Holy Week 2023 - Anticipation Saturday
Sunday is Coming!
Posted by: CDFWarrington on Saturday, April 8, 2023 at 1:52PM
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The Day of Anticipation: Awaiting the Coming Messiah
There is not much within the Bible that talks about what occurred after Christ's crucifixion and His resurrection. Much of what is talked about today is little more than speculation and conjecture. What we do know is that the women who had come with Him out of Galilee "rested according to the commandment." [a] and that the chief priests and the Pharisees were afraid that Jesus' disciples may steal the body.[b]
So, from these text, here is what we can know for fact before we begin our guesswork. The facts remain that Jesus died on the "Day of Preparation" and was buried in an unused tomb. [c] Then the day of the Sabbath the women who followed Jesus rested [d] while the religious leaders worked to prevent the disciples from stealing Jesus' body [b]. An interesting contrast to what should have been observed on a Sabbath.
The day prior to the Sabbath or Passover. On this day, the Jews generally purified themselves, prepared their food, and carried out their chores since they could not do so the following day.
As for the disciples' actions, we can only surmise. Jesus had told His disciples that He would be killed and rise from the dead three days later [e] but, He also foretold that they would scatter [f] according to prophecy [g]. So, on the day that should have been one of anticipation for the Messiah's return, they most likely fled and hid, fearing for their own safety; afraid that the soldiers would come for them next.
Today, we know the end of the story. Jesus rose from the dead, conquering sin and death. As we remember this day with anticipation for tomorrow, we should also draw lessons from the disciples' lives. Despite Jesus' clear message that He would return, they scattered and had no part in His preparation or burial. Nonetheless, their lives were transformed after His resurrection. As followers of Christ, we too should be forever changed and eagerly await His final return. Today is a day to reflect on whether we live as one transformed and anticipating Christ's return or if we live in uncertainty, hiding from the persecution of those around us.
References
Below is a list of referenced biblical passages:
- [a] - Luke 23:56b
- [b] - Matthew 27:62–66
- [c] - Matthew 27:59–66; Mark 15:46–47; Luke 23:53–56; John 19:38–42
- [d] - Lk 23:56b
- [e] - Mark 9:30–32
- [f] - Matthew 26:31–32; John 16:32
- [g] - Zechariah 13:7