A great tragedy happened Friday. Rabbi Jesus was crucified. Now it is Saturday and the disciples are overwhelmed with a grief words cannot express. Everything they possessed, everything they knew, everything they were, they put on the line to follow Jesus of Nazareth. Now He is dead. It’s over. So they wait, wondering what to do on this Saturday with this tragedy that happened on Friday. They didn’t know what would happen on Sunday:

“Mary Magdalene went and announced to the disciples, “I have seen the Lord!” And she told them what He had said to her.” John 20:18 

In the resurrection of Jesus God turned their tragedy into triumph! Little did they know on that Saturday they were only somewhere in between tragedy and triumph. And if we are honest, perhaps we will admit that sometimes we forget too.

That’s the beauty of Holy Saturday.

The truth of this Holy Saturday, March 30, 2013, is that no matter what happened yesterday or yesteryear, or what happens tomorrow, because of that Sunday 2000 years ago we can trust the we are only somewhere in between tragedy and triumph.

As the old gospel preacher once declared, “Sunday is comin’!”

In the resurrection of Jesus God’s promised work redemption and restoration has already come to us all as He is making all things new because Jesus is King.

“Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away, and look, new things have come.”                              2 Corinthians 5:17

And when King Jesus returns His work of redemption and restoration, which He began that first Easter, will come to us in fullness as all things will finally be made new.

“Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and the sea no longer existed. I also saw the Holy City, new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared like a bride adorned for her husband.

Then I heard a loud voice from the throne:

Look! God’s dwelling is with humanity,
and He will live with them.
They will be His people,
and God Himself will be with them
and be their God.
He will wipe away every tear from their eyes.
Death will no longer exist;
grief, crying, and pain will exist no longer,
because the previous things have passed away.

Then the One seated on the throne said, “Look! I am making everything new.” He also said, “Write, because these words are faithful and true.”  And He said to me, “It is done! I am the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End. I will give water as a gift to the thirsty from the spring of life. The victor will inherit these things, and I will be his God, and he will be My son.”                                                                         Revelation 21:1-7