It’s the Saturday after the crucifixion and the man you followed for three years has just died. Everything you believed in seems to have been destroyed on that cross with Jesus. The anxiety and fear of what will happen next is overwhelming. The past three years of your life flash through your mind like lightening and what is to come is completely uncertain. How do you move forward?
As the hours passed, the fear and doubt continued to rise as there was no work to distract the disciples from their thoughts. The noise and the chaos of the crucifixion was over and they were left with the quiet of the Sabbath and the reality of the situation sinking in. However, this day of rest was truly of day of waiting. They were waiting to see if any of it was real, His words, His miracles, His death. Was Jesus going to come around the corner and tell them it was all just a joke? Surely He wouldn't have left like that. He was the King of the Jews. He was the Messiah!
This was the day that His followers realized his death, but they also realized the hope that they still had. Reliving every moment they had with Jesus, they had to remember the words that Jesus said about what was to come. Though they didn't understand at the time, Jesus had told them many times that He would have to die but would also rise again.
‘Then Jesus said to them, "You will all fall away because of me this night. For it is written, 'I will strike the shepherd, and the sheep of the flock will be scattered.’ But after I am raised up, I will go before you to Galilee.’ -Matthew 26:31
We are often like the disciples on that day. When darkness comes in our lives, we forget the things we know we have seen God do and the words we know God has spoken to us. When we take the time to remember, we see the hope that we have in Him. He is sovereign and though we cannot wrap our brains around why He would do certain things, He always knows better than we do. I am so thankful that Jesus chose to die despite the disparity that it left the disciples with! That disparity lasted for a moment, and our hope now lasts for all of eternity.
“And not only the creation, but we ourselves, who have the firstfruits of the Spirit, groan inwardly as we wait eagerly for adoption as sons, the redemption of our bodies. For in this hope we were saved. Now hope that is seen is not hope. For who hopes for what he sees? But if we hope for what we do not see, we wait for it with patience.”
-Romans 8:23-25
Even on our darkest days, we have the hope of what we don't see. In the waiting, we have the hope of eternity. Our hope is in the one who gave His life for us and took the punishment that we so deserved. Our hope is in His perfect love that is full of mercy and grace.
Our hope is in Jesus!
- Kelsey Turner