James 5:7-8 — Be patient therefore, brethren, unto the coming of the Lord. Behold, the husbandman waiteth for the precious fruit of the earth, and hath long patience for it, until he receive the early and latter rain. Be ye also patient; stablish your hearts: for the coming of the Lord draweth nigh.

“Selah”. It’s that mysterious never-translated word in the Psalms that seems to mean “pause” — take a break, consider where we have come to and where we are going. Did you pause today? I hope you did.

Easter Saturday is, for so many people, a “throwaway day”, the empty space between Good Friday and Easter Sunday. Please don’t let it be so for you. Don’t deny yourself the pain and hope of a true Easter Saturday.

Jesus is dead. The Son of God is dead. That is the truth of this day. Yesterday they put Him on a cross and crucified Him. They put Him in a tomb. He’s dead. That was what the disciples KNEW.

And they, when they had heard that he was alive, and had been seen of her, believed not. (Mark 16:11)

And their words seemed to them as idle tales, and they believed them not. (Luke 24:11)

Then the same day at evening, being the first day of the week, when the doors were shut where the disciples were assembled for fear of the Jews, came Jesus and stood in the midst, and saith unto them, Peace be unto you. (John 20:19)

The disciples KNEW Jesus was gone, the dream was over, they were huddled together for safety and to decide what to do next.

We do have an “advantage” over the disciples. They suffered from “faith blindness”. Jesus had told them what was going to happen next … but they couldn’t see it. Sure “The Son of man is delivered into the hands of men, and they shall kill him;” but  “and after that he is killed, he shall rise the third day.” (Mark 9:31). The disciples had not been able to connect the experiences they were going through with the prophesies of Jesus. They had no ears to hear or eyes to see … 

The disciples blindness gave them a real advantage however. There was a stunning, joyful, “Easter morning” awakening to the truth. If we refuse the dark emptiness of Saturday, we cannot fully experience the joy of Sunday.

If, then, you have not done so, pause now. Try for a moment to forget what you have known so long, and feel the pain of Jesus death raw and new. I promise the glorious opening of your eyes will make it it worth the effort.