The Day In Between
This is such a powerful time of year, when we commemorate the day of Jesus' crucifixion and death on the cross. A time of reflection to remember the day that Jesus laid down His life for all humanity.
Isaiah 53:5-6- But he was pierced for our rebellion, crushed for our sins. He was beaten so we could be whole. He was whipped so we could be healed. All of us, like sheep, have strayed away.
We have left God’s paths to follow our own. Yet the Lord laid on him the sins of us all.
*This prophecy was written 700 years prior to Jesus’ birth, and it came to pass.
John 10:18- "No one can take my life from me. I sacrifice it voluntarily. For I have the authority to lay it down when I want to and also to take it up again. For this is what my Father has commanded.”
John 15:13- There is no greater love than to lay down one’s life for one’s friends.
*Jesus was not a victim, He was a willing sacrifice, and laid down His life voluntarily for our sake, the highest example of sacrificial love.
Then there is Resurrection Sunday! A day dedicated to commemorating the triumphant resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead. Affirming that Jesus is, in fact, the Son of God overcoming sin and death once and for all, offering eternal life for all who believe in Him.
Luke 9:22-“The Son of Man must suffer many terrible things,” he said. “He will be rejected by the elders, the leading priests, and the teachers of religious law. He will be killed, but on the third day he will be raised from the dead.”
*Jesus predicts His death and resurrection.
John 11:25- Jesus told her, “I am the resurrection and the life. Anyone who believes in me will live, even after dying.
Matthew 28:6- He isn’t here! He is risen from the dead, just as he said would happen. Come, see where his body was lying.
I love celebrating Jesus on these days, but some have asked what we do with the day in the middle... "The Day In-Between"? Some call it “Holy Saturday”, the day immediately following the crucifixion of Jesus and preceding His resurrection.
Luke 23:55-56-As his body was taken away, the women from Galilee followed and saw the tomb where his body was placed. Then they went home and prepared spices and ointments to anoint his body. But by the time they were finished the Sabbath had begun, so they rested as required by the law.
A day of stillness, rest and waiting when the body of Jesus is lying in silence, focusing on the redemptive work entirely accomplished by divine intervention, not by human effort. A day to remember it is not by might, nor by power but only by His Spirit that we can do anything.
Psalm 16:10-For you will not leave my soul among the dead or allow your holy one to rot in the grave.
Acts 13:35-Another psalm explains it more fully: ‘You will not allow your Holy One to rot in the grave.
*Fulfilled in Jesus, He truly died but did not remain in the grave. A day to remember the reliability of the Bible, another prophecy fulfilled through Jesus. And that God will not leave us among the dead either.
Mark 9:31-for he wanted to spend more time with his disciples and teach them. He said to them, “The Son of Man is going to be betrayed into the hands of his enemies. He will be killed, but three days later he will rise from the dead.”
Holy Saturday exemplifies the tension between despair and hope. even though Jesus clearly told His disciples that He would rise from the dead, His followers struggled with sorrow. Even though we know His promises are sure and His Word is eternal, there may be times in our lives when circumstances appear to be still, but God is moving powerfully behind the scenes.
Mark 16:4-6- But as they arrived, they looked up and saw that the stone, which was very large, had already been rolled aside. When they entered the tomb, they saw a young man clothed in a white robe sitting on the right side. The women were shocked, but the angel said, “Don’t be alarmed. You are looking for Jesus of Nazareth,who was crucified. He isn’t here! He is risen from the dead! Look, this is where they laid his body.
You see Holy Saturday, goes hand in hand with both the death of Jesus Christ on the cross, and the glorious news that Jesus is ALIVE! Without this "day in between" the impact of death’s defeat would lose some of its dramatic display, making it a necessary interval to demonstrate a full scope of God’s redemptive plan.
❤️ May we be filled with gratitude for the price that was paid for our salvation, the hope and assurance we have in the waiting, and the promise of eternal life! ~love u
