As a young minister I had a poster hanging in my office. It said, “Jesus went to the cross and died believing His Father would raise Him from the dead. And He did!” Today represents what church tradition calls ‘Black Saturday’. It is the day between the crucifixion and the resurrection. I have tried to imagine what must have gone through Jesus followers minds as they pondered the prior three years and especially the previous week. They were trying to make sense of it all with no idea what the next morning had in store. One of the hardest things we ever face as believers is the waiting. Waiting to see the answer to the prayer. Waiting for the healing of the illness. Waiting on the check for the bills. Waiting for the unknown to be made known. Waiting for the resurrection. Waiting. That’s hard. Trusting, that’s what determines how hard the waiting is. For those who were anticipating the return of their Lord waiting was like the anticipation of the birth of a child, the invitation expected, the promise of Christmas morning. Black Saturday is quiet, isolated, potentially frightening but pregnant with promise. The word hope in the original Greek means confident expectant with pleasure. That’s today. Today ponder the hope resurrected on that first Easter and prepare to celebrate. #BeTheEdge
“Wait for the Lord; be strong and take heart and wait for the Lord.” Psalms 27:14 NIV
