The Day After

We talk about “Good Friday.”

We talk about “Resurrection Sunday.”

But, what about the day in between?

After seeing the horrific torture Jesus endured on the cross, can you imagine what His followers were thinking and feeling?

He told them repeatedly that these things must come to pass, but He also told them that He would rise again on the third day. And, others knew He said this. Take a look at Matthew 27: 62-66 (NKJV): “62 On the next day, which followed the Day of Preparation, the chief priests and Pharisees gathered together to Pilate, 63 saying, ‘Sir, we remember, while He was still alive, how that deceiver said, ‘After three days I will rise.’ 64 Therefore command that the tomb be made secure until the third day, lest His disciples come by night and steal Him away, and say to the people, ‘He has risen from the dead.’ So the last deception will be worse than the first.’ 65 Pilate said to them, ‘You have a guard; go your way, make it as secure as you know how.’ 66 So they went and made the tomb secure, sealing the stone and setting the guard.”

The tomb was being guarded, so I assume they were visiting and waiting for Him to make His reappearance, right?

They were waiting with hopeful anticipation to see Him again walking with them, teaching them, healing people, and speaking God’s Word, right?

Right?

They knew it was possible. They had seen Him raise people from the dead on more than one occasion.

So, I suspect they were just waiting for Him to burst through the door and pick up where He left off, right?

Right?

Wrong.

Luke 23: 55-56 (NKJV) records, “And the women who had come with Him from Galilee followed after, and they observed the tomb and how His body was laid. Then they returned and prepared spices and fragrant oils. And they rested on the Sabbath according to the commandment.”

They weren’t just waiting in hopeful anticipation; they were preparing spices needed to finish the embalming process for Jesus’ body.

If He told them He would rise again, and if they believed Him, why were they treating His body like any other recently dead body?

Before we are too harsh on His followers, I want to point out that we have the complete story and they did not. They were actively living through it. So, even if they believed He would rise again, they possibly could have been so traumatized and grieving that they hadn’t even remembered His words.

Lest we think that we would have behaved differently, may I ask how are we living in light of His imminent second return?

He has told He will return again (I Thessalonians 5: 1-3, Acts 1: 9-11, Revelation 22:12, Revelation 1:7, Matthew 24:42 are just a few), and each day that passes is one day closer to His return.

Are we living like we remember those words?

Are we bogged down in the trials of this life?

Or are we hopefully anticipating His return?

Are we so consumed with our circumstances that we can’t lift our heads for a moment?

Or are we actively working to show Christ to a lost and dying world?

I pray you are all prepared, and looking to the skies for His return.

Just as He told His followers He would rise again, He has told us He will come again and receive us unto Himself.

He never breaks His promises.

Luke 21: 28 (NKJV): “Now when these things begin to happen, look up and lift up your heads, because your redemption draw near.”