The Silence of Saturday

Matthew 27:66 So they sealed the tomb and posted guards to protect it.

Jesus was silent on Saturday.  The women had anointed His body and placed it in Joseph’s tomb. On Friday He spoke of forgiveness for those who were mocking Him. He spoke words of caring to His mother. Jesus cried out with thirst and feelings of abandonment. And He proclaimed, “It is finished.” But on Saturday, Jesus was silent.

Easter weekend discussions tend to skip Saturday. The crucifixion and resurrection command our thoughts. But consider Saturday.  Jesus’ followers were grieving, confused, frightened and unsure about the future.

Silent Saturdays.  The day between the struggle and the solution; the question and the answer; the offered prayer and the answer of the prayer.

Our silent Saturdays can fill us with doubts. Is God angry? Did He forget about us, doesn’t He care? Why doesn’t He act? What are we supposed to do until He does?

We can do what Jesus did. Jesus trusted God and died with this conviction: “You will not abandon me to the grave, nor will you let your Holy One see decay” (Acts 2:27 NIV).

Jesus knew God would not leave Him in the grave. We need to know, God will not leave us alone with our struggles. His silence is not His absence, inactivity and is never apathy. Saturdays have their purpose. They teach us to wait upon the Lord, to be patient in faith, to pray for greater trust when we cannot understand.

For His reasons, God inserts a Saturday between our Fridays and Sundays. But Sunday is coming!

On all of our silent Saturdays, as we wait on You, Lord remind us of Your great love. Increase our faith in You and the ultimate victory Jesus Christ won for us. Amen.

Inspired by a Max Lucado devotion