Holy Saturday - Holy Week Video:
And here's a little devotional video from RightNow Media for the kids and parents for today: Jesus Dies For Our Sins
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"He isn’t here! He is risen from the dead, just as He said would happen. Come, see where His body was lying."
Matthew 28:6
I thought about our Lord's suffering most all-day Friday. The suffering He willingly endured in order to secure our salvation.
There were those who were glad He was gone and out of the way. They believed they had finally succeeded, Jesus and His rebellious challenges to their authority had finally been dealt with.
But what about His disciples? Can you imagine the fear and confusion going through their hearts just before, during and after His crucifixion?
It was only a few days earlier Jesus was praised and honored as the coming “King of Israel” upon His entry into Jerusalem, then the morning before Passover those praises suddenly turned to angry shouts for His crucifixion.
All His disciples except John, Jesus' mother and a few beloved women had, by Friday morning, either betrayed, denied, or abandoned Him in fear. Then came His death on the cross, and burial in a cold dark tomb, quickly followed by the darkness of night.
Other than those few nights when Jesus had sent them out to minister to Israel, this was the first time in three years they were without His physical presence. They now felt they were truly alone, scared of what they imagined was sure to come. Those horrifying words,... You're next!
Except for the light of day, Saturday was no better. Scattering, staying out of site, hearing voices, hiding in places less likely to be found, waiting for that sudden banging on the door by the Roman soldiers or Sanhedrin guards telling them they had been discovered, they waited in fear. Then darkness fell again. But even in the silence of darkness their fear only dug deeper into their hearts. I denied Him, I abandoned Him. Didn’t He come to be our King? I thought He came to save us? I don't understand. Did I miss something? Was I wrong? Was He really who He said He was?
But then God's ultimate plan and the sunrise of tomorrow broke like a bolt of lightning, changing everything forever. HE HAS RISEN!!! For those who would believe, fear was changed to joy and wonder, then to belief and power; and for those who would refuse to believe, smugness, pride and unbelief would now include confusion, anger, and a stronger desire to persecute.
Now, think about Peter and how terrible he must have felt. He promised to give his life for Jesus, soon followed by his three denials. Then came his first sighting of the resurrected Lord. Peter, was suddenly vaulted from the absolute depths of despair, to a joy that surpasses all understanding.
Then, after the Lord ascended to the Father, came the promised indwelling of the Holy Spirit of the Apostles on the miraculous Day of Pentecost, coupled with Peter’s profound and empowered sermon professing Christ. Is it any wonder Peter, when ordered not to speak of Jesus again by the Sanhedrin, would ignore them? He was emboldened to preach Christ unto death.
Jesus is the Savior who can turn a dark night into a glorious sunrise. He can lift us from the depths of despair and set us securely upon the heights of joy. He can meet us where we are in fear, loneliness, abandonment, defeat, regret, despair and instead greet us with glorious resurrection power.
It is now our responsibility as Saints in Christ to profess the Word of God to those of our generation as well as to those to come. HE HAS RISEN!! (Matthew 28:6)