After these things Joseph of Arimathea, being a disciple of Jesus, but a secret one for fear of the Jews, asked Pilate that he might take away the body of Jesus; and Pilate granted permission. So he came and took away His body. Nicodemus, who had first come to Him by night, also came, bringing a mixture of myrrh and aloes, about a hundred pounds weight. So they took the body of Jesus and bound it in linen wrappings with the spices, as is the burial custom of the Jews. Now in the place where He was crucified there was a garden, and in the garden a new tomb in which no one had yet been laid. Therefore because of the Jewish day of preparation, since the tomb was nearby, they laid Jesus there. ~ John 19:38-42
Although Jesus had told His disciples over and over again that He would rise after three days, they still didn’t understand it. Now He was dead and buried, and they thought it was the end. Saturday would have been a terribly sad day for those who loved Jesus. Not only were they mourning the loss of a dearly beloved friend, but also their beliefs were shattered. Jesus couldn’t be the Messiah they thought He was. Otherwise He wouldn’t have died such an humiliating and painful death. Unlike us, they didn’t know the ending of the story.
Lord God, thank You that I know the end of the story, but help me to put myself in the place of the disciples who were in despair after Jesus was placed in the tomb. Let me feel the grief and pain of Saturday so I can more fully experience the joy of Sunday. In the name of Jesus. Amen.
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