WHAT ABOUT SATURDAY?
(Note: I realize that
the days of the events of the crucifixion and resurrection have been debated,
but for this post, I want to go with the crucifixion being on Friday and the resurrection
on Sunday. And allow me the liberty to use my imagination a little… )
All the focus during the Easter season is on Friday’s
crucifixion and Sunday’s resurrection, but I wonder, “What was happening on
Saturday with the disciples of Christ?”
What were they experiencing emotionally in this “pit” they found
themselves in? Disappointment, despair,
fear, confusion, sorrow, hopelessness, and grief all fought for the chance to darken
their minds and make them disbelieve all the promises that Jesus had made as he
walked with them daily.
They were confused because Christ had told them He would
rise on the 3rd day. But He
had also said He would establish a Kingdom and He had not. Oh how they wanted to be rid of Roman
oppression and He had not taken care of that for them. They were frightened and perhaps they were all meeting together on
that Saturday, hiding in fear that the Roman soldiers would find them at any
moment and drag them away to be beaten, or worse, crucified, because they were
Christ’s followers. They were following
this man that leaders (even religious leaders) had labeled “heretic” and “false
prophet.” For them to be so angry with
Jesus as to punish and crucify Him as they did, they would think nothing of
punishing or killing His followers.
They were sad because Jesus had become such a friend and
companion to them and now they had lost their true Friend and Teacher. Their
grief was almost unbearable as they reminisced about all the wonderful and
amazing times as they had gone from place to place with Him and watched Him perform
miracle after miracle. And then He would
take the time to draw them aside and personally share the great mysteries of
the gospel. Oh, how could He be gone
from them now??
Perhaps one of the disciples would say, “Remember, He said
if they destroy His temple, He will raise it up in three days. Do we really think this can happen?” Another would say, “That’s just too hard to
comprehend. But you know, we saw the
Savior raise people from the dead all the time.
Remember Lazarus?” Maybe another
would ask, “How will He ever establish a Kingdom now? The rulers and leaders and thousands of
people now believe He was a heretical leader and so He can not rise up and
overthrow the Roman government! Even if
He did rise from the grave, He would have no power here! And we will all surely
be killed if we even try to follow Him now.”
Oh, they were so confused! And
rightly so. I can feel their
anguish. I can sense the lack of faith at
this point.
The disciples had not yet experienced the outpouring of the
Holy Ghost – that infilling Spirit that would give them wisdom and power. And faith and hope. Oh, if they could just have seen a few weeks
into the future! This “Saturday” was
dark and gloomy and hopeless, but OH, SUNDAY was coming!!
Sometimes we may find
ourselves on a “Saturday” in our walk with Christ. We’ve been following Him, serving in His
Kingdom, seeing miracles, doing what we consider to be “His will.” Then, all of a sudden, we are thrust into a
dark place. It seems as though our Best
Friend, our Confidante, our Healer, and our Teacher, is gone into hiding. We pray, but our confusion, doubts, and disappoint
all seem to block our view of a loving Christ that we previously walked
hand-in-hand with. We find ourselves in puddles of tears and can’t
see anything but darkness and gloom. BUT WAIT…
Your SUNDAY is coming!
Get up early! Run to
the tomb! Get on the Road to
Emmaus! Climb to the Upper Room! Cast aside your worries and anxieties and
embrace the Risen Savior. Touch His
hands and His feet – feel the nail scars and wounds from the sacrifice He made
for you. Allow the light from the open tomb to illuminate those dark places of
fear and anxiety! Let His Spirit bathe
your soul with joy hope and peace! Be glad that you don’t have to live in the “Saturday”
of your life, because while you’ve been in the “pit,” He has been working on
your behalf all the while!
REJOICE IN ADVANCE – SUNDAY IS COMING!!
