The Saturday between Good Friday and Easter

Luke 23:44 records that Jesus died at about 3pm on Friday which was just a few hours away from the Sabbath day. According to Jewish custom, funerals were not allowed to be conducted on Sabbath day so his followers would have to bury His body before sunset on Friday. They did not have time to secure a burial place for Jesus so they borrowed someone’s tomb to bury Jesus’ body.


What happened the next day?


His disciples scattered like sheep without their shepherd. They were shocked, confused and disappointed with Jesus. Jesus did not live up to their expectations. “How could it be that Jesus is dead?” they must have wondered and questioned among themselves.


They had seen Him heal hundreds of people. He not only healed the sick, He could turn water to wine. They even saw Him feed over five thousand people from five loaves of bread and two fish. He could tell the storm to be quiet and make the water harden so that He could walk on it. He even raise Lazarus from the dead. There was nothing that He couldn’t do.


So why didn’t he save Himself that day?


He always called Himself the Son of Man. In fact, He also called Himself the Son of God. Why didn’t He perform one of His miracles to show the Jewish leaders who He really was? Instead, He just let his enemies make fun of him, nailed Him on the cross and died. And most dissappointing of all was, He left them alone.


What a confusing and traumatic day it must have been for His disciples and followers. To answer this confusion for us today, we quote some explanations given by Alan E. Lewis in his book, “Between Cross & Resurrection”.

"Jesus is dead, his message and person discredited. The kingdoms of this world have won, and the God Jesus trusted is to be seen either as having failed Jesus...        or as ultimately powerless against sin and death...            Saturday is "the day of atheism"...        Only against this depressing background can we truly understand the glorious reversal and vindication of Jesus' person, his ministry, and the God in whom he trusted....          Now we know that the final word is precisely what God has said from the beginning: that the victories of sin and evil, injustice and inhumanity, are at worst penultimate; in the end God shall be the conqueror of the conquerors".

It is when situations around us seems hopeless and people around us seems unbearable that we will see the glory of God revealed to us. It is like when we are in a dark cold night alone out in the forest that we will look forward to the sunrise and appreciate it's importance and beauty.

While we have no idea what Jesus did or how His disciples actually felt on that Saturday, we can be encouraged that God always has something far greater in store for the future. We may be experiencing some setbacks in our Christian life. Jesus may have seem to let us down and He may not be acting according to our expectations of Him in some situations in our Christian walk but rest assured God always have a better plan ahead.


Easter will come.

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