(This passage is also referenced in Mark 15:42-47, Luke 23:50-56 & John 19:38-42)

Jesus has died on the cross, has yet to rise, and it seems that no-one expects Him to - even His disciples and family. Interestingly, the only people who are recorded as remembering Jesus promise that He’d rise again on the third day, were the chief priests. They aren’t waiting for Him to rise; they’re expecting someone to steal the body and claim He had risen, deceiving everyone.  The priests went to Pilate to ask for guards to be stationed at the tomb, to ensure no one interfered with the body. 

Sometimes, when things look bleak, it’s easy to forget the promises of God.  Nicodemus, Mary Magdalene and Jesus’ mother, went to His body to prepare it for its burial, mourning His death, rather than being expectant and ready for Him to rise.  I can’t blame them. In the natural, it looked terrible and after all they’d seen - miracles, promises, teaching – they’d lost hope.  It’s easy to look at them now and think that they had little faith, but that’s using hindsight!  

But then, I’ve seen God provide me with jobs, I’ve heard of Him healing, I’ve seen His provision, and sometimes it’s still hard to believe He’ll move when I ask, especially if my current circumstances don’t look right.   I have unanswered prayers: I can either mourn the loss, or remember that on the third day, just as He promised, Jesus rose. 

It was put to me like this: “You can either live in the Good Friday, or the Easter Monday”.  It’s a choice we need to make and it’s not always (if ever) easy.  James 1:2-4 says, “Consider it pure joy, whenever you face trials, because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance.” This is one of those verses I sometimes wish wasn’t in the Bible, because it doesn’t promise that our trials will be taken away, but that if we stand strong, God is at work in us throughout our trials and doing a good work in us. This verse is followed, however, by v.6, “But when you ask, you must believe and not doubt”.  So, somehow, sometime, God will answer. We just need to be expectant, waiting for it, thanking God that He’s doing a good work in us in the meantime.

Father God, please help me to have faith that you’ll move even, when things don’t look like they’re going as they should.  I know you’re good, you know what I need and your timing is perfect. Please remind me of that when I need it.  Amen.