Day 34 - Don't Miss the LEsson of a Silent Saturday

by Shelby Barker

Matthew 27

It’s Saturday and it’s silent. God made himself known on Friday. He was loud on Friday. He made the earth shake on Friday. He blocked the sun on Friday. He tore the curtain in two on Friday. But today is Saturday and today it’s silent. Nothing; just grief, confusion, and silence.

We don’t know for sure what the Jesus followers were doing on Saturday. But, I think this might have been the first time that they had a chance to process all that had happened the day before.

This is the Jesus movement that they had committed three years of their life following. It’s a Jesus movement that seemed like it had all the momentum in the world. That everything Jesus stood for was finally coming true; and then just like that on Friday things began to change.

With every swing of the hammer, it seemed like this Jesus movement was dying along with its leader.

But that was then. This is Saturday. On Saturday it’s quiet. Silent. Nothing.

It’s quiet. Jesus is in the tomb, there’s no doubt about that. Nicodemus and Joseph made sure of it. Rome was so nervous about Jesus they put some Roman soldiers outside of the tomb to make sure no tricks were happening.

Jesus was in the tomb. Jesus was dead. It’s Saturday.

I imagine the disciples were together in a room remembering the life of Jesus. Reflecting on all that they had seen. I bet they laughed about the time that they were on the boat and Jesus scared the crap out of them because Jesus was just out taking a stroll on the water.

I bet they remember that time Jesus healed that one person or that other person. I bet they talked about the moment when they really understood Jesus was something different. It was the moment that Jesus raised Lazarus from the dead.

I imagine them all gathered together remembering these amazing moments of Jesus’ ministry, but none of those moments matter today. They seem all pointless today… because today is Saturday and today Jesus is dead.

How can this be? I mean, if Jesus is who he said he is… I mean, he raised Lazarus from the dead. How can this be? Why is Jesus stuck in a tomb?

Where is God? Where is God in all of this? I imagine there are a lot of questions coming up in the disciples’ minds. Where is God in all of this?

Maybe that’s you today. At some point in our lives, we will all face our own Saturday. And the question is, in this three-day period of hope that is Easter, what do we do with Saturday? What do we do with those days that are not clear and there is nothing but silence?

Because of that Saturday 2,000 years ago, when we experience our own silent Saturday, we can be confidently still. We can breathe.

There is something powerful about a Saturday. I mean think about it. God could have stopped the whole process on the cross. He could have said, “Boom! It’s over! I’ve won!” But he didn’t… He allowed Saturday to happen.

There is something powerful about a Saturday.

You and I, in the middle of heartache and joy, we need rest. God’s teaching us something here. So when you approach your Saturday, and maybe you’re in one right now, let that Saturday 2,000 years ago remind us of the boldness and confidence we have in Jesus. That we can approach our Saturdays with a posture of rest.

When we experience our Saturdays may we learn to be still. Present. Content.

May we lean into the words that Jesus leaned into while he approached the grave. Words that remind us that God isn’t leaving. He hasn’t left. He will not abandon you in the grave.

There’s something more to come.