples had to lean into.
Of course they doubted. The disciples had direct access to Jesus himself in his ministry on earth.
Yet, in those moments of silence and darkness at the foot of the cross they could only cling to the past words of Jesus.
The five of us had never spent the days before the resurrection attempting to be still and reflect on how the world went dark—it left us breathless.
I’d never known that kind of dark, but we found it in Kinshasa as darkness fell on Good Friday.”
Will you take time to be still this weekend?
Stop running from the dark and rest in the assurance. God knows His way around the dark.
TC and Meagan sat in the darkness for three days with no new information, but the hope of their daughter arriving on Easter. That’s after almost 3 years of waiting.
On Resurrection Day, the light and the life beamed in.
Her name is Zoe—which literally means life.
TC reflected this year by stating he’d love to go back to Kinshasa just for a few days. Just to remember and get a glimpse of how much they truly had to cling to the promise of God that Easter weekend in the waiting.
My hope and prayer for you this Good Friday is that you will recognize that you are not alone in the dark. And that God would give you night vision goggles for what’s coming.
As a side note: Maegan is the newest addition to our team and you’re going to love her as much as we do. And Zoe and her sister Emory are pure joy. I watched in awe the first moment Zoe saw the ocean. Unforgettable.
What did you least want to read but most need to hear in today’s reading?
(If you have any questions post them below. We’ll be collecting and gathering responses for insight from New Testament scholar Craig Blomberg in the upcoming weeks).
Day 39: John 21:1-14 Discussion Questions:
- Today we pause because it’s Good Friday. When have you been thrust into the inky darkness?
- Describe a time when you experienced the resurrection power of Christ’s presence?
- What has stood out to you most about the beforeword of this passage?
- Using the Color Method, what stood out to you most from today’s reading?
- What do you find most challenging about today’s reading? What do you find most comforting about today’s reading?
Recommended Resources:
Pocketful of Promises by Margaret Feinberg
Day 1 | John 1:1-18 | Ash Wednesday: Your Invitation to Discover the Beloved
Day 2 | John 1:19-34 | This One Question Will Leave You Undone
Day 3 | John 1: 35-51 | What to Tell Your Children Before It’s Too Late
Day 4 | John 2:1-12 | The Shocking Miracle of Water Becoming Wine
Day 7 | John 3:22-36 | There’s a Hidden Slip N’ Slide in the Bible — I Found It!
Day 9 | John 5:1-17 | How to Overcome Jealousy
Day 12 | John 6:15-35 | What to Do When You Doubt God
Day 14 | John 7:1-39 | What’s the Difference Between Dead and Living Water?
Day 16 | John 8:1-1 | You Stumped Me… Again
Day 17 | John 8:12-59 | 7 Surprises in the Gospel of John
Day 18 | John 9 | What does spiritual blindness really cost you?
Day 22 | John 12:1-11 | What’s Your Signature Spiritual Scent?
Day 23 | John 12:12-50 | Here is a Method That is Helping Me Relinquish Control
Day 25 | John 15:1-11 | What Does a Vinter See in John 15?
Day 29 | John 16:1-15 | Little Known Ways to Be of Good Cheer
Day 31 | John 17 | The Truth About Soul Talk
Day 33 | John 18:12-40 | Was it Judas or Satan Working through Judas?
Day 35 | John 19:16-30 | What’s a Woman’s Role?
Day 39 | John 21:1-14 | Why is the Weight of the Wait So Heavy on Good Friday?
Day 40 | John 21:15-25 | The Most Powerful Lesson I Learned During Lent
Margaret
I love your statement: God knows His way around in the dark. Waiting in expectation of what God can do this weekend to and for many people.
Blessings and thanks for walking with us through the Gospel of John.
Janis
I love that statement, too! Darkness coupled with waiting is a huge challenge. I love this reminder that Jesus loves us even with our doubts and fears. He knows our hearts.
SO glad I got to go through the Gospel of John with you!
Praying & hearing from God, “I will be with you, but it maybe rough..”as an impending surgery is swiftly approaching, can create nerve jarring expectation. This was exactly how I felt last September as I underwent my second sinus surgery, a formality really, but it plunged me into darkness that only the Resurrected Lord could deliver me. Anesthesia we knew I was allergic to, but the Fentynl was a variable no one knew & certainly could not prepare for. However, after my breathing ceased during the body racking tremors, I was awakened with a glimpse of light that was so bright I knew could only have been my Lord!
WOW! God sure is the light in darkness!
Sometimes when I just need to vent or have some time to rest I go to my bed and rest. I know where their is darkness there is light. It’s usually when I am by myself if I am lucky at all. Most of the time I keep myself busy doing things around the house and try to reach people who need help comfort or need hope. One Sunday afternoon I had a vision in church while women were praying. Jesus gave me a picture of him widening his arms and the holy spirit was there with the spirit. It was like he was sending a signal like the wind and how it flows through our hearts. The thing that stood out was the part where the parents were trying to get their daughter back from far away. It is so amazing how God works in our lives and continues to love us and be with us even in our darkest times. That must have been scary being in the dark for 3 days. I can’t imagine. I would just pray in the midst of the storm and in the morning find the light. The most comforting thing is that Jesus is with us no matter what. When it is dark we turn on the light and when we wake up there is light. That is amazing. God is here with us and he will never leave us even when we are lonely. He knows everything and what is going to happen.
Great post.