I am thinking about death in this season of Lent.

I still miss my Gram and Papa so much it physically hurts sometimes.

I see my friends who just lost their young daughter struggle to do the next thing.

I hear a friend who lost her husband say that she has trouble getting out of bed in the morning.

Death is ugly.

I am thinking about Jesus’ last Passover meal.

He, too, was thinking about death. He knew what was coming.

He looked around at his beloved disciples and knew the curse they were living under.

The curse we all were living under.

The curse begun by Eve when she took, ate, and gave that fruit.

Jesus looked around at his disciples and knew that what he was about to do would rescue them from exile from God, that what he was about to suffer would break that curse for all time.

He wanted them to always remember his rescue, and so he took, gave, and ate the bread and the fruit of the vine.

And then he broke that curse.

He broke the curse so that death would no longer have the last word.

He broke that curse and gave us hope.

And hope remains.

After his wife dies, there is hope.

After her child dies, there is hope.

After her innocence dies, there is hope.

After his heart dies, there is hope.

After all that we know dies, there is is hope.

Hope for the end of our exile.

Hope for our rescue.

Hope for heaven and earth to become one and for God to dwell with his people.

Hope for Jesus to take, and give, and eat once more, in celebration this time, with the fruit of the vine at the wedding feast.

I’m thinking about death in this season of Lent.

Death defeated.

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Art Credit: The Last Supper from Master of the Dresden Prayer Book