The darkness that came over the day on Good Friday has faded into the darkness of night. There is very little recorded about the Saturday that lies between the crucifixion of Jesus and his resurrection. I can't imagine Mary his mother, his friends, and his disciples slept much that night. Although Jesus said he would rise from the dead on the third day, it doesn't seem like they really understood that to be a promise of an actual resurrection.
They had to have been in a state of disbelief and numbness. The trajectory of their lives just seemed to take an immediate nosedive. They knew Jesus was risking a lot going back into Jerusalem when the religious and political rulers were increasingly plotting against him. But surely he must have had a better plan than this. What know? How could they possibly move forward out of the darkness?
On Saturday everything must have seemed helpless but the reality was that they just needed to endure until Sunday. Even when they could not see the light any longer, the darkness that overwhelmed them did not stand a chance. There was a plan and this was it. God the Father from before time knew He would send His son to defeat sin, darkness, and death and unite us with him in his resurrection.
There are many days when the darkness will seem to be winning and light will be difficult to find. There will be days when we let yesterday define today more than the promises of tomorrow. We will feel like there is no way our sin, our pain, or our grief could possibly be redeemed. There are days when Saturday seems to last forever.
Let this Saturday between Good Friday and Easter remind you that when we are united with Jesus we are always defined by the miracle of tomorrow not the tragedy of yesterday. We are called to persevere and endure through Saturday knowing at just the right time, the light will pierce through the darkness. We will be radically surprised by Jesus and be filled with the hope and joy of Easter.
Grace and Peace,