Holy Saturday

Scripture Reading: Luke 23:56

Then they returned and prepared spices and ointments. On the Sabbath, they rested according to the commandment.

I am forgoing the Saturday Story today and instead will continue with the Holy Week series.

The Saturday of this week is often referred to as “Holy Saturday.” Choosing a related Scripture to connect to the historical account is difficult because nothing much happened. It was the Sabbath and, as Luke 23 tells us, that despite Jesus having been crucified a few hours earlier, the followers of Jesus were observing the Law and resting on the Sabbath day.

S.M. Lockridge (whose initials stood for Shadrach Meshach, a name I admire) famously preached his “It’s Friday” sermon (I linked a YouTube clip for you) in which he spoke about the time between Friday and Sunday, the time between Jesus death and resurrection, as a metaphor for life’s struggles.

There is something to this idea, not in the sense that what happened wasn’t a historical reality on which the gospel is founded, but in the sense that it is a pattern from which we can better understand the world in which we live.

Jesus’ resurrection points us toward and promises our own future resurrection. Paul wrote in 1 Corinthians 15:3-11 that the gospel is based on the historical reality of Christ’s death, burial, and resurrection and the theological understanding that His death was for our sins. He then goes on to explain that Christ’s resurrection is the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep. (15:20).

Holy Saturday reminds us that we are in this in between time. We live in the days after Christ’s work of redemption was accomplished, but before the fullness of what He did is fully realized in our own experience.

To put my spin on Lockridge’s sermon title, I would say, “It’s Saturday, but Sunday is coming.” There is a new world coming. A world free from sin and all of its cursed effects. A world in which death is no more. The New Heaven and New Earth is as good as done. It is coming. Christ’s death and resurrection guarantee it.

It’s still Saturday.

But Sunday is coming.