I often wonder what it would have felt like to be among the followers of Christ that not only witnessed his crucifixion, but also encountered his resurrection. The Biblical accounts of these three days hold much detail and yet still leave us with many questions.
And as I wonder upon the days of Jesus’ death, it is not the moments of celebration, or the chanting of hateful crowds that catch my mind’s attention but the moments of silence both leading up to and following the most extraordinary event in human history.
The Silent Saturday between His death and His resurrection could very well be the most relatable day for each one of us. For many of us, Silent Saturday represents so much of what we experience on earth. Doubts and struggles, hope deferred and justice denied. On Saturday we cannot declare defeat, nor can we declare victory. Saturday is the silent period that straddles the line of life and death. “It is finished”, remains unfinished. For the ancient disciples it was a time of doubt and fear; for modern day followers it is the space between mourning and rejoicing. Silent Saturday represents a time where God feels distant, absent and silent… Have you ever felt that way?
Yet, despite those moments, what I know and am reminded of this Easter holiday is God’s instruction in the silence…
“Be still and know that I am God.” Psalm 46.10
He was triumphant. He did defeat death and sin and pain and guilt. Three days later, He emerged from a tomb of stillness, stripped of grave clothes and beaming with radiance that brought a different kind of silence upon everyone he encountered – A silent wonder. Speechless awe in the presence of a Saviour who broke through silence to shout triumph and victory, eternal hope and peace to each one who believes.
In Romans 8, the Apostle Paul exhorts us to hope for that which we do not yet have – a reminder of the now and not yet of this present age. A call to remembrance that our God is not yet finished, He is still at work…even in the passing moments of seeming stillness and silence.
Today and every day, be found in the silence. Spend a moment in silent communion with the One who gave it all in love and life for your freedom and future. Step back, wonder and marvel again at the price He paid and the glorious hope we have.
