April 10th, 2020
Eddie Keith, Director of Family Ministries
Friday was eventful, to say the least. From the garden to the cross, the voice of Jesus was heard. His pain and distress were visible. God, in turn, revealed himself throughout the course of Friday by the supernatural signs of the torn veil, opened graves, earthquake and darkness over the land. The Earth certainly heard from and saw the power of God on Friday. However, both God and Jesus were silent come Saturday. Paul writes, “to each one of us grace has been given as Christ apportioned it. This is why it says: ‘When he ascended on high, he led captives in his train and gave gifts to men.’ (What does ‘he ascended’ mean except that he also descended to the lower, earthly regions? He who descended is the very one who ascended higher than all the heavens, in order to fill the whole universe)” (Ephesians 4:7-10). Jesus would ascend, but in order to do so he had to first descend. Throughout all four Gospels, before the ascension, there was only silence from the King of Kings on the day after the crucifixion.
The voice of God could not be heard. However, the world continued to spin. The disciples hid in an upper room out of fear. Mary mourned. The man that they followed for three years had died. There was no returning from that. What were they to do now? They did not see what would be coming. Life as they knew it had changed. The silence of Saturday shook them to the core. Where was God? Is that where you may be today? Stuck between the struggle and the solution.
Many of us find ourselves caught in the silence of Saturday. It is a place where we are unsure where to go next or what to do. It is also where many of us cannot see or hear the voice of God. John Wesley would call this a heaviness that “may sometimes be so deep as to overshadow the whole soul.” The world has changed. The sound of silence rings loudly for many. It’s uncomfortable and at times painful. However, the silence can reveal something to us.
What I find interesting is the silence of Saturday goes along with our item for the day: a stone. Go out and grab one from the yard. What do you feel when you pick it up? Chances are it’s cold, heavy, solid. The stone that was rolled in front of the tomb of Jesus was exactly that. The stone that covered his tomb was a symbol of the finality of death. It’s a cold and heavy place. Imagine if you will the complete silence that fell over the area as the stone hit its final resting place. For those who stood and watched, it was uncomfortable and extremely painful.
However, that is not the end of the story. If there wasn’t a Saturday, we could not fully appreciate the power of God on Sunday. If Jesus came back to life moments after the crucifixion, it would not have the same effect as the day after there was silence. We can see the full might of God’s power because of the silence from Saturday. God had something to reveal as a result of it. Be patient in the silence. God is working. For reasons that are His alone, He inserts a Saturday between the struggle of Friday and the Solution of Sunday. Use the silence to rest in His promises. We may be in an upper room in fear or mourning a loss. We may be unsure what to do next, or how we will survive the coming days. However, in this Saturday, embrace the silence. “Be patient, then, brothers, until the Lord’s coming” (James 5:7). What is Jesus trying to reveal to you?
Trust me….Sunday is coming…..
Friday was eventful, to say the least. From the garden to the cross, the voice of Jesus was heard. His pain and distress were visible. God, in turn, revealed himself throughout the course of Friday by the supernatural signs of the torn veil, opened graves, earthquake and darkness over the land. The Earth certainly heard from and saw the power of God on Friday. However, both God and Jesus were silent come Saturday. Paul writes, “to each one of us grace has been given as Christ apportioned it. This is why it says: ‘When he ascended on high, he led captives in his train and gave gifts to men.’ (What does ‘he ascended’ mean except that he also descended to the lower, earthly regions? He who descended is the very one who ascended higher than all the heavens, in order to fill the whole universe)” (Ephesians 4:7-10). Jesus would ascend, but in order to do so he had to first descend. Throughout all four Gospels, before the ascension, there was only silence from the King of Kings on the day after the crucifixion.
The voice of God could not be heard. However, the world continued to spin. The disciples hid in an upper room out of fear. Mary mourned. The man that they followed for three years had died. There was no returning from that. What were they to do now? They did not see what would be coming. Life as they knew it had changed. The silence of Saturday shook them to the core. Where was God? Is that where you may be today? Stuck between the struggle and the solution.
Many of us find ourselves caught in the silence of Saturday. It is a place where we are unsure where to go next or what to do. It is also where many of us cannot see or hear the voice of God. John Wesley would call this a heaviness that “may sometimes be so deep as to overshadow the whole soul.” The world has changed. The sound of silence rings loudly for many. It’s uncomfortable and at times painful. However, the silence can reveal something to us.
What I find interesting is the silence of Saturday goes along with our item for the day: a stone. Go out and grab one from the yard. What do you feel when you pick it up? Chances are it’s cold, heavy, solid. The stone that was rolled in front of the tomb of Jesus was exactly that. The stone that covered his tomb was a symbol of the finality of death. It’s a cold and heavy place. Imagine if you will the complete silence that fell over the area as the stone hit its final resting place. For those who stood and watched, it was uncomfortable and extremely painful.
However, that is not the end of the story. If there wasn’t a Saturday, we could not fully appreciate the power of God on Sunday. If Jesus came back to life moments after the crucifixion, it would not have the same effect as the day after there was silence. We can see the full might of God’s power because of the silence from Saturday. God had something to reveal as a result of it. Be patient in the silence. God is working. For reasons that are His alone, He inserts a Saturday between the struggle of Friday and the Solution of Sunday. Use the silence to rest in His promises. We may be in an upper room in fear or mourning a loss. We may be unsure what to do next, or how we will survive the coming days. However, in this Saturday, embrace the silence. “Be patient, then, brothers, until the Lord’s coming” (James 5:7). What is Jesus trying to reveal to you?
Trust me….Sunday is coming…..
2 Comments
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