Silent Saturday

I have shared pictures of different things we have found during our Spring Break cleaning/organizing.
Pictures, cereal, mugs, and more.
I also found this letter I wrote on April 11, 2005.

Imagine that Silent Saturday about 2000 years ago.
Yesterday Jesus was crucified.
Tomorrow Jesus will rise from the dead. 

BUT today...
Not a day of joyful expectations for the disciples.
Not a day of hope.
Rather a day of despair.
A day of shattered dreams.
A day of sorrow and sadness.
A day of unmet expectations.
A day of questions. 

I have heard it said my times that you cannot have the joy of Easter without the pain of Good Friday.  I have recently been learning more and more about the waiting of Saturday.  Hebrews 11;1 says "And faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see" (Also note vv. 10, 11, 13, 16, 20). 

A major part of Biblical Christianity is the idea of waiting.  Waiting upon God and His timing. 

Luke 24:11 says "[the disciples] did not believe the women because their words seemed like nonsense." The women's testimony of Jesus and His resurrection seemed like nonsense to the disciples.  The disciples on the road to Emmaus also had some interesting insights into Jesus' death.   Verses 19 - 21 records their words sbout Jesus Christ.  "He was a prophet, powerful in word and deed before God and all the people.  The chief priests and our rulers handed him over to be sentenced to death and they crucified him.  But we had hoped that he was the one who was going to redeem Israel." 

These various verses show what the disciples were probably thinking after Jesus "left."  The one they thought was going to be the Messiah was gone and Rome was still in power.
I have found myself in the midst of these times of darkness, questioning and more.

After a difficult, challenging experience is when these "Saturday" usually happen.  For me that experience has been my dad's passing away.  I would love to have all the answers to all my questions but God in his omniscience and love has not answered of all of my questions.  I know many of these questions will not have an answer this side of eternity.  I also know I need to wait upon the LORD. 

Often, I see small glimmers of answers such as the fact that my dad's faithfulness through many years has been a testimony to many.  Then I think couldn't God have come up with an easier, less painful way to show people God's love and holiness. 

There is a part of me that can still see my dad [in the original much more detail was shared about this] on that night he passed away.  WHY GOD!?!?
Why him?
Why now?
Why this way?
Why does the 5 month anniversary of my dad's passing fall on the we celebrate Christ rising from the dead?
God, I am waiting for answers to these and so many other questions. 

But then my thoughts change to a different set of questions.
Why do you love me, God?
Why did Jesus have to die?
Why is it that the creator of the universe in all of His power and holiness wants to be in a relationship with me?
How is it that I, with all my sin and weakness, can be in a right relationship with God? 

The answer is...
GRACE. 

As I think back to those disciples, I am reminded of their fear and apprehension.  They didn't completely understand the mystery of Christ's death.
Thank you, God, for the revelation of God's Word.
Thank you, God, for the resurrection of Jesus Christ
I pray that I would never grow weary of hearing the amazing Easter story.  I am thankful that we have the whole story.  I am thankful for the ANSWER it provides.  I am thankful for the PEACE it brings.