Saturday
Be patient, brethren, until the coming of the Lord.
James 5:7 NKJV
Nearly 40 years ago, Tony Campolo wrote a book with the engaging title, It’s Friday but Sunday’s Comin’. The concept was taken from the first Easter when that Friday (which we’ve labeled as “Good”) seemed to be so very bad.
Jesus has been brutally beaten and cruelly crucified. For six agonizing hours, He hung suspended between heaven and earth. Then He breathes His last and gives up His Spirit.
Over the years as I led my congregation in pondering the depth of Jesus’ suffering and the immensity of Jesus’ sacrifice, I would remind them of these evidences of His love. Then I would often end the service with the words, “It may be Friday…but Sunday’s coming!”
Smiles would light up the room and even some cheers would erupt. The moment of celebration seemed imminent.
Yet it wasn’t. Not really. Because in between Friday and Sunday… was Saturday.
Have you ever thought about what that Saturday must have been like?
The Silence of Saturday
Max Lucado offers some wise commentary regarding that.
Jesus is silent on Saturday. The women have anointed his body and placed it in Joseph’s tomb. The cadaver of Christ is as mute as the stone which guards it. He spoke much on Friday. He will liberate the slaves of death on Sunday. But on Saturday, Jesus is silent.
So is God. He made himself heard on Friday. He tore the curtains of the temple, opened the graves of the dead, rocked the earth, blocked the sun of the sky... Earth heard much of God on Friday.
Nothing on Saturday. Jesus is silent. God is silent. Saturday is silent.
Easter weekend discussions tend to skip Saturday. Friday and Sunday get the press. The crucifixion and resurrection command our thoughts. But don’t ignore Saturday. You have them, too.
Silent Saturdays. The day between the struggle and the solution; the question and the answer; the offered prayer and the answer thereof.
A good friend of mine can relate to these words. She buried her husband earlier this week after a brutal three-year struggle with cancer. Standing next to her as we looked at his body, we wept together. And though we can take comfort in his resurrection and their reunion, today is Saturday.
Several pastors I’m working with are dealing with it as well. The dream of leading their church into breakthrough has fizzled. Exhaustion and discouragement have led to a resignation. And though they have faith that a positive future awaits, that future seems fuzzy. They’re living in Saturday.
Perhaps it’s Saturday for you as well. You’ve endured Friday’s pain. The death of loved one. The death of a career. The death of a dream. The death of a marriage. And now, it’s Saturday. Questions are many and answers are few. God seems silent. Hope seems distant.
The Purpose of Saturday
Lucado offers some valuable perspective:
Jesus died with this conviction: “You will not abandon me to the grave, nor will you let your Holy One see decay” (Acts 2:27 NIV).
Jesus knew God would not leave him alone in the grave. You need to know, God will not leave you alone with your struggles. His silence is not his absence, inactivity is never apathy. Saturdays have their purpose.
For one thing, they provide us with a platform from which we can display our hope before a hopeless world and our faith before a faithless society.
For another thing, they let us feel the full force of God’s strength and they develop our spiritual muscles so that we can be able face even more challenging Saturdays that are to come.
For His reasons, God inserts a Saturday between our Fridays and Sundays. If today is one for you, be patient. In the words of Jesus’ brother, one who endured that first silent Saturday: “Be patient, brethren, until the coming of the Lord” (James 5:7 NKJV).
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