It is the day after He died. Jesus is gone.
By now the initial shock has begun to fade, and a stinging numbness has begun to take over.
Anger, fear, depression, and desperation were now replacing the love, security, joy, and hope, they had just felt in overwhelming fashion just 6 days before.
He was a son, a brother, a friend, a teacher. They believed He was the Savior, the promised of God, sent by God to deliver them all.
And now He was gone, and all their hopes, dreams, and beliefs, were destroyed and buried. In a borrowed tomb no less.
Can you imagine? Can you put yourself in the shoes of those believers, followers, and family of Jesus, on that day some 2000 years ago.
Most of us have had a taste of what it was like, some more so than others.
You have lost a child, a spouse, a loved one. You have had your hopes and dreams ripped apart by sudden tragedy.
You have watched as all that you worked for, all that you held dear, all that you dreamed possible, be crushed and defeated. You have suffered horribly, shed tears, experienced dark moments and days. Just like the followers of Jesus did.
And while I sympathize and empathize with your pain, I want you to know that there is hope to be found.
It is found when you understand that the story is not over.
That darkest day after the death of Jesus was not the end of Jesus story. It was not the end of their story. They only thought it was because:
“For as yet they did not understand the Scripture, that He must rise again from the dead.” John 20:9
If they had only realized then that Jesus was going to rise a day later, there would have been no need for sadness, depression, or loss of hope.
They would have understood that they victory was already completed and determined.
They never would have walked away, having given up (John 20:10) in despair.
They would have known that the Son of God, the love, desire, and hope of their life, was going to rise in victory and power as they have never seen nor realized before!
They would have realized that what they viewed as a major setback, and the darkest day, was actually necessary for the greatest victory and brightest day!
Jesus was conquering death and sin, and paying the debt of sin for all who believe. Forever, once and for all, paid in full.
Hopefully as we look back at the Saturday following Jesus death, we do realize that He did rise. And knowing that, I pray that we have put our faith and hope in Him.
And when we trust in Him we find that our story is not over either.
We find it to be true that greater things are in store, and that there is never any reason for despair, depression, or darkness when our hope is found in Christ!
Celebrate even when it seems things are not going our way, because the best and brightest is yet to come when our hope is in Him!
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