The First Holy Saturday

Christ's body lay in the tomb; his life and ministry appeared to be over as the stone was rolled over the entrance to his grave. It was a day of mourning and shock for his followers whose hope was gone. To   many others, it was a time of relief if not celebration. For God it was a Sabbath of silence.

What if the story ended there? What if Jesus had remained in the tomb--a footnote in the history of the Jews, a would-be Messiah, another prophet silenced by powerful leaders who protect themselves at all costs? What would that mean for you and me and our relationship with God and our hope for a new world to come?

"If Christ has not been raised, then our preaching is in vain and your faith is in vain. We are even found to be misrepresenting God,  because we testified about God that he raised Christ, whom he did not raise if it is true that the dead are no raised. For if the dead are not raised, not even Christ has been raised. And if Christ has not been raised, your faith is futile and you are still in your sins. Then those also who have fallen asleep in Christ have perished. If in Christ we have hope in this life only, we are of all people most to be pitied," 1 Cor. 15:14-19.

As we consider the effect of that distant Sabbath on the first disciples, we prepare our hearts for the amazing news on Sunday that he is risen indeed. Hallelujah!