Today is Saturday. Saturday after Good Friday. Remarkable day. Day of Silence. Tempting silence.
Over 2000 years ago, Jesus was crucified on the first Good Friday. The next day was Saturday. On that fateful Saturday, Jesus was lying in that rugged, newly crafted tomb of Joseph of Arimathea. Roman soldiers, armed for the task, were guarding the tomb to deal with any suspicious activity around it. The Jewish leaders thought that they had put the bourgeoning ‘sect’ to sleep. The disciples were mourning the loss of their great Master and Teacher. The family of Jesus was mourning his ‘assassination’. It was a day of great sorrow for them. The devil, being limited in his knowledge about the eternal purpose of God in the matter, was celebrating the seeming triumph of darkness over light.
Right inside the grave, everything was quiet. Tempting. Didn’t he say He would rise again? What is going on? Will he rise again? Have the Jewish leaders won? Will the faith He came to birth continue? Questions, questions, questions.
The characters around the death of Jesus didn’t understand the purpose of God for the events that were unfolding before them. When we fail to understand the purpose of God, we err, we are disturbed, we become presumptuous. Sometimes, silence is not denial, and it doesn’t mean anything is wrong. It doesn’t mean that the purpose of God will not come to pass again. The silence is tempting, but God’s purpose always overcomes the silent period of waiting.
Tomorrow is Sunday, Easter Sunday. Tomorrow, the silence will be worth it and will be forgotten. On that first easter morning, Jesus rose like a Victor from that cruel, silent grave! Learn to wait. Don’t be tempted to quit. Hold on, Sunday is coming. The waiting will be worth it when the light of God’s ultimate purpose breaks out on the ugly circumstances of our life.