Silent Saturday – Straddling Good Friday and Resurrection Sunday

The cross suddenly appears in the rearview mirror. Forty days of Lent, Holy Thursday, and Good Friday have passed until next year. Easter has come and gone, and this season in the church feels like a blur, and it wrapped up only last week. Somehow, I have found myself straddling Good Friday and Resurrection Sunday in what is appropriately called, Silent Saturday.

Silent Saturday– a buffer between Good Friday and Easter Sunday, it straddles emptiness and fulfillment, despair and hope, death and life. For the disciples, the silence must have been unbearable . There were unanswered questions, the expectations gone south, the heartbreak, the insurmountable grief, and perhaps, even a dose of anger.

Straddling seems like an appropriate word for a silent Saturday. Just days earlier, Jesus and his disciples had marched into Jerusalem with ‘Pomp and Circumstance’ as the crowds waved olive branches and sang:

“Hosanna to the Son of David!”
“Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord!”
“Hosanna in the highest heaven!” (Matthew 21:9 NIV).

From exaltation to devastation

In less than a week, the followers of Jesus scattered, and the disciples found themselves in hiding. I am sure they wanted to be brave and courageous, empowered by what they had learned and experienced while walking in Jesus’ footsteps. Perhaps, they aspired to be bold and stand up to the opposition, but fear grasped them, and silence won. They must have desperately wanted to believe there was something more than a lifeless body in a damp and dark tomb.

I imagine their thoughts running wild as they replayed the words Jesus had spoken, the scriptures He had recited, the parables He had taught, and the countless conversations that transpired between the Savior and his friends. There had to be a different ending to this story, something more than a wooden cross.

Teetering faith

As we know, the story ends victoriously. However, it is not uncommon that I find my faith teetering between Good Friday and Resurrection Sunday, straddling silent Saturday, the day which bridges disappointment and hope, melancholy and joy, complacency and zeal, ingratitude and thankfulness, and so on.

Perhaps, I shouldn’t be surprised by this tension of living between Good Friday and Resurrection Sunday; the two are not mutually exclusive. Good Friday was required for the Resurrection, and the Resurrection was required for Good Friday.

When living in this tension, I find myself just like the disciples. I want to be bold and courageous, confident and optimistic, joyful and grateful, compassionate and loving; after all, I have followed Jesus for years. But, at times, spiritual forgetfulness settles in like an old worn blanket. I follow the disciples straight into the upper room.

What’s next?

As I contemplate this question, one word comes forth, presence. It is a reminder of the transformative power of Christ’s presence on those who first encountered Him after the Resurrection.

1. Like Mary Magdalene, we must remember to go and look for Jesus.

“He asked her, ‘Woman, why are you crying? Who is it you are looking for?’” (John 20:15, NIV).

2. Continue to open our hearts to receive more of His Word, like the disciples walking to Emmaus.

“And beginning with Moses and all the Prophets, he explained to them what was said in all the Scriptures concerning himself.” (Luke 24:27, NIV).

3. And when tempted to retreat into the upper room, we must believe that the presence of Jesus will always bring what our souls need.

“While they were still talking about this, Jesus himself stood among them and said to them, “Peace be with you.” (Luke 24:36, NIV).

Offering

Silent Saturday may offer us something beautiful to ponder, the sanctifying power of the cross and the miracle of the Resurrection, bridged by the love of a Savior who will sacrifice all to be in our presence. I pray I remember to offer Him the same.