Scripture: Luke 22:53-54
Then he took it down, wrapped it in a linen cloth, and laid it in a rock-hewn tomb where no one had ever been laid. It was the day of Preparation, and the sabbath was beginning.
Thought for the Day: I only once preached a Saturday Holy Week service, and let me be very honest, it was a challenging thing to do. On what is often referred to as Dark Saturday, Jesus is in the grave. I am not trying to be funny when I say, “He’s dead,” and there is not a lot of preaching material. In fact, it might be better for Christians to spend some time in silence – individually or collectively – to reflect on what it means to claim that God’s fullest expression in human form is dead. The question often asked is: Did God die for three days? If so, was the universe without the divine for that period. I might have an opinion on the subject, but know that many throughout history (much smarter than I am) have debated and struggled with what that means. At the end of the day, we do claim that Jesus Christ, the Messiah, was killed upon the cross and placed in a tomb. He didn’t pretend to be dead (as some have suggested) or that he never was really a human being but a spirit (as others have argued). As the Apostles’ Creed says that Jesus…
suffered under Pontius Pilate,
was crucified, died, and was buried;
he descended to the dead.
From it’s earliest days, Christianity has declared that Jesus Christ was crucified and died. When you think about it, that’s a very profound and troubling statement.
Prayer: In the darkness of this day, Merciful God, provide me space to quietly reflect on what this day suggests… Amen.
