Waiting to Believe -- Holy Saturday

And in the early morning hours,
shrouded in darkness,
the chief priests and the Pharisees
went to Pontius Pilate.

And they told him:

“We remember that while he was still alive that deceiver said, 'After three days I will rise again.' So give us the order for the tomb to be made secure. Otherwise, his disciples may come and steal the body and tell the people that he has been raised from the dead. This last deception will be worse than the first."

And Pilate answered them:

"Take a guard.
Go, make the tomb as secure
as you know how.
So they went and made the tomb secure
sealing the stone and posting a guard there.

Matthew 27:62-66

And on that day
The Sabbath . . .

Those who had killed him rejoiced.

And those who loved him rested according to the commandment. They waited to return to his tomb to embalm his body with spices and ointments.

And his disciples, in utter desolation,
worried that they might soon
follow him into death.
And they hid themselves from the world—

Waiting to believe . . .

ARE YOU WAITING TO BELIEVE?

(To read Part 1 of the story, click here.)

Weeping may remain for a night,
but rejoicing comes in the morning.
Psalm 30:5

A Prayer for accepting Christ's gift of eternal life:

"God, I recognize that I have not lived my life for You up until now. I have been living for myself and that is wrong. I need You in my life; I want You in my life. I acknowledge the completed work of Your Son Jesus Christ in giving His life for me on the cross at Calvary, and I long to receive the forgiveness you have made freely available to me through this sacrifice. Come into my life now, Lord. Take up residence in my heart and be my king, my Lord, and my Savior. From this day forward, I will no longer be controlled by sin, or the desire to please myself, but I will follow You all the days of my life. Those days are in Your hands. I ask this in Jesus' precious and holy name."

Amen.

Hymn: Just As I Am

Art print: Waiting for the Believers by Allan Bruce Zee Portland, OR