That day between the day of our Lord’s death and His resurrection; what must it have been like for those who believed in Jesus? How was the time spent by those who were so close to Him? It was probably a time of wonder! A time of questioning! A time of deep sorrow! A time of confusion! A time of anxiousness to complete and make the burial proper. All those things must have made the hours between the death of Christ and the morning of the first day of the week seem so long!
Matthew recorded the activity of the Jewish leaders to have Pilate secure the tomb so no one could steal the body and claim Jesus had resurrected. (Matthew 27:62-66)
What did the women who had remained close do? Luke recorded how they observed where the tomb was where Jesus’ body was placed and how they went home to prepare the spices and perfume. They would rest on the Sabbath and then go to the tomb on the first day of the week to complete the proper burial. (Luke 23:55-56)
What did the disciples do? We find them behind a closed and locked door when the Lord appeared to them the evening of the day of His resurrection. (John 20:19) They may have spent the time wondering, “what now?”! The two on the road to Emmaus verbalized their own confusion over the situation since they thought Jesus was the long awaited Messiah. (Luke 24:13-24)
However, Jesus had tried to encourage the disciples and give them hope prior to His arrest and crucifixion. More than once, Jesus provided clues revealing His death would not be the end. Among those statements we read. . .
“(18) I will not leave you as orphans; I will come to you. (19) Yet a little while and the world will see me no more, but you will see me. Because I live, you also will live.” (John 14:18-19 ESV)
Jesus would not forsake them. The cross was not the end! There was life after the cross! There was life for Jesus! There was life for the disciples! There is life for us! It was for that very purpose Jesus came, as He had earlier declared. . .
“(10) The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy. I came that they may have life and have it abundantly.” (John 10:10 ESV)
The time in the tomb was short. The times of trial for us are short. However, the eternal life with our Lord is long. In fact — it will be forever and a day in the land of endless day. (note Revelation 21:25)
Have a great day KNOWING WE WILL LIVE BECAUSE HE LIVES!
Carl
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