The day in between

As we celebrate Easter this year what do we make of the day in between? The day after Christ’s death, but before His triumph? How do we contemplate each day giving it the significance it deserves?

I have often heard Christians greet each other on Good Friday with a “He is Risen!” and I want to say, “Wait! Not yet!” We need to take the weight of each day and ponder it. Good Friday is good because of the death of our Saviour, Jesus, on the cross. Not because death in itself is good, but good because he took our place – we deserved that death and separation from God the Father because of our sin. We need to ponder the gravity. Feel the weight of that awful day that changed history forever.  Feel Mary’s pain.  Feel the fear of the disciples.  Feel the dread of the soldiers as darkness fell over them at noon.  “What have we done?  Who was this man?”.

But if we don’t walk quietly through Saturday, we miss an important part of the narrative.

We know how the story ends.  We know the triumph of Sunday.  We love how Jesus conquers over death and the grave and how he rises victoriously!  We can’t wait to get to the good part of the story!
But if we don’t walk quietly through Saturday, we miss an important part of the narrative.  It’s a day of waiting—a day of in-between.  Imagine the disciples’ grief.  They felt abandoned and afraid.  Their hope is dead and buried in a tomb.
Isn’t that where we often live?  Jesus told his disciples that he would rise again in three days, but they did not understand.

It’s Saturday today.  We frequently feel ourselves living in the Saturday.  We are anxious; we wait in fear; we don’t know the outcome.  But we don’t need to be full of trepidation.  We have been told how the story ends.  We need to pray for eyes to see and hearts that trust what we cannot understand.

We can wait through Saturday in anticipation, with hope and faith, because we know the victory that comes.  Yes, today is Saturday, but Sunday is coming!