The Day of Silence

What about Saturday of Holy Week? Many churches use the day before Easter as a day of activities. Often we have various celebrations, children’s activities, or family gatherings on Saturday. However, that’s not what the disciples were doing. They were in hiding. The religious leaders thought there was a high degree of probability they would be plotting some scheme to steal Jesus’ body and made preparations for the tomb to be sealed and guarded. Little did they know there was no chance of that for the disciples were terrified and grieving. There is some insight as to how the disciples felt as we hear the conversation Jesus later has with two disciples on the Road to Emmaus. That very day two of them were going to a village named Emmaus, about seven miles from Jerusalem, and they were talking with each other about all these things that had happened. While they were talking and discussing together, Jesus himself drew near and went with them. But their eyes were kept from recognizing him. And he said to them, “What is this conversation that you are holding with each other as you walk?” And they stood still, looking sad. Then one of them, named Cleopas, answered him, “Are you the only visitor to Jerusalem who does not know the things that have happened there in these days?” And he said to them, “What things?” And they said to him, “Concerning Jesus of Nazareth, a man who was a prophet mighty in deed and word before God and all the people, and how our chief priests and rulers delivered him up to be condemned to death, and crucified him. But we had hoped that he was the one to redeem Israel. Yes, and besides all this, it is now the third day since these things happened. (Luke 24:13-21 ESV). They had “hope” Jesus was the one to redeem Israel, but all of that was lost in the cross. They all must have forgotten the conversations Jesus had with them explaining all the things that were going to happen. He had told them of his death. Each time he also told them of his resurrection three days later. Somehow they missed that detail. That’s comforting to me. I often get so turned around by my own circumstances that I forget the whole promise of God to bring life from death. Even in the seeming silence of God, when the darkest hours of trial and challenge seem to overwhelm me, I take great comfort that even the first disciples who walked and talked with Jesus misunderstood God’s goodness in the midst of disappointment and failure. Saturday is a day for us to celebrate. It is a day that ought to remind us that God’s silence is not indicative of his absence. He is with us through every step of every path; and, he is working his good pleasure for our good. No tomb could hold the Savior. Death has no authority over Him or His disciples! Today, spend a little time looking up instead of down; focus on the new dawn of resurrection instead of the old past of your troubles. He has not let you down; He is only lifting you up!