On Good Friday, it appeared that guilt and shame would triumph. Then Saturday came and the followers of Jesus waited in fear. They thought what happened to Jesus is going to happen to them now. Sometimes this Saturday is called "Silent Saturday", because the disciples were just waiting and wondering if this was the end for them too. For some of you, that's been the way you have been viewing life in recent months or years.
You feel like you're waiting in fear for something else to happen or things to go terribly wrong. Your worst fear, whatever it may be, seems a little bit closer, knocking louder at the door and you're not sure what to do about it. But Paul says in 1 Corinthians 15, that for those who are in Christ Jesus, there is no fear of death. We're free from the stain of sin and free from the fear of death. 1 Corinthians 15:22 says that everyone who belongs to Christ will be given new life and all who belong to Jesus will be raised when he comes back. Then verse 54 states that because of the resurrection, death has been swallowed up in victory. "Where, O death, is your victory?"
So, while Friday was a day of shame and guilt, and Saturday was a day of fear and hopelessness, everything changed on Sunday. We celebrate the implications of Sunday; there's new life without the stain of sin and without the fear of death.
DISCUSSION/REFLECTION QUESTION: When do you feel most fearful and hopeless? What truths do you need to hold tight to when you feel this way?
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