The Second Day

For about twenty minutes, our house was silent this afternoon. Everyone else was out and about -- shopping, visiting neighbors, working outside in the beautiful 60 degree weather. Even the dog was quiet, sound asleep on the chair. It was just me sitting in the living room, sipping tea and basking in the peaceful calm.

Earlier this morning, I had read a post from Miriam Rockness on Lilias Trotter's view of Easter Eve. Titled "Holy Hush," both writers described the meaning of the Saturday -- the second day -- and how we focus so much on Good Friday and then the third day, Resurrection Sunday, that we do not often pause to consider Saturday. I had skimmed through the post, thought it was interesting, and then went about my daily tasks, pushing it to the peripheral of my busy thoughts.

As I sat a few minutes ago in the silence, the post came back to me and I started to ponder what it really meant. Granted, Resurrection Sunday is not to be diminished in any way -- it is the celebration of Christ's great victory, without which we have absolutely no hope (I Corinthians 15:12-22). Yet we should still remember Saturday, the hours where Christ's body lay in the grave in order that He might rise on Sunday morn. If there had been no death, there would have been no resurrection.

What must have the disciples thought? Did they fall into despair, thinking all was lost? Or did they remember Christ's promise that He would rise again on the third day and that death was necessary for this to happen? I love how Phillips, Craig, and Dean describe it in "Saved the Day."

Christ's death and the shedding of His blood was the necessary requirement to pay for our sins (Hebrews 9:22) and after death, came the resurrection and the triumph over Satan and death.

And so, we too, because of what Christ did for us, have been buried with Him and now are alive, walking in newness of life. (n.b., the following verses speak not of physical water baptism, but of the spiritual baptism that occurs at the moment of salvation).

"Know ye not, that so many of us as were baptized

into Jesus Christ were baptized into His death?

Therefore we are buried with Him by baptism

into death: that like as Christ was raised up from

the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also

should walk in newness of life. For if we have been

planted together in the likeness of His death,

we shall be also in the likeness of His resurrection:

Knowing this, that our old man is crucified with Him,

that the body of sin might be destroyed, that henceforth we

should not serve sin. For he that is dead is freed from sin.

Now if we be dead with Christ, we believe that we shall

also live with Him. Now if we be dead with Christ, we

believe that we shall also live with Him: knowing that

Christ being raised for the dead dieth no more;

death hath no dominion over Him."

- Romans 6:3-9

 

For a few moments today, take time and be still before Christ.

 

Remember what He has done for you, what He accomplished on the cross for you and for me. On Saturday, as Robert Lowry's great hymn says, "Low in the grave He lay, Jesus My Savior, waiting the coming day, Jesus my Lord!" Then, on Sunday, "Up from the grave He arose, with a mighty triumph o'er His foes, He arose a victor from the dark domain, and He lives forever, with His saints to reign. He arose! He arose! Hallelujah! Christ Arose!"