Holy Saturday: IT LOOKED LIKE THE FUTURE WAS DEAD

Scripture:  Lamentations 3:19-23; Matthew 27:57-66; John 19:38-42 

Focus on the Word

Saturday.  Jesus’ body has been taken down from the cross and laid in the tomb. The door of the tomb has been sealed off by a large stone. (See Matthew 27:57-66). All the possibilities have come to a screeching halt.  The future is dead.  Hope has floated away like a cloud.  It is a day of silence.  Why?  Because there’s just not much to say on this day.  It's the day after.  It's the day you wake up and realize that yesterday wasn't a bad dream or nightmare. Jesus really died.  What happened?

In the church we call this day "Holy Saturday," but it sure doesn't feel holy.  It feels awful.  There's a pit in the bottom of your stomach.  You feel like you might just throw up.  You flash back to what was and you realize it really is over. You look for words but they don't come.  You feel like you've been driven into darkness, that you have been "besieged and encompassed…with bitterness and hardship" (Lamentations 3:5, NASB).  You feel walled in, like a heavy chain has been placed around your neck.  You try to pray and you get nowhere.  You try to forget, but the thought won't go away.  All you can see is a cross, a broken body, and a tomb.

So you sit and wait; and wait and wait.  All your life you've been told that the "Lord's loving-kindnesses…never cease" and that "His compassions never fail" (Lamentations 3:22, NASB), but today you're wondering about that.  The last twenty-four hours just don't make sense.  How?  Why?  What happened? 

Where are God's loving-kindnesses today?  About the only place they could be--in hell. Look at the words of the Apostles' Creed

I believe in God, the Father almighty, Maker of heaven and earth, And in Jesus Christ his only Son our Lord; who was conceived by the Holy Ghost, born of the Virgin Mary, suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, died and was buried.He descended into hell.

Hell. That’s where the Lord’s lovingkindness are on Holy Saturday. That’s where his never-ending compassions are. That’s where His great faithfulness is on the morning after.  Hell!  Who would have thought it?  No wonder everything is out of focus and blurred.  They killed the King of glory.  Hell must be celebrating.

Today’s Prayer

"Father, forgive them; for they do not know what they are doing."  Forgive us, too, because they only acted on our behalf.  We would like to blame "them," but we can't.  We know the truth:

In the old rugged cross, 

stained with blood so divine, 

a wondrous beauty I see;

For ’twas on that old cross 

Jesus suffered and died, 

to pardon and sanctify me.

(From "The Old Rugged Cross," by George Bennard, 1913)