Between the cross and the resurrection

The Saturday between Good Friday and Easter is almost a blip on our screen--who celebrates anything today? It's an in between time, a day when most of us are focused on coloring eggs, or getting all the Sunday clothes laid out for tomorrow's churchgoing or whatever.

I often jump from Good Friday to Easter without considering what it must have been like for Jesus' followers on Saturday. They were grieving the death of their Master, not understanding that their sadness would soon turn to joy. They likely were reliving the horrific scene of the day before, and stunned that the One they loved and had lived with was gone.

The in between times of our lives can sometimes seem sad or hopeless. You don't know how it's all going to turn out; maybe all you know is that what--or who--you loved is gone. I think, though, that perhaps a lesson of the Saturday between Good Friday and Easter is that what may seem to be gone is not--or at least the final chapter hasn't been written yet.

For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, then the power that raised Christ from the dead is also at work in our lives, saving us from sin first, but also giving us hope in the situations that concern us. Even when it seems hopeless.

Jean

I pray also that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened in order that you may know the hope to which he has called you, the riches of his glorious inheritance in the saints, and his incomparably great power for us who believe. That power is like the working of his mighty strength, which he exerted in Christ when he raised him from the dead and seated him at his right hand in the heavenly realms." Ephesians 1:18-20

Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen. Ephesians 3:20-21