SUNDAY IS COMING

The day Jesus died is considered by many to be the darkest day in the history of the world. Even Jesus, in the moment He was arrested, said, “But this is your hour—when darkness reigns” (Luke 22:53 NIV). So isn’t it interesting that billions of people around the world now know this day as GOOD FRIDAY? How can that be? How can we call the day, when a loving God was crushed by the ones He loved, “good”?

John 19:30 (NIV) reads, “Jesus said, ‘It is finished.’ With that, he bowed his head and gave up his spirit.” The last words of Jesus proclaimed that His mission was accomplished! All the weight and guilt of sin came head-to-head with the spotless Lamb of God, and in that moment, all sin—past, present, and future—finally was atoned for!

Isaiah 53:5 (NKJV) says, “By His stripes we are healed.” His pain was our healing. His blood our ransom. Our Rescuer, at the cost of His own life, had finally made a path of redemption for all who would believe.

After the horror of the Crucifixion had come to a holy hush, the story enters a long silence. Can you imagine the devastation and confusion that His disciples were crushed by?

The Saturday following Good Friday has been called “Holy Saturday” by the Church for hundreds of years. The beauty of this day is that it very much represents the current state in which we all find ourselves. We are waiting, trusting, hoping that Sunday is coming. We live in what theologians call the “now and not yet.” On one hand “it is finished!” And on the other hand, we are waiting for the full effect of the Resurrection. Holy Saturday reminds us that it’s only a matter of time… Take heart… Sunday is coming!

There’s a hinge point in this song where everything changes….

The women came before the dawn

To find that stone already gone

When they looked inside, the angel said

“Why are you looking for the living among the dead?”

He’s alive!

He’s alive!

Hallelujah, He’s alive!

In Jesus, no matter what we are facing, we can rest assured that for those who follow Him, resurrection is always coming! You see, the Resurrection is a historical event, but it is so much more than just that. Jesus says in John 11:25 (NIV), “I AM the resurrection and the life!” Resurrection is a person! Resurrection is Jesus! Where there is Jesus, there is always everlasting life!

My prayer is that the Good News that Sunday is coming would not be something reserved once a year for Easter, but something that permeates every fiber of your being, every second of your day, every longing of your heart! Remember the promise that “The Spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead is living in you” (Romans 8:11 NIV).

HE IS ALIVE! AND SO ARE WE!

Key Questions:

1. When Jesus says, “It is finished” on Good Friday, what does that mean for you? How does the peace and assurance of His sacrifice shape your life?

2. Can you think of a season of your life that feels like Holy Saturday? Maybe you’re in one right now? What does it look like to make space for the waiting and longing for the renewal of all things? How can this help you understand Jesus’ nearness to you in your own longing and waiting?

3. How have you let the Resurrection change your life? How can the Resurrection not just be a once-a-year event but a daily reality that you get to live in?

4. What does it mean that “The Spirit of God, who raised Jesus from the dead, lives in you!” (Romans 8:11)? How does this change how you can live TODAY?