Saturday, the ‘In Between’ Time

It is Saturday, April 11, and we are in the middle of a pandemic. We’re sheltered in place in our homes, having to wear masks when we go out, have run out of things to do, and we’re waiting…. For what? For things to return to ‘normal’.

This brings to mind happenings of over 2000 years ago, it was a quiet, I mean you could hear a pin drop quiet outside. People were huddling inside, afraid, bewildered, and just waiting. You see, the Leader, the one who they were following, and taught them about life, Jesus, was brutally beaten, stripped of everything he had, even his clothing, and was literally hung on a wooden cross by the Roman soldiers pounding nails into his outstretched hands and feet. Then they took the cross with Jesus hanging on it and set it upright, for all to see. He hung here in pain from the beatings and being hit with whip, while people were cheering and yelling. Some of the crowd were weeping, groaning deep sorrow for their friend, teacher, and the one who came to save. His mother, Mary, and his friends were right at the foot of the cross, crying, watching him die. At one point, from the cross, Jesus asked his friend, John, to look after His mother. He still loved, thinking of others, forgiving those who did this to him by saying “Father, forgive them for they know not what they do”. Imagine..asking God to forgive those who did this to them! Hard stuff, right? Are we forgiving of someone who has done us wrong??

His friends took him off the cross after he died, wrapped him in cloth; it must have been much like when he was a baby, in swaddling cloths, and laid his body in a tomb. A tomb was a grave, or a structure that was built to keep the bodies of people who died. In this case, it was like a cave that must have had a ‘shelf-like’ structure on the inside on which the Roman Soldiers laid Jesus. After they did this, they rolled a giant stone in front of the tomb. Jesus’ followers, friends went together to the upper room, where they could all be together. They felt deep, groaning sorrow for what they experienced yesterday, on Friday. They probably talked about Jesus, and the stories He told about Gods love. They were remembering how they saw Him love, heal, and forgive. Everyone! Even the people that we wouldn’t go near, even those who were different from us.

So now what? As we wait, as they waited… I guess we go about our day, doing the things that we do, work around the house, cook, read, do crafts, do whatever.. I feel a quietness today, because we’re waiting… People are scared because of the pandemic and losing people we love, people are grieving, people are sick. We’re grieving today.. loss of jobs, loss of support system, can’t be with our friends. But there is a newness about to come, a freshness, a chance for a ‘do-over’. There is always something good that comes after a storm, a calmness after a night of thunder and wind.

Before Jesus died, He said that he would always be with us, and leave us a Comforter. What does that mean? It means that it is He will live again, He will conquer the death that his body endured. He died for our sins; when He was on the cross, He was thinking of you and me. It is because we believe this, hope for a new future is not gone. Tomorrow, when we find out that the tomb is empty, and He lives, we will shout Alleluia!

In my heart, I am thinking of the song by Bill Gaither ‘Because He Lives’. Here are the words:

God sent His Son
They called Him Jesus
He came to love, heal and forgive
He lived and died to buy my pardon
An empty grave is there to prove my Savior lives

Because He lives I can face tomorrow
Because He lives all fear is gone
Because I know He holds the future
And life is worth the living just because He lives

And then one day, I’ll cross that river
I’ll fight life’s final war with pain
And then as death gives way to vict’ry
I’ll see the lights of glory and I’ll know he lives

Because He lives I can face tomorrow
Because He lives all fear is gone
Because I know He holds the future
And life is worth the living just because He lives.

Blessings!