Sunday’s Coming

This year my longing for Easter is greater than ever before. I don’t necessarily mean Sunday, April 9th. I mean a longing for healing and peace for our world that is only made possible through the resurrection. I mean a greater appreciation for Christ’s gift of salvation.

I've been trying to prepare my heart and mind the past few weeks for Resurrection Sunday. That’s not been an easy task. I don’t know about you, but my schedule has been cram-packed and my to-do list overflowing. I’ve had to be very intentional to quiet myself and make time for reflection.

Do you have a favorite day of Holy Week? Perhaps you love the time of celebration on Palm Sunday. Or you relish in the remembrance on Maundy Thursday or the sacredness of Good Friday. While I can see the meaning and power behind all of the days set aside this week to focus on Christ’s resurrection, I think Saturday may be the most meaningful for me. This day doesn’t get all of the pomp and circumstance as the others. We’ve all heard the phrase, “It’s Friday, but Sunday’s coming.” But we too often overlook the day in between. What about Saturday?

What was Saturday like for the disciples? We don’t know for sure, but I imagine they were heartbroken, scared, and confused. They had no idea what the future held for them. They failed to understand the greater meaning when He said, "In a little while you will see me no more, and then after a little while you will see me? Very truly I tell you, you will weep and mourn while the world rejoices. You will grieve, but your grief will turn to joy" (John 16:19-20).

“What was Saturday like for the disciples? We don’t know for sure, but I imagine they were heartbroken, scared, and confused. They had no idea what the future held for them.”

Saturday is a day of waiting. It seems to be a day when nothing happens. It’s a day we question God, His motives, and His timing. I know I can look back on my life, and I can see a lot of instances where I was sitting in a Saturday moment.

Years ago, I was having a lot of strange health symptoms. I had been to several doctors and had lots of tests done, but they weren’t sure exactly what was going on. My doctor threw out several scary possibilities. I scheduled an appointment with a specialist in another state, but of course I had to wait a few months for that appointment. That was a long “Saturday” period for me. Every time I felt a symptom, I would question God. I worried about the future, I couldn’t understand why I was going through this. Didn’t God know I had young children to care for? Hadn’t I served Him faithfully? On the outside, I put on my brave face and pressed forward with my daily routines, but on the inside I was grieving something that hadn’t even been diagnosed. I hated the waiting. God used that moment to remind me that I needed to trust Him with the future. Would I serve Him even with a scary diagnosis? Was my faith dependent on my circumstances? In the midst of our Saturday, we can tell God our fears, ask our questions, and grieve, but we must remember that God is always at work, even when we don’t feel it. We are not alone or forgotten.

“In the midst of our Saturday, we can tell God our fears, ask our questions, and grieve, but we must remember that God is always at work, even when we don’t feel it. We are not alone or forgotten.”

It reminds me of one of my favorite hymns, “Because He Lives.” It says that “Because He lives, I can face tomorrow. Because He lives, all fear is gone. Because I know He holds the future, and life is worth the living just because He lives.” I can’t say that ALL fear is gone, who can? But I definitely live a more peaceful life when I remember He holds the future.

This Holy Week, you may be sitting in a Saturday, a period of waiting and questioning. Like the disciples, you may not remember or understand all Jesus has promised, but His promises still hold true. Look up from your Saturday and realize that Sunday is coming!

Melissa Busby leads the ministry wives support network for the BCNE and serves in the women’s, youth, and children’s ministries at South Shore Baptist Church in Hingham, MA, where her husband serves as senior pastor.