Saturday - the in-between day

Saturday - the day in-between:  “As his body was taken away, the women from Galilee followed and saw the tomb where his body was placed. Then they went home and prepared spices and ointments to anoint his body. But by the time they were finished the Sabbath had begun, so they rested as required by the law.” (Luke 23)

“The next day, on the Sabbath, the leading priests and Pharisees went to see Pilate...they sealed the tomb and posted guards to protect it.” (Matthew 27)

“On Sunday, two of Jesus’ followers were walking to the village of Emmaus, seven miles from Jerusalem. As they walked along they were talking about everything that had happened. As they talked and discussed these things, Jesus himself suddenly came and began walking with them. But God kept them from recognizing him.

“He asked them, “What are you discussing so intently as you walk along?”

“They stopped short, sadness written across their faces...Our leading priests and other religious leaders handed him over to be condemned to death, and they crucified him. We had hoped he was the Messiah who had come to rescue Israel.” (Luke 24)

Dreams are dashed. Hope dies. Sadness is written across our faces. We look back on the past few days, maybe just the past few hours or minutes:  “How could things have changed so quickly?” “This wasn’t what I expected when I woke up this morning?”

We don’t have much to read about the day after Jesus died.  We read of the enemies of Jesus, not content with killing him, they conspire to make sure he stays in the grave.

Luke tells a bit about the sadness of the followers of Jesus. They had hoped that in Jesus their dreams would be realized. Now they don’t know what to hope.  Luke also tells us of the women, having just watched Jesus die they set about to help prepare his body for the grave.

Dreams were shattered. Hope was gone. Yet, they still walked. They still talked. They still rested. They still did what needed to be done for the one they loved.

We can look back and think, of course. Look what’s coming tomorrow. But they didn’t have a tomorrow to look back to.

They only had a sunset to face with dreams gone and hopes faded.

But after this sunset, the same questions would come once again:  “How could things have changed so quickly?” “This wasn’t what I expected when I woke up this morning?”