When ‘the end’ is turned upside down and becomes the beginning

The end.

Those are the last two words in many books and movies.

Are you one of those people who skip to the end just to find out the “end of the story” when reading a captivating story? Or, do you prefer to be surprised and avoid reading ahead or learning of the end until you’ve experienced every nuance along the way?

This past weekend, Easter, also known as Resurrection Sunday, was celebrated by many people around the world. Certainly there were people celebrating Easter eggs, bunnies, pretty new clothes, feasts and family gatherings.

There were also many people celebrating a surprise ending to a story, an ending that is also a beginning.

Easter is a celebration of the resurrection of Jesus Christ who was crucified on a cross outside of Jerusalem 1,989 years ago. He died. Shortly before sunset that Friday, His followers took his body, wrapped it with perfumes and linen cloths, as was the custom, and laid it in a tomb, planning to return early the following Sunday for the complete burial process.

The Jewish laws surrounding the Sabbath, recognized from sunset Friday to sunset Saturday, prohibited work. And, as it was also Passover, touching a dead body would prevent someone from partaking in the Passover festivities.

The end. On Friday, throughout all of Saturday, Jesus’ disciples though it was the end. They mourned. They grieved. They despaired and wondered what had gone wrong and how could they have been so mistaken. It was the end of all their dreams and hopes and beliefs.

Then, early Sunday morning, a couple of women went to the tomb to care for the body of their beloved rabbi, their Lord. They found an empty tomb. They feared the body had been stolen, adding one more layer of pain to the already agonizing story. The end.

An angel appeared telling them it was not the end. Jesus had risen from the dead and was alive. They encountered

Jesus, then ran to tell the men. The next few hours were an unbelievable story proving that what they thought was the end was indeed a beginning. For seven more weeks, the followers would see, talk to, hear from Jesus and their faith was strengthened so much so that even Peter, who had vehemently denied knowing Jesus during the trial, would become a passionate, zealous, fervent preacher sharing that Jesus, the Son of God, had died for the sins of mankind and risen declaring victory over death.

The end.

The end was turned upside down and new life arose out of death.

Nature teaches us that lesson every spring. The bare gray-brown branches almost imperceptibly are dotted with green buds, purple buds, new life.

The beautiful yellow blossoms that dot the Ozark hillsides every spring wilt and turn brown and drop with the unexpected freezes and may be considered dead, but the following spring, the green leaves sprout, more numerous than before and the yellow blossoms brighten the hillsides again.

This Easter was our family’s first Easter without my mother. Over the past 40 years, elder, beloved family members have died and been mourned. Each are missed. But, it’s not the end. For those who placed their faith in Jesus Christ, there is eternal life and we will see them again.

Scripture records: “Very truly I tell you, whoever hears my word and believes him who sent me has eternal life and will not be judged but has crossed over from death to life.” (John 5:24)

“Jesus said to her, ‘I am the resurrection and the life. The one who believes in me will live, even though they die.’” (John 11:25)

Editor’s note: Annette Beard is the managing editor of The Times of Northeast Benton County, chosen the best small weekly newspaper in Arkansas for several years. A native of Louisiana, she moved to northwest Arkansas in 1980 to work for the Benton County Daily Record. She has nine children, six sons-inlaw, nine grandsons and six granddaughters. The opinions expressed are those of the author. She can be reached at abeard@nwaonline.com.