The Darkest Day- A Holy Saturday Reflection

This morning , I thought it would be interesting to meditate on the Sabbath day following Jesus’ death on the cross.  This is a day that we know nothing about, as it begins shortly after Jesus’ burial, with the Jewish Sabbath starting at Sunset, and proceeding to the following sunset.

In Matthew’s Gospel, we actually have some verses pertaining to this day, but nothing that talks about the followers of Jesus.  Matthew 27:62-66 describes the fact that the Chief Priests and Pharisees went to Pilate and asked him to have a guard stationed at the tomb, to make sure that Jesus’ followers didn’t steal His body to try and fake the resurrection. In Mark’s Gospel this day is found between the last verse of chapter 15 and the first verse of chapter 16, “When the Sabbath was over”.  In Luke, we are told specifically that His followers, especially the “women who had come with Jesus from Galilee” (Luke 23:55-56) had rested on the Sabbath day, in accordance with the commandment.  Luke then moves right to the beginning of the first day of the week, following the Sabbath, and again, other than the fact that they rested, we know nothing. Finally John’s Gospel, as well, is silent about this day.

So, why my meditation?  I personally think that the silence of God in certain situations reveals much to us about our own situation and beliefs.  It is in the silence of God, that our faith and trust is tested.  In my life, there have been times of transition, times of change, times of difficulty and what I want more than anything in those times is a sense of purpose, direction and a ‘word from the Lord’.  The thing that I have found, is more often than not, God is quiet in these times.  I don’t believe it is some cruel streak in God, where He holds back the very thing I think I need more than anything.  Instead I have learned that His love and faithfulness are every bit as active in those quiet moments as any other times.

In retrospect, He has always been at work in the background, and that I was too unaware to realize it.  God is a perfect, and so is His timing.  What I want is advanced notice, what God wants is for me to trust in His faithfulness.  My tendency is to slide immediately into unbelief, He wants me to learn to have faith, and stand (Eph 6:13-16).  Thus, I have opportunity to grow.

When I think about the disciples and Apostles of Jesus, resting on the Sabbath following His death and burial, I imagine it was the darkest of days for them.  Just earlier in the previous week, Jesus had arrived in Jerusalem, being heralded as the coming King, riding along on the back of a donkey, and now he was dead and buried, and all of their ideas of their future at His side were shattered.  It is clear from the Gospel’s that despite Jesus repeatedly warning them of His impending death that they just didn’t get it.  They continued to believe that as the Messiah He was going to be seated on David’s former throne and restore Israel as God’s people, complete with their national pride, freedom and identity restored.

It is my belief that Instead of glory, they were experiencing the depths of despair.  They were likely gathered together, as would have been their custom on the Sabbath, and they were probably all just shell-shocked from the last 2 days.  I am sure there were tears, and sorrow, real grieving for the loss of the most important person in their lives.  They had committed somewhere in the neighborhood of 3 years of their life to Jesus, following Him everywhere, living together and always His was the direction they followed, and now there was only silence, dead silence.

I think that they might have been racking their brains, trying to remember what Jesus had told them concerning His death and rising from the dead. I think they probably bounced back in forth from wild hope in remembered words, to stunning silence and despair as they remembered his beaten and bloody body. I think they were probably all dealing with His death individually as we all do when a loved one passes.  I am sure everything they said or did reminded them of Him, and that would just revisit the pain of their loss.

I think this was one of the darkest days of all time, for the Light of the World had come, and was lost.  The long awaited Messiah had been revealed, and now He was dead.  Their hope for restoration and revival, God’s blessing and visitation was lying dead in a tomb.  We like to say “its Friday, but Sunday is coming” as a reminder that the joy of His resurrection is following close on the heels of the loss of His death, but the Apostles and disciples didn’t know this, didn’t understand it, and didn’t believe it.  The Gospels recount several times where Jesus told them exactly what was going to happen, and in every one of those times, the writers make a very specific note that His followers didn’t understand what He meant.  I believe this is indicative of the fact that they were all remembering that dark day, that day of shattered dreams and ideas.

So for us, what can we gain from meditating on this dark day?  I think for me the important thing is to look to God, to His word, to His character, to His promises regardless of the circumstances.  I believe that His desire for me is to learn to entrust myself to Him, taking His guidance and direction, and trusting that He has a bigger perspective that I am not seeing. 

I am learning to trust in Him, regardless of how difficult and confusing the circumstances are at present.  I am learning that He knows my circumstances, my weaknesses, my struggles, and He has made a way in spite of them all.  I am learning that He tries to prepare me,  although most of the time I don’t understand Him, or mis-interpret what He means.  He loves me, desires the best for me, and knows the exact time, the exact place and the exact reason for each and every encounter and experience.

Like His followers, I can choose to move forward, even as the Ladies did the next morning.  They weren’t expecting His miraculous resurrection, but they were taking the next logical steps which put them right in the Lord’s path, and into the glory of His resurrection.  Sometimes, all we need to do is to just get through the day, look to Him, and trust that tomorrow will be a better day, and one that we will encounter Him!

I know it is somewhat of a cliché, but there is truth in the saying, ‘Friday might be here, but Sunday is coming’!  God’s provision and purpose are true, and He is faithful!  Let us trust in Him, press through this dark day, and believe that we will encounter Him anew, and fresh!

Amen and Amen!  Come Lord Jesus!