Thoughts for the Day

The Guard at the Tomb

The next day, that is, after the day of Preparation, the chief priests and the Pharisees gathered before Pilate and said, ‘Sir, we remember what that impostor said while he was still alive, “After three days I will rise again.” Therefore command that the tomb be made secure until the third day; otherwise his disciples may go and steal him away, and tell the people, “He has been raised from the dead”, and the last deception would be worse than the first.’ Pilate said to them, ‘You have a guard of soldiers; go, make it as secure as you can.’ So they went with the guard and made the tomb secure by sealing the stone.

(Lectionary, New Revised Standard Version)

Thoughts

One of the most common reactions among Christians to the crucifixion of Jesus is the comment "I don't want to think about that, it's too upsetting!", and so they don't attend worship on Good Friday, or they don't want to see some film or re-enactment of Jesus' trial and death. But if we don't think about his death (and we often don't mention it in schools) then Easter can all too easily become Easter eggs and Easter bunnies!

The four gospels all have Good Friday ending with Jesus placed in the tomb with the help of Joseph of Arimathea, though John adds that Nicodemus helped him. The Synoptic Gospels (first three) all mention that some of the women watched where Jesus was buried. As the sun sets on the Friday night the Day of Preparation begins for the Jewish Passover, and so all is quiet! After the hundreds of words written about the events leading up to the crucifixion there are no words about the Saturday, except by Matthew who recounts the incident mentioned above.

All of us whose loved ones have died will know the awfulness of the day after a death - the tears; the memories; the visual images; the inability to concentrate; and the flashbacks being just a few. Often we want the company of others, but even more we need to be alone to process what has happened. For those first Christians it would have been the same after the crucifixion. But added to this was the question whether they could hold on to the promise that Jesus said he would rise again on the third day (Matthew 17.22-23).

For those of us who believe Jesus rose from the dead, Easter Eve (often called Holy Saturday) should be one of quiet sadness, and thoughtful hope, as we await the earth-shattering but glorious news of that first Easter morning.

Heavenly Father,
may we spend today at peace,
resting in the memories of Jesus
we have explored throughout Lent
until his last day and his death.
May we who wait for tomorrow,
knowing that his promise will come true,
be strengthened by his resurrection,
and be encouraged to go forward
in faith and hope this Eastertide.
Amen.