Awaiting the Resurrection
By Laura Bagby

Personal reflections concerning the passion of Christ for Saturday.

Several times throughout the Gospels, Jesus told his disciples that he would die and rise again within three days (see Matthew 20:19, 27:63; Mark 8:31, 9:31, 10:34, Luke 18:33, 24:7, 24:46). Imagine the anticipation of this knowledge for those few who heard these words directly from the Lord Jesus Himself!

What patience and faith it must have taken to hang in for three days while the rest of the world thought the whole story was over. What those unbelievers did not realize was that God's main objective was beginning. Often it is what God is doing behind the scenes that we don't take notice of that is key. We think it is all over, but lo -- it is just beginning. And what a wonderful surprise the disciples got!

In our own periods of silence from the Lord in our lives, we conclude that God isn't there, that He does not hear us. But it is often those silent periods when God is working His will out in our lives. He may be changing your attitude or your belief system, or He may be working out the circumstances to prepare the future for you.

Remember: Even we were made in secret.

In Psalm 139:15, the psalmist writes, "My frame was not hidden from you when I was made in the secret place." We see nothing; but God sees the entire precious plan. That is the miracle of God's working power.

It is in the secret places, where the world does not see, that the amazing things of God happen. As we were formed in secret, we also know that Jesus did his most fervent praying in secret on a mountain.

And now on this day of waiting, God was doing the most miraculous secret work ever -- the work of redemption of the entire world through righteousness by Jesus Christ, who would reign not as a warrior on Earth, but as a spiritual warrior with a spiritual Kingdom and more power than any earthly politician.

Talk about reversing the status quo completely!

While the disciples waited, Christ was suffering and grappling in the literal pits of hell for past, present, and future sins of all of humanity.

Never underestimate what God is doing in your life. We owe Him all the praise for making the impossible possible, for changing the hearts of men, for saving us from a life of futility. Some of God's most important work in our lives is done when we cannot see, when God seems to be silent. Chances are He is doing things for you in His perfect timing.

cbn