The Space Between

Saturday - the space between Friday's despair and Sunday's joy.

The cross, the weapons, the blood, and the tears remain as evidence of the horrors of yesterday. 

Jesus' followers quietly huddled together, mourning their beloved friend and replaying the horrific events over and over, trying to make sense of it all.

They were surely devastated, terrified, and in complete shock. 

Jesus was dead and buried. The tomb was closed. 

He is gone. It is finished.

Crippled by their grief and fear, they forget what Jesus told them. 

The deep despair seemed like it would never end. 

But amidst that fear and doubt, there must have also been moments of hope as they recalled the words of Jesus. 

As they gathered and held each other in their grief, they prayed. 

They remembered the words Jesus told them. 

And they waited.

This is where you may find yourself today - in the quiet, uncertain space between despair and joy.  

Waiting. 

Hold on a little longer, my friend. 

Pray and remember the words God has given you. Fight through the doubt and fear as you allow hope to fill the dark places.  

Know this. 

Joy is coming.

John 19:30

When Jesus had received the sour wine, He said, "It is finished!" And He bowed His head and [voluntarily] gave up His spirit.

Luke 23: 55-56

The women who had come with Jesus from Galilee followed Joseph and saw the tomb and how his body was laid in it. Then they went home and prepared spices and perfumes. But they rested on the Sabbath in obedience to the commandment.

Luke 9: 21-23 

Jesus strictly warned them not to tell this to anyone. And he said, "The Son of Man must suffer many things and be rejected by the elders, the chief priests and the teachers of the law, and he must be killed and on the third day be raised to life."

Luke 18:31-34

Jesus took the Twelve aside and told them, "We are going up to Jerusalem, and everything that is written by the prophets about the Son of Man will be fulfilled. He will be delivered over to the Gentiles. They will mock him, insult him and spit on him; they will flog him and kill him. On the third day he will rise again." The disciples did not understand any of this. Its meaning was hidden from them, and they did not know what he was talking about.