Let’s Stop Living In Saturday

Now may the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you believe so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit. – Romans 15.13, CSB

That Friday was horrific. Every hope they had died when their Rabbi breathed his last breath from a cross they never understood to be the will of God. But have we ever stopped to ask what Saturday was like for the disciples before Jesus pulled off Easter? Scripture does not give us detailed information about what happened on that Sabbath day without Jesus with them, so some of this is speculation and placing myself in their setting. Please forgive me if this is offensive, but it helps me to enter into the fullness of Christ’s passion.

On Saturday, the cross was empty and the tomb was occupied. The mob that called out for the crucifixion of the Messiah went back to their normal life. The religious leaders felt relieved that they had finally “put down” their enemy, but were worried that his disciples would try to steal the body and claim that Jesus had come back from the dead, resulting in a movement they would not be able to stop (Matthew 27.62-66). And his disciples? They were hiding (John 20.19). Maybe the words of Jesus filled them with fear of experiencing the same end that Jesus did. “Remember the word I spoke to you: ‘A servant is not greater than his master.’ If they persecuted me, they will also persecute you” (John 15.20, CSB). So they kept the doors locked. And while they were locked away for fear of what might happen, they were also locked away with their thoughts of the previous 24 hours.

They all deserted him. Even after they all pledged to die with him (Matthew 26.35), they deserted him. And Peter? He even declared three times before the morning that he didn’t even know who Jesus was. Can you imagine the silence in that room as each disciple played out their regrets? Can you imagine the shame that ravaged their souls as each failed word and intention spoken before Jesus was arrested played in their minds like a video on repeat? Can you imagine those disciples, once in awe of the words Jesus spoke and the miracles he performed, now sitting in tears and sorrow, without hope or direction for what to do next? Can you imagine the frustrations that rose between them as they tried to pin worse things on each other so they didn’t have to face their part in abandoning Jesus in his greatest time of need? Can you imagine the anger toward one of their own betraying Jesus for some silver pieces? Can you feel it?

We remember Jesus on that Friday. And we celebrate him on Easter Sunday. But do we engage with him in our Saturdays, or do we remain in the shame, pain, hopelessness, and frustrations that come with our regrets? Do we, knowing the difference of Jesus’ resurrection on Sunday, and the victory that came with it, still live in guilt and fear? Do we look at the failings of others as an attempt to feel better about ourselves so that we don’t have to confront our own failings? Do we live our lives in the hopelessness of “what if” instead of living in the reality of “what is” because Jesus accomplished the impossible? 

Everything changed on that first Easter. EVERYTHING! Sin was atoned for on Friday. Death was defeated on Sunday. Jesus was alive and still is. And his ministry to us continues as he continues to sympathize with us in our weaknesses (Hebrews 4.15) and to intercede on our behalf before the Father (Romans 8.34; Hebrews 7.25). And he is constantly with us through the Holy Spirit who is in us (John 14.17) as a guarantee of the salvation that is ours because of what Jesus accomplished (Ephesians 1.13-14). We have access to God to help us in all our times of need (Hebrews 4.16). And our identities have been changed. We are new creations in Christ (2 Corinthians 5.17) and children of God (1 John 3.1). We are forgiven (Psalm 103.12) and stand righteous before God because of Christ’s righteousness imputed to us (Romans 5.1; Philippians 3.9). And while this does not mean we won’t face hard times or go through difficult seasons now (John 16.33), we have Jesus to help us through everything as he uses our sufferings for our good and for his glory (Romans 5.3-5; James 1.2-4; Hebrews 12.11) . And then one day, we will see him in all of his glory and celebrate and worship him forever with every other follower of Jesus (Revelation 7.9-12). 

So, what do we do with our Saturday? What do we do with the regrets and guilt of our past failings? What do we do with our pains of loss and our feelings of hopelessness? We remember everything God accomplished through Jesus on that first Easter morning. And as we remember it, we live in the reality of the resurrection of Jesus and the hope that comes with his salvation. And in those seasons of suffering where we feel like we have to wait longer than we prefer, we learn to wait in true hope and unquestioned certainty that God will come through, convinced that “it is good to wait quietly for salvation from the Lord.” 

Let’s stop living in the hopelessness of Saturday and, instead, move into the hope and life of that first Easter Sunday.