Holy Saturday

It’s Saturday – But Sunday is Coming

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It was the day of Preparation, and the Sabbath was beginning. The women who had come with him from Galilee followed and saw the tomb and how his body was laid. Then they returned and prepared spices and ointments. Luke 23:55-56 ESV

Now usually the phrase is, “It’s Friday, but Sunday’s coming.” but it is no less true on our Saturdays. Fridays are the time of suffering, but Saturday is more final still. The dead body of Jesus lay in the tomb. A stone was rolled across the entrance and two Roman guards stood outside. Do you ever wonder what the disciples were thinking, or how Mary the mother of Jesus as well as Mary Magdalene and the other faithful women were coping with the crushing weight of grief?

There are few audiences in America that may appreciate the depth of despair in which our faith is challenged to the max than people in long-term care. We were blessed yesterday to have Pastor Joe deliver this message to us, and the highpoint wasn’t his yelling, pounding on the podium or shouting (because none of that happened!). The highpoint was hearing the dear voices of residents echoing back to him, “But Sunday is coming!” Some have lost roommates, are suffering physically and feel forgotten by everyone. So, when they dan say with assurance, “But Sunday is Coming!”, their faith gets me excited, and I do hope that this sweet, simple message will also be a blessing to you on this Easter Saturday morning. No matter your situation, how big the stone lies across the entrance to the door of hope or how big the powers are that guard it: it may be Saturday in your life: “But Sunday is Coming!”

A Song for Holy Saturday

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 And they returned, and prepared spices and ointments; and rested the sabbath day according to the commandment. Luke 23:56

While many have debated as to what Jesus was doing on Holy Saturday, few have thought of what His friends were up to. Though some speculate they were fearfully hiding, overwhelmed by sorrow or confusion, among the gospel writers, only Luke, gives us even the smallest detail. They simply rested. We might wonder, since Jesus had told them so many times that He would rise again, why none of them believed. But I think most of us would have to confess that during times of grief, few of us operate along logical pathways. We feel as if we were stumbling around in a fog. Activity, decisions, and even eating all seem impossible tasks at the moment. What we need most is rest and Holy Saturday is the Sabbath which God has given us between the sorrows of Good Friday and the joy of Easter. Holy Saturday is walking through the valley of the shadow, with our Good Shepherd, protecting and guiding us when we are most vulnerable. Holy Saturday is the table of rest and refreshment in the wilderness, where we pause along our journey to the joys of the Father’s House, that waits for us at the end of the path.

I hope you will be blessed by this song which I sang during communion at Life Care Center on Good Friday. My friends in long-term care know better than most of us that our lives are in the hands of our Good Shepherd. And what time better than Easter is there to follow Him as close as His heart, for the way that leads home is the Old Rugged Cross!

Holy Saturday – The Selah of God

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Many are saying of my soul, “There is no salvation for him in God.” Selah Psalm 3:2 ESV

WE find the curious word “Selah” sprinkled here and there among the Psalms. Most scholars believe its meaning is similar to that of a rest in a musical composition. At a “Selah” moment, we are to pause and reflect on the melody that came before it and then prepare for what is to follow. In the same way, between the death of Christ on Friday and His resurrection on Sunday morning, is the Selah of Saturday when Jesus rested in the grave. No important activities, no miracles, or signs are mentioned in any of the gospels during those twenty-four hours. While the enemies of Christ were busy posting a guard, sealing the tomb, and worrying about His prophecy of rising from the dead, His followers simply went home and rested on the Sabbath. If, like those early disciples, you have been rocked by events beyond your control, and you are hiding behind closed doors, maybe it is God’s invitation to rest. Maybe He is offering this “Selah” moment, to look back and remember, not just the immediate difficulty, but also the many blessings that God has given in the past. He has given us life, and in Jesus we have hope and a home in Heaven. We have received God’s promises, His presence, and His precious Holy Spirit to comfort us. We have His mercy to forgive our sins and His grace to strengthen us in weakness. And on this quiet Holy Saturday, between the cross and resurrection morning we have this Selah of Saturday, when by faith we put all our hope in God and rest in His arms while we wait for the stone to roll away!

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