Reflecting on Passover and Resurrection Sunday
DJ Martin (SingleFocus Ministry®)
I have heard talk of tragic ‘Friday’ and I have heard shouts about triumphant ‘Sunday.’ But quiet is the voice of ‘Saturday.’
I know what went down on Friday, I know what went down on Sunday, but what is the 411 on Saturday, the day between Friday’s tragedy and Sunday’s triumph.
Most illuminating and a little shocking; it was all so human. Surely, it is why there was no chattering.
Matthew 27 tells of Judas, the betrayer, already dead; with his own hands; he died by hanging. But the Pharisees and the Priests did on Saturday visit Pilate, who sentenced Jesus to death– Friday’s tragedy. (verse 62)
Jesus’ prophesy they repeated, “After three days I will be rising. Secure the stone that covers His grave,” they were pleading. “Until the third day, give us soldiers to guard the tomb where Jesus lay, so the Disciples, His cold body they will not be taking, a resurrection hoax proclaiming.”
“Yes,” said Pilate. So, the stone was sealed; and the tomb, the soldiers on Saturday, were watching. (verse 63)
So very natural and very human, the Disciples did (Mark 16:10) mourn the death of Jesus on Saturday, and in a room, they were also hiding (John 20:19). Their leader, Jesus the Christ was dead. Surely for the Disciples, they were coming. In dismay, they saw it all happening. It was for their own lives they were fearing, like people who witnessed a tragedy, which is what the Disciples did on Saturday.
Jesus, down the road all the way to being nailed to the cross they were following, and from His lifeless body taken from the cross into the tomb, His placing. On Saturday, the women were resting. (Luke 23:56)
On the very night that He was betrayed Jesus to the Disciples repeated, He would die and after three days from the grave, He would be rising. And, “After I am raised again, in Galilee, Me you shall be meeting (Matthew 26:32).” Yet, preparations to go to Galilee they were not making.
While the Priests and Pharisees preparations for the resurrection they were making; the Disciples to steal His body they were not even plotting.
After Jesus said He would die and rise again, strange talk came following. (vs 33-36)
The Disciples, on the tragedy and betrayal, not the resurrection, began focusing. The Resurrection part of Jesus’ prophesy clearly, they were not hearing.
The tragedy, their weariness, and the power of their enemies, the Disciples of Jesus Christ were focusing. It was the Priests and Pharisees, on the triumphant resurrection, they were focusing.
By how the resurrection on Sunday they were reacting; that He would arise from the grave, the Disciples clearly were not believing.
With anointing oils in hand, to look at an empty tomb early Sunday morning, the women were not seeking. (Mark 16:1; Matthew 28:5-6; Mark 16:3; Luke 24:5-6)
When Jesus’ rising, the women were reporting, thinking them delusional the Disciples were not believing. Though He told the women to tell them to meet Him in Galilee, to go to Galilee the Disciples clearly were not preparing. (Mark 16: 11; Luke 24:11)
When to them in the room Jesus made His appearing, a ghost the Disciples thought they were seeing. To them His nailed scarred hands and feet He was showing. And still, a ghost they thought they were beholding.
When He ate fish and honeycomb, they began believing. Then, reminding them of His teaching and prophesy, the scriptures Jesus began explaining.
Shockingly, the Priests and the Pharisees were, but the Disciples for the resurrection were not preparing.
How can this be? That Thomas was not the only one doubting is most illuminating and a little shocking. It was all so human, surely its why, about Saturday, from the preachers there was no chattering.
For the weary, fearful, and those mourning, what happened on Saturday is encouraging and from it a valuable lesson we are learning.
“O fools, and slow to believe all that the prophets have said!” To two unbelieving Disciples, Jesus was responding (Luke 24:13-24). Not to Galilee, but to their home they were heading. The other Disciples, in the room, were remaining.
The Priest and the Pharisees believing that His rising, Jesus or His Disciples would make it’s happening. But the resurrection happening, the Disciples seem to be not believing.
What most do on dark days, the Disciples were experiencing. And when on the tragedy you are most focused, means not that you are less a Disciple, but like the Disciples back then, you are growing.
How different the time of tragedy we are mourning will be on Saturday if on the resurrection triumph we are focusing. When Jesus living, they were realizing, the change in attitude they began making. Focused on the tragedy of Friday, on Saturday they were mourning, but now the triumph of resurrection they are rejoicing. For a change in countenance and attitude, do not stay in tragedy mourning; focus on the triumph is all I am saying.
Disciples’ Saturday teaches us that focus we should be changing. Though the Pharisees and Priests’ disappointing acts cause mourning, or shelter seeking we are experiencing; live preparing for and the victory anticipating.
Though resurrection Sunday, the Priests and Pharisees tried stopping; and the Disciples on Friday’s tragedy they were focusing; the resurrection, the victory, resurrection triumph was still happening! Jesus Christ, from the tomb, was still rising. Tragedy on Friday and mourning on Saturday may be along the journey, but victory in Jesus Christ, He is promising.
Throughout our entire journey, on triumph, we can be focusing. Just like He said He would, He is not dead, He is alive! He arose!
In times of mourning, we can be rejoicing. Because for us, every day, the Son is arising!
“He is not here: for He is risen, as He said…” Matthew 28:7
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Thankfully, we made it to the other side before the storm came. There were palm trees whose leaves rustled in a gentle breeze as we approached the shore. We passed the trees into a city where the sunshiny sky was clear, blue and calm. There were no signs of an approaching storm. In fact, I don’t remember rain at any time during my stay in Israel.
Preparing to accompany my dad for a short drive, I watched him turn to the right and then to the left. I saw him go to the kitchen and then back to the den. Then he turned and went down the hallway and returned to the den again. As he stood there, I inquired if he was ready to go. With a puzzled expression on his face he answered, “I was looking for my glasses.” I matter-of-factually replied, “They are on your nose.”
Adam said, “The woman whom You gave me, she gave me of the forbidden tree, and I did eat.” Then the LORD God said unto the woman, “What have you done?” And Eve said, “The serpent beguiled me, and I did eat.” The LORD God said unto the serpent, “Because you have done this, you are cursed above all cattle, and every beast of the field; upon your belly you’ll go, and dust you’ll eat all your life:
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