Today is Easter Saturday. We tend not to think much about the Saturday. We have Good Friday when we remember Jesus' death on the cross, then tomorrow we celebrate resurrection on Easter Sunday. But what about Saturday?
Let's just think about the Saturday and what the disciples were going through. Think also about what Jesus had told them beforehand. Jesus had spoken to them on several occasions about His dying and and about His resurrection (Matt 16:21; 17:12; 17:22; 20:17-19), but they had never understood it.
On the Friday Jesus had been crucified and was buried. One of the disciples had betrayed Jesus, one, despite his loud declarations of allegiance, had denied Jesus three times, the others had fled. What did it all mean? What had been the point of the last three years? Why had they made that decision to leave their fishing boats and go and follow this man? Sure it had been good at times, absolutely amazing in fact, but what now? Wouldn't it have been better to have stuck with their fishing?
Now think about your life. Jesus has told us that there will be times when we go through struggles (John 16:33). The whole of the Bible carries the same message. For example Psalm 34:19 tells us that the "righteous may have many troubles", Psalm 3:1 speaks of the numerous foes who rise up against us.
But just as Jesus had told them that He would rise again, these verses speak of deliverance. Psalm 3 tells us that the Lord is a shield around us and that from Him comes deliverance. Psalm 34:19 tells us that the Lord delivers us from all our troubles. John 16:33 tells us that Jesus has overcome the world.
So why do we go through these times? Because it is only by going through them that we come to fully understand the fullness of God's salvation. Before Good Friday the disciples had no understanding of what Jesus' death and resurrection meant. On the Saturday they were left wondering what it was all about, full of fear and despondency. Then came resurrection and amazing and wonderful realisation of what it had all been about, of who Jesus really was, really is. A wonderful realisation of what their lives were all about, something infinitely greater than they had ever dreamt of or imagined.
Maybe you are in the middle of a Saturday experience just now. Wondering what it is all about, what God is doing? Wondering if you wouldn't have been more sensible not to have made some decision you made a while ago, thinking your life is coming to nothing. This is Saturday, tomorrow is Sunday. Our God is a God who does things way beyond anything we can imagine or hope for. His plans are far greater than our plans. And just as the resurrection helps us understand what the suffering was all about, so the salvation helps us realise what the difficult times were all about.
Every wilderness that God takes us through leads to a promised land.
Happy Easter!
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