Speaker Elesha Gordon
Today we're going to be reading from Luke 23:50 to 56.
A reflective Easter message on Luke 23:50-56, exploring the significance of Silent Saturday and trusting God's plan amid suffering.
Key Takeaways
- Silent Saturday represents a time of spiritual silence and testing after Jesus' death.
- Faith requires patience and trust in God's plan even when He seems silent or absent.
- Jesus' resurrection is more powerful because of the waiting and suffering that preceded it.
- Believers can relate their own hardships to the disciples' experience of loss and uncertainty.
- God is always present and working, even when circumstances feel hopeless.
Summary
- The video reads and reflects on Luke 23:50-56, focusing on Joseph of Arimathea's burial of Jesus before the Sabbath.
- It highlights the often-overlooked Saturday between Jesus' death and resurrection, termed 'Silent Saturday' by Max Lucado.
- The silence of Saturday symbolizes the disciples' confusion, grief, and feelings of abandonment after Jesus' crucifixion.
- The video draws parallels between the disciples' experience and modern moments of suffering, doubt, and silence in faith.
- It emphasizes Jesus' patient trust in God's plan despite suffering and death.
- The delay between Jesus' death and resurrection intensifies the power and hope of the resurrection.
- Silent Saturday calls believers to patience and trust in God's unseen work and future plans.
- The message encourages viewers to recognize God's presence even when He seems silent or distant.
- A prayer is included, asking for patience, revelation, and trust during times of spiritual silence.
- Overall, the video offers comfort and hope by connecting biblical events with personal faith struggles.
Full Transcript — Download SRT & Markdown
Speaker Elesha Gordon
Now there was a man called Joseph, a member of the council, a good and upright man, who had not consented to their decision and action.
Speaker Elesha Gordon
He came from the Judean town of Arimathea, and he himself was waiting for the Kingdom of God.
Speaker Elesha Gordon
Going to Pilate, he asked for Jesus' body, then he took it down, wrapped it in linen cloth and placed it in a tomb cut in the rock, one in which no one had yet been laid.
Speaker Elesha Gordon
It was preparation day, and the Sabbath was about to begin.
Speaker Elesha Gordon
The women who had come with Jesus from Galilee followed Joseph and saw the tomb and how his body was laid in it, then they went home and prepared spices and perfumes, but they rested on the Sabbath in obedience to the commandment.
Speaker Elesha Gordon
You know, the Saturday after Jesus' death is one that we tend to overlook when it comes to Easter celebrations.
Speaker Elesha Gordon
We seem to jump from the crucifixion straight to the resurrection, obviously.
Speaker Elesha Gordon
However, when you stop and look at the day and kind of unpack what Luke 23 is saying, which is the one I just read to you.
Speaker Elesha Gordon
There's a lot going on that I think we can identify with.
Speaker Elesha Gordon
Saturday would have been a time of unknown for the people around Jesus.
Speaker Elesha Gordon
Their very own Jesus was dead, the Messiah was dead.
Speaker Elesha Gordon
Gosh, I imagine the questions and the shock as people started to digest that.
Speaker Elesha Gordon
And then came to the time where they had to come to terms with the fact that she had to bury Jesus.
Speaker Elesha Gordon
And with the Sabbath fast approaching, they actually had to do that quite quickly.
Speaker Elesha Gordon
They needed to get the burial out of the way so that they could actually rest on the Sabbath on that Sunday.
Speaker Elesha Gordon
At that time, I would imagine that the world would have seemed to stand still for those people close to Jesus.
Speaker Elesha Gordon
Everything they were hoping for would have seemed to have just died with them on the cross.
Speaker Elesha Gordon
Everything that they'd been talking about and even getting excited about would have just been silent.
Speaker Elesha Gordon
Because Jesus was silent.
Speaker Elesha Gordon
It was a really stark contrast to what was happening on Friday.
Speaker Elesha Gordon
On Friday, Jesus was alive, he was saving slaves and talking about how he was the king of the Jews.
Speaker Elesha Gordon
On Friday, even God was making himself known, he tore a veil in the temple, he caused a bit of an earthquake.
Speaker Elesha Gordon
He made the sun hide.
Speaker Elesha Gordon
And he even allowed his own son to die.
Speaker Elesha Gordon
But then comes Saturday.
Speaker Elesha Gordon
And Max Lucado, he actually describes this day as Silent Saturday.
Speaker Elesha Gordon
Jesus was silent, God was silent.
Speaker Elesha Gordon
Everything about Saturday was silent.
Speaker Elesha Gordon
Have you ever had those moments where you feel like your relationship with Jesus is silent?
Speaker Elesha Gordon
Because as Max Lucado actually goes on to put it.
Speaker Elesha Gordon
The silence of Saturday actually torments us.
Speaker Elesha Gordon
What was God up to?
Speaker Elesha Gordon
What had we done wrong?
Speaker Elesha Gordon
These people had seen Jesus raise others from the dead, then why was he lying in a tomb dead himself?
Speaker Elesha Gordon
You know, Good Friday was a dark day, but the resulting silence on the Saturday must have been an even darker time for the disciples.
Speaker Elesha Gordon
You know, God talked a lot about the future with them and made promises of what was to come.
Speaker Elesha Gordon
But what happened on Good Friday would have made that all seem like nothing.
Speaker Elesha Gordon
How could such promises withstand such disappointment and death?
Speaker Elesha Gordon
Most of us, if not all of us, have been in that same position that people close to Jesus would have been at that time.
Speaker Elesha Gordon
They're those times when our jobs go a bit crazy, it's when our finances take a bit of a turn.
Speaker Elesha Gordon
It's when a loved one passes, it's when our marriages dissolve.
Speaker Elesha Gordon
Or we fail a university paper, it's when our children get sick.
Speaker Elesha Gordon
Or we don't get that breakthrough or healing that we're really desperately praying for.
Speaker Elesha Gordon
It's those times when everything feels dark.
Speaker Elesha Gordon
It feels like Jesus has gone silent, like everything he said couldn't possibly become to pass.
Speaker Elesha Gordon
Because the hopelessness of what you're going through.
Speaker Elesha Gordon
It almost feels like there's this giant stone between you and him.
Speaker Elesha Gordon
How on earth are we supposed to trust God in that silence and that suffering?
Speaker Elesha Gordon
You can have a look at Jesus for the answer.
Speaker Elesha Gordon
As we discovered yesterday, Jesus suffered a lot, but he trusted God was going to come through.
Speaker Elesha Gordon
And that he was going to raise him again.
Speaker Elesha Gordon
He was just patient in his suffering, in his death.
Speaker Elesha Gordon
You know, there was a reason why God resurrected Jesus on the third day.
Speaker Elesha Gordon
Jesus' death had to sink in.
Speaker Elesha Gordon
His death, the long-winded burial, was a prelude for a ridiculously glorious display of God's resurrection power.
Speaker Elesha Gordon
His resurrection was so great.
Speaker Elesha Gordon
Because we actually had to wait for it.
Speaker Elesha Gordon
The reality of his death and the hopelessness of what the disciples felt as they woke up on that first day and then the second day without him.
Speaker Elesha Gordon
Just made his resurrection so much more sweeter.
Speaker Elesha Gordon
What it shows is actually despite the circumstances, God was there all along.
Speaker Elesha Gordon
And he actually had a plan.
Speaker Elesha Gordon
It might feel right now that there is the stone between you and Jesus.
Speaker Elesha Gordon
Just because he isn't doing anything right now, doesn't mean that he isn't around.
Speaker Elesha Gordon
Silent Saturday's call us to be patient.
Speaker Elesha Gordon
They call us to trust the resurrecting power of God.
Speaker Elesha Gordon
Can you think of a silent Saturday in your life?
Speaker Elesha Gordon
Are you going through one right now?
Speaker Elesha Gordon
Let's take some time to stop and be reminded that even though God might seem distant or silent.
Speaker Elesha Gordon
He isn't absent, he's here right now and he's got a plan for what's to come.
Speaker Elesha Gordon
Father, thank you for the revelation of the Silent Saturday.
Speaker Elesha Gordon
That even though you might feel distant, even though the world thinks you're dead, we know that you're here and working for our good.
Speaker Elesha Gordon
Father, help us in this time to be patient.
Speaker Elesha Gordon
Give us a revelation to see what is to come and may we trust that you will bring hope to this situation.
Speaker Elesha Gordon
We thank you for Saturday.
Speaker Elesha Gordon
In your name.
Speaker Elesha Gordon
Amen.
Topics:Easter reflectionSilent SaturdayLuke 23Jesus burialresurrectionfaith in sufferingtrusting GodChristian hopeEaster messageHills Church
