“Jesus told her, ‘I am the resurrection and the life.
Anyone who believes in me will live, even after dying.” -John 11:25
Saturday, the day in between the cross and the resurrection. Have you ever thought about it? On Saturday, life went on as usual. People—Jews and Gentiles alike—ate, slept, worked, celebrated, worshiped just like normal. For those closest to Jesus, His disciples, His followers, His family, I’m sure life seemed anything but normal. But the sun still set on Friday evening, and it still rose on Saturday morning. Life all around them continued to move in the same rhythm, in the same time, at the same pace that it had always. It was the day in between.
I kind of know what that feels like. I’m sure some of you do as well.
In the hours after we found out about Brandon’s death, I remember being seated on the couch in my office. I was crying, and there were a lot of people around me. All of a sudden, I had to go to the bathroom. And the very thought seemed so strange to me. I said, I think out loud, “I have to go to the bathroom. My body keeps working even though I feel like I’m dying.” As odd as it sounds, it was almost comical to me at the time.
Time does not stop, not even for grief.
So, I get it. I can imagine a little what they were feeling, all those people who loved Jesus, who trusted Him, who believed in Him, and who were, unnecessarily so, caught off guard by His death. They were devastated. Their minds were torn between memories. One minute, Mary was regaling them with a comical story of how Jesus learned to walk. The next minute, they were in tears as they recalled the torture He experienced before His death. One minute they were wailing in sorrow; in the next breath they were making plans to go fishing on Sunday. They were caught in the “in between,” and they didn’t understand what tomorrow was going to bring.
That’s me. I am in the “in between.” I am in between the day of death and the day of everlasting life. I am in between the day of sorrow and the day of eternal celebration. I am in between the day of tragedy and the day of triumph. I vacillate between the mundane and memories, tears and laughter, apathy and purpose.
Life goes on.
But I am blessed because I get to look back on the resurrection. I know what happened. Christ’s death on the cross paid the penalty for my sins. His resurrection paved the way for those who believe in Jesus to live eternally with Him. For this reason, I am confident that one day I will be with my Savior and my son in Heaven.
I can’t control what happened yesterday. But I can look forward to tomorrow. I may be living in the “in between” but I still know--Sunday’s coming!