Today we begin a brand new series called Holy Saturday. It’s all about waiting on the Lord. You probably have heard of Good Friday, and of course you know about Easter Sunday, but what happened in between? Faith grew in the hearts of the women of Easter morning; the women who were faithful to prepare the body of the Lord Jesus by gathering spices and mixing them and going to that tomb early on Sunday morning. And faith grew in the hearts of the disciples. Join me in Luke chapter 23 – Here we go!
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Transcription:
It was 11th grade English class, and I remember Mr. Reep teaching us about the Latin concept of in Media Refs. I still remember where I was sitting in the classroom when he said, your assignment today is to start a story in the middle. This was, of course, a very fun literary assignment, but it’s a lot harder to live out. You know what I’m saying? Hi, I’m Erica. Welcome to the Bible for Busy People. Today we begin a brand new series called Holy Saturday. It’s all about waiting on the Lord. You probably have heard of Good Friday, and of course you know about Easter Sunday, but what happened in between? Faith grew in the hearts of the women of Easter morning; the women who were faithful to prepare the body of the Lord Jesus by gathering spices and mixing them and going to that tomb early on Sunday morning. And faith grew in the hearts of the disciples.
The men who followed Jesus so closely, they began to see, oh, there’s so much more to this story. We didn’t get it. Now we’re starting to get it, but boy, I bet there were tears shed on Holy Saturday. The day in between. I bet you’re living out your own holy Saturday right now. So, let’s go back to the first one. Let’s go back to the faithful followers of Jesus Christ who didn’t leave his side when he was on that cross. Let’s look back for a moment at the crucifixion. Join me in Luke chapter 23, picking it up in verse 47,
When the Roman officer overseeing the execution saw what had happened, he worshiped God and said, surely this man was innocent. And when all the crowd that came to see the crucifixion saw what had happened, they went home in deep sorrow.
There’s a but here in verse 49,
But Jesus’s friends, including the women who had followed him from Galilee, stood at a distance watching.
John, by the way, was the only disciple who stayed with the women. The rest of them, just as scripture predicted, scattered and fled. They feared for their lives. I don’t blame them, but I marvel over those who remained. Who stayed put; who were faithful to the end of Jesus’s life. They didn’t know there was so much more to come. So, what happened between the moment Jesus died? The Bible says he died at the ninth hour, 3:00 PM and early in the morning on Easter Sunday. That’s the time period we’re looking at. That was holy Saturday. So what must they have been doing? I picture them mixing the spices, wiping away their tears, fear and sorrow swirling up in their hearts. Just as they were mixing the spices. All their feelings must have been mixed up, and yet they were faithful. They fought through the fear, through the sorrow to anoint the Lord. They kept that appointment. They wanted to honor him. That is so significant to me. Of course, it was the custom of the day to anoint the body, but I believe it was more than that for these women. They believed it was the final gift they could give their Lord, who had given so much to them. And I believe with a full heart that it’s a gift you and I can give to the Lord as well. When you and I are in the middle of a holy Saturday, we can choose to fight through the fear, to wipe away our tears, and to honor the Lord in the middle of it. I know it’s hard. I’ve been there. As a matter of fact, I’m there right now. I’m waiting for something and I’m wondering, but I know that it’s possible. These women are our example and they were surely rewarded for their faithfulness, and I believe you will be too. All right, join me in Luke chapter 24 beginning in verse one. My favorite passage in all the Bible. Here we go.
But very early on Sunday morning, the women went to the tomb taking the spices they had prepared. They found that the stone had been rolled away from the entrance, so they went in, but they didn’t find the body of the Lord Jesus. As they stood their puzzled, two men suddenly appeared to them, clothed in dazzling robes. The women were terrified and bowed with their faces to the ground. Then the men asked, why are you looking among the dead for someone who is alive? He isn’t here. He is risen from the dead. Remember what he told you back in Galilee that the son of man must be betrayed into the hands of sinful men and be crucified, and that he would rise again on the third day. Then they remembered that he had said this.
Oh my goodness, there is so much here to unpack. The women were faithful. They went to the tomb bringing the spices, but the spices weren’t needed. Why? This is, I believe, an Ephesians 3:20 moment. Would you join me in Ephesians chapter three? Here we go. I wasn’t planning on this, so give me a second here as I type it into the computer. All right, here we go.
Now, all glory to God who is able through his mighty power at work within us to accomplish infinitely more than we might ask or think.
Another version says, more than we could ever ask or imagine. If you are in a Holy Saturday moment right now and you’re expecting something good from God, but you’re not really sure how long you’re going to wait or how it’s going to work out, you know what? You can always expect that he is going to do infinitely more then you might ask or think. You’ve got one thing in mind because you are a human being, but God is God. You see a piece of the puzzle. He sees the cover of the puzzle box. He’s going to put all of those pieces together in your life and surprise you. Remember, when the women were at the crucifixion, the Bible says they stood at a distance watching, but now Jesus gives them a front row seat to his resurrection; the event that would change the world. They didn’t need their spices. You can leave your expectations behind. You don’t need them. Give them to God if you will, but trust him. He’s about to do more than you could ever imagine or ask or think. All of it because he’s that good. Okay? Until tomorrow, remember, you are really loved.
Thank you so much for listening to the Bible for Busy People. If you need prayer or you’re ready to go a little deeper in your faith, we’ve posted some resources for you in our show notes. We’d love for you to share this podcast with a friend and leave us a review. It helps us reach even more people with the hope of Jesus. This podcast is part of Purposely, a podcast network designed with practical podcasts to help you find and live in God’s purpose for your life.
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