The Long Saturday

What was it like, the Long Saturday between your death and your rising day? It must have been just....awful. A sickness, an aching--deep in the gut--for your friends and your followers. They had watched, solemn and confused, as you had been betrayed by one of your own, arrested for no reason, beaten by brutes with weapons that tore your flesh from the bone. They had muscled their way through the crowds to catch a glimpse of you as you struggled under the weight of the cross you were being forced to carry to what would be your crucifixion site. They had stared, not quite believing what they were seeing. Their King, their Messiah, Yeshua--Yahweh is Salvation--was there before them on a Roman cross....dying.

And then, it was finished. Darkness had set in, the earth had trembled. There was silence. And they hadn't known what to do.

Did they just hang their heads and go home, dazed at the events that had just unfolded? Did they gather together and weep? Did they strategize about what was next? Did they talk it out, or turn inward and say nothing?

They must have been so confused. So terrified. So...confused.

Had they been able to sleep? I mean, how do you sleep with all of those thoughts swirling around in your head? On the other hand, they were probably exhausted--many of them had been up for much of the night before.

And then came Saturday. It was the Sabbath. It must have been the longest Sabbath Day of their lives. I'll bet that their "rest" that day wasn't very restful.

How painful that day must have been! How do you just "move on"? How do you get past the visible images that were seered into your brain? How do you forget the cries of agony that you had heard the day before?

I don't think many of them moved on well that day. Maybe at moments, there had been glimpses of hope. But I'll bet, by nightfall, they were absolutely heartsick and thoroughly...confused. And not knowing what to do next.

The women knew of one tiny thing that they could do for their Lord. Prepare the spices. And I would guess that it was with half great resolve, half dejected duty, that they got them ready before once again collapsing into bed. By then, I'm sure they were so tired, and at first sign of daylight, they would need to be up and ready to go. I'll bet it was an early night for them.....and another long one.

But then came morning.