Miserable Saturday

What is the Saturday called before Easter? Apparently, its name varies from ‘Joyous Saturday’ and ‘the Saturday of Light’ to ‘Black Saturday’ and ‘Great Sabbath’. Perhaps Black Sabbath would have been a fitting compromise. Personally, I’d opt for Miserable Saturday. It’s essentially the day on which nothing happens. Jesus is dead and buried and the disciples are mourning. That’s it. The priests of Jerusalem may have felt a sense of relief; the Romans may have shrugged off yet another cruel execution.

The disciples are not yet aware that He shall rise on the morrow. Although he gave them plenty of hints and sometimes explicit pointers, they are not yet anticipating resurrection. They’re in the doldrums, perhaps thinking they’ve wasted three years of their lives.

How often do we feel miserable, not knowing the Lord will do something astonishingly wonderful in response to our prayers? For the Christian, an Easter always follows miserable Saturdays.