The Day in Between

It’s the day in between. Jesus has been crucified and buried in the tomb, and we know that He rose on the third day. We remember Good Friday as the day He died and celebrate Easter as the day He arose, but what about the day in between?

It’s Saturday. Jesus is dead. The disciples are mourning. The Jews are celebrating the Sabbath.    Jesus’ body lies wrapped up in a sealed tomb. Do you ever feel sealed in a tomb; stuck in your circumstances; stuck in the in between? Resurrection morning lies ahead of you, but what do you do in the meantime? What do you do while you’re waiting? When you’re waiting on the door of opportunity to open, what do you do in the hallway?

There isn’t much documented about the day in between Jesus' death and resurrection. After all that had taken place, we can imagine that Jesus’ disciples were devastated about Jesus’ death and the way He was killed–beaten and hung on a cross. We can also imagine that they were afraid. The people had turned against Jesus, and the disciples were His followers. Perhaps they were afraid that they too would be in danger. They probably wondered what they should do next. 

Did they remember what Jesus had said–that He would rise again on the third day? Did they understand? Based on their surprise to see Him and Thomas’s doubting that it really was Him, I imagine they either didn’t remember or didn’t understand. Perhaps they felt alone and confused. What now? Jesus is dead. I imagine that day in between was long.

Often in life, we feel like we’re in between. We don’t know what’s going to happen next or which way to go or what to do. Sometimes we feel alone and confused, and we find ourselves asking, “What now?”

The Saturday in between Good Friday and Resurrection Sunday is a day to pause. Because of Jewish customs, the disciples rested for the Sabbath (which was Saturday back then). They were probably thinking about all that had taken place. They were in between, but we have the rest of the story. We know what happened Sunday morning. For us, today is a day to pause and reflect on what Jesus did for us on the cross. It’s a day to remember too what happened after that–His resurrection which we will celebrate tomorrow. 

When we are stuck in between, let’s remember to pause. To rest. To reflect on all that God has done for us and press into all that we know He is still doing in our lives. We have the rest of the story. We know that if we are saved, we have a home with God in Heaven. We know how it ends. God wins. 

Spiritually, that is encouraging. Big picture, that’s what it’s all about. Small picture; our everyday lives can be overwhelming–especially when we lose sight of the big picture or get caught up in the here and now. We want all the answers, but we don’t actually need them. We just need to know that God has the answers, and we have God. 

What Jesus did for us on the cross bridged the gap between us and God. Now we can be forgiven. Now we can live in Heaven. Now we have the Holy Spirit to comfort us and walk beside us. Now we can talk to God. Now we are not alone–even in the in between. 

So on this in between Saturday, let’s take heart and remember that God is with us in the in between. Look at all He has done for us. Look at all He has carried you through. He won’t fail you now. He is still directing your path. Even though you feel lost, God knows exactly where you are. Serve Him where you are. Perhaps you aren’t in between after all. Perhaps you are exactly where God wants you to be.