Pastor’s Corner: “Passion Week”
Now before the Feast of the Passover, when Jesus knew that his hour had come to depart out of this world to the Father, having loved his own who were in the world, he loved them to the end. John 13:1
Passion Week, which is also known as Holy Week, starts on Palm Sunday and continues until Resurrection Sunday. It covers the major events of Jesus’ last days on earth before His crucifixion and resurrection. It is a great week to slow down and observe the last moments of Jesus’ life.
- What did Jesus do during His final week?
- What was He like?
- What was He teaching about?
- How were other people treating Him
All of these things help us get a fuller picture of those last days, and help us understand what it was really like for Christ.
SILENCE of SATURDAY:
Lamentations 3:28 (ESV) – Let him sit alone in silence when it is laid on him; Psalm 46:10 (ESV) – “Be still, and know that I am God. I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth!”
Jesus is silent on Saturday. The women have anointed his body and placed it in Joseph’s tomb. He spoke many words on Friday. He would liberate the slaves of death on Sunday. But on Saturday, Jesus is silent. So is God. He made himself heard on Friday. He tore the curtains of the temple, opened the graves of the dead, rocked the earth, blocked the sun of the sky, and sacrificed the Son of Heaven. Earth heard much of God on Friday. Nothing on Saturday. Jesus is silent. God is silent. Passion week discussions tend to skip Saturday. Friday and Sunday get the focus. The crucifixion and resurrection command our thoughts but let us not miss God in the silence.
Jesus’ followers believed everything was over. Done. Finished. It was a day of sorrow and loss. A day without hope and a bleak future looming in front of them. In a way, we can all relate to what they felt. There have been times in each of our lives when it seemed like God stopped working. Stopped listening. That your request wasn’t being heard despite the endless prayers you offered. It can sometimes seem like we are sitting in our own silent Saturday when we can’t hear God. When we face hardships, it can sometimes seem as though we are trapped somewhere between the Crucifixion and the Resurrection, waiting on God to answer and rescue us. The silence of God can be heartbreaking, especially when your world has been turned upside-down.
But on this day, after the death of Jesus, the silence of God was needed. It was a moment in history where God was working in ways that we probably will never be able to comprehend. God was still working, even though at the time it seemed like it was all over. Have you ever been there? Have you ever found yourself in the middle of a difficult trial, but had a hard time seeing how God was making a new way? You just weren’t sure how you’d ever make it to the other side.
But then… you did survive and found yourself on the other end. And that is when you’re able to look back and realize it is actually crystal clear how God was working at the time. He was providing all along – He was making a way. You just couldn’t see it in the moment. Maybe you know someone who is experiencing that profound silence and loss. Maybe you are yourself. This seemingly endless experience, unbroken by any word of hope or comfort, is also part of our human story. There are times when there are no easy answers, no slick solutions, no rescue from our pain.
How should we respond? We should do what Jesus did. Lie still. Stay silent. Trust God. Jesus died with this conviction: “You will not abandon me to the grave, nor will you let your Holy One see decay” (Acts 2:27 NIV). Jesus knew God would not leave him alone in the grave. You need to know, God will not leave you alone with your struggles. His silence is not his absence, inactivity is never apathy. Saturdays have their purpose. They let us feel the full force of God’s strength. Had God raised Jesus fifteen minutes after the death of His son, would we have appreciated the act? Were He to solve your problems the second they appear, would you appreciate His strength?
We will go through seasons of silence. We will have moments of our lives in which we can’t hear or see our God work. In seasons of silence, grace speaks louder. When you are caught between the unknown and the fearful; trust in the voice that breaks the silence. I have good news; the Savior is not in that tomb anymore! I know, spoiler alert. He is risen!
For His reasons, God inserts a Saturday between our Fridays and Sundays. If today is one for you, be patient. As one who endured the silent Saturday wrote: “Be patient, brethren, until the coming of the Lord” (James 5:7 NKJV).
In His Grace,
Pastor Hamilton