Hope for the Dead Messiah

I would imagine that the hours after the death of Jesus were a hopeless time for His disciples and for the others who followed Him.• They expected great things from Jesus.• They had placed all their faith, and their hopes in Him.• They believed that He was the long-awaited Messiah, Who would deliver them from their Roman oppressors, and rule the kingdoms of the world. Where did they get ideas like that? From Jesus Himself, of course.• He told them that He was the Son of God.• He told them that He was the Messiah.• He told them that He would bring salvation to the world.• He told them that He would rule over and eternal kingdom. Yet, just a few days ago, many of His followers watched Him die a horrible death on a Roman cross. Others has seen His body anointed with spices, wrapped in linen, and sealed in a tomb. It was over. He was dead. He was gone. And, all their hopes had been buried with Him. It was a time of hopelessness, of shattered dreams, of broken hearts, of people filled with the dull ache of loss, and utter sadness.