Unexpected Intersection.

I remember as a young boy, when Christmas would have come and gone and all the build up of excitement would be over. There was that empty feeling of sad disappointment that all of the excitement was gone away. It's kind of cool that in the Christian Year, the way that we mark time liturgically through the different seasons of our year with the Lord and His people (Advent, Christmas, Lent, Easter, Ordinary Time, etc.) that at the seasons of Christmas and Easter, we don't actually have to rush away from celebrating the birth of Jesus and the resurrection of Jesus. In the liturgy of the Christian year, there are actually 12 days of Christmas and 50 days of Easter (Christmastide and Eastertide). I say all of that to say, let's not quickly rush away from the resurrection story of Jesus and all that we encountered in the season of Lent leading up to it. Robert Benson says, "A journey across holy ground must not be rushed." Let's not rush away. I spent some time learning about some of the unexpected intersections that took place on the way to the cross with Jesus. Some of them are found in the bible book of Luke chapter 23, verses 26 through 32.

Jesus is carrying His own cross on the way to be crucified. Simon of Cyrene was tapped by soldiers to help carry the cross of Jesus. Simon didn't expect to be carrying the cross of Jesus that day. He is there for passover and of the hundreds and thousands of people that are there, he is the one that is chosen to help Jesus carry the cross. He was obligated by law to carry the cross for at least one mile, but He was invited by God to participate in this divine story, hard as it was. Unexpected Intersection.

There was a group of people including some women who were traveling along the road to the cross with Jesus. It says that they were mourning and wailing for Him. They didn't expect to be grieving the loss of their Savior. Among them was Jesus' mom. Oh the anguish of a mother watching her suffering son. I can't fathom it. I'm not a mom. Unexpected Intersection.

There were two criminals that were being crucified with Jesus that day. They didn't expect to be dying with the King of the Jews, the King of the Universe. Crucifixion was not uncommon. Of all the people that they could have been crucified with, it's Jesus. Unexpected Intersection.

And what is amazing is that even in these really hard, unexpected intersections for each of these people during this time, they each receive unexpected gifts from Jesus right in the middle of it.

Simon of Cyrene received the unexpected gift of getting to share in the suffering of Jesus that day. This is not necessarily something that we would choose and seek out, but Paul in the bible book of Philippians talks about knowing Jesus so intimately that we have the fellowship with Him of sharing in His suffering. Simon got that, literally. Unexpected Gift.

The mourning women received the unexpected gift of receiving compassion from Jesus while He was in the midst of His suffering. As they are wailing and mourning, Jesus tells them not to weep for Him but for themselves. How many criminals on the road to their death have offered words of compassion to those walking alongside them? They are focussed on their impending, brutal death, not offering kind words. But Jesus does. Unexpected Gift.

One of the criminals received the unexpected gift of receiving eternal life from Jesus while they were both in the midst of their suffering! The criminal said to Jesus, “Jesus remember me when you come into your kingdom” and Jesus answered him, “I tell you the truth, today you will be with me in paradise.” Wow, it’s not too late to name the name of Jesus! You can do that right now. Unexpected Gift.

And what about you and I? What are you receiving from Jesus? Any unexpected intersections? Any unexpected gifts?

Receive the very weighty gift of the fellowship of sharing in the suffering of Jesus.

Receive the very intimate gift of Jesus pouring out His compassion over you.

Receive the very life altering gift of receiving a new heart and new life from Jesus, the Savior!

There's more.