The late African-American Baptist preacher S.M. Lockridge once preached a sermon with a phrase later made famous in the 1980s by Tony Campolo: “it’s Friday… but Sunday’s coming’. The sentiment behind it is absolutely right – we remember the sacrificial death of our Lord Jesus Christ, the pain He suffered to buy our freedom in life and for eternity, and how He has made us able to go before God as forgiven people. We know the end of the story. (So far).
The downside of statement is it risks relegating Friday as a means-to-an-end. It can cause us to gloss over the pain, missing the depth of Friday-through-Sunday in the salvation story of God. To understand the power of the cross and the resurrection, we must view them in light of one another.
Our tradition of church doesn’t give much attention to Saturday, though other denominations do. The Gospel writers tell us nothing about Saturday. (Probably because it was the Sabbath, so nothing happened anyway, and, well, when the resurrection happened it was quite rightly headline news!). However, this year more than ever, will we find depth and meaning in prayerfully reflecting on what Saturday has to offer.
Saturday was the in-between day. The confusion; the despair; the hopelessness. Saturday was numbness and pain. Saturday was the could-have, should-have, would-have wondering day. For many today, this moment in our history may feel like ‘Saturday’. The Sabbath rightly caused people to stop, and no doubt on that Saturday, the disciples, Mary and the women felt helpless. Unable to go out, unable to travel, unable to go and see what was going on. They likely felt frustrated and restricted, as some of you do. They undoubtedly felt overwhelmed with emotion and pain, just like some of you on the frontlines do. That first Saturday put everything into perspective – all they had lived for in the last few years; the ‘normal’ they had taken for granted; all they had put their hope in, was in one short moment at 3 in the afternoon the day before, taken away.
We of course, live in Sunday resurrection time, eagerly awaiting the return of Christ, but maybe this moment feels like Saturday. To alter Rev. Lockridge’s phrase, for us now – it’s Saturday, but Sunday is coming! The dawn is about to break, the sky is dark but on the horizon colour is seeping through; the sun is about to burst forth in glorious colour and light. It’s ‘Saturday’ but Sunday is coming. This season will pass. Even though there may be pain and suffering, we trust in the God who promises to be with us in sickness and in health, in suffering and celebration, in praise and pain.
This Friday, as we remember the death of Jesus Christ, and as we celebrate His glorious resurrection and the gift of salvation this Easter Sunday, we also remember the challenging time we are in, that Saturday, will pass. For now, we may be in a Saturday state of wondering and confusion, eagerly awaiting the dawn of a new day – but we as Easter-people remember, just as Christ was raised from the grave, so too one day, will we. As God brought Christ up from the grave, so too He will be with us and bring us through this moment in history.
May the resurrection hope of Christ fill you afresh this Easter.