“At the place where Jesus was crucified, there was a garden, and in the garden a new tomb, in which no one had ever been laid. Because it was the Jewish day of Preparation and since the tomb was nearby, they laid Jesus there.” (John 19:41, 42)
After Joseph and Nicodemus finished the preparation of the body they placed Jesus in a garden tomb close by because the Sabbath was about to begin. The Savior who was arrested the night before, dragged from courtyard to courtyard all night long, beaten and tortured and, finally, nailed to a cross…is laid to rest. The quiet of the garden is in such contrast to the chaos of the cross. So peaceful. No one shouting insults. No more accusations. No more pain and anguish. It is done.
Today marks the final day of our lenten journey. We have walked through the last few days of Jesus’ life with His disciples and now we sit in the stillness with them…waiting. What was the purpose of the silence of the tomb on that Saturday? Why didn’t Jesus come back from the dead immediately? What was gained by His delay? Be assured that this was no coincidence that Sabbath began the moment Jesus was laid to rest. Since time began, God used the Sabbath rest as a scheduled time to stop and reflect on our life and our dependance on our Creator. I believe that God, in His sovereignty, knew that the disciples needed some time to digest the events that had just occurred. What did they really believe? “He did tell us that this was coming, remember? What else did He say? Something about three days later…He would…uh-mm…He would…rise?”
As they regrouped in the upper room they had to ask themselves what they believed. It is this day, between the cross and the empty tomb, that defines “faith” for every disciple of Jesus. When things haven’t gone the way you expected and things are not clear…before you get an answer…what do you believe? Or…WHO do you believe? Before you see His comforting hand…do you know it’s there? Faith is believing in things unseen (Hebrews 11:1). We want to shout out to those questioning disciples, “Hey guys! Sunday’s coming! Wait till you see!” Jesus would say to Thomas a few days later,
“Because you have seen Me, you have believed; blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed.” (John 20:29)
Between the cross and the empty tomb is a day in a quiet garden where we can sit and decide what these things mean to us. It is an opportunity for us to make the events that have happened up until this point…personal. The cross was about you. It was about your sin and His great love for you that would not let you die but, instead, would die in your place so that you might live. For forty days and six Sabbaths you have been on a journey which has included discipline, sacrifice, failure, weakness and “inconvenience”. This day is a day of faith. Today we ask what difference it has made and will make in our daily lives. Know this as you sit in the quiet garden struggling with what to believe…Sunday’s Coming!
It has been a blessing to me to be able to walk with you during this season of Lent. It is my prayer that you have also been blessed and that this Easter will find you closer to God and each other.