03 April 2021 Devotion for Holy Saturday
Dear Readers and Listeners,
Our watchword on this Saturday, also called, Quiet Saturday or the Great Sabbath, is taken from Psalm One Hundred and Five, verse 7, “He is the Lord our God, his judgements are in all the earth,” (NRSVB). This psalm is a summary of God’s deliverance out of Egypt that was recited in various forms in preparation of the Pass-over Feast. God fulfilled all his promises to Israel of delivering out of slavery and giving them a new home, when they entered into Canaan, the Land of Promise. It took a journey, through the desert, of forty years. In this time God raised up a mighty nation, who became known to her neighbours as the nation who served, the One God, the God of Israel. God’s laws, that he specifically gave Moses to teach the Israelites, joined them together in a deep religious community, a unique community. Jesus was born in the midst of this community of religious God-fearing people who were waiting for God’s salvation, the Messiah. Some saw the future Saviour as a military hero who would allow Israel to break the yoke of Roman oppression, but others believed that the Messiah would be the One who would come to heal the sick, bind up the wounds of the broken and bring peace among the nations. Those who looked for a military leader saw Jesus’ mission as a failure, for he died, not breaking the oppression of the Roman Rule, but at the hands of the oppressors. Those who listened to Jesus’ teaching and heard his last instructions as he gave comfort to them while he faced death by the Cross, were saddened and perplexed. How would the death of Jesus grow the Kingdom of God? It was only after three days, when Christ rose, as he told them, that they started to perceive Christ’s death as redemption for all. Through the Jewish nation, salvation came for all, those from the East, the West, the North and the South. This is why “we can give thanks to the Lord, call on his Name, make known His doings among all the people, for his judgements are in all the earth, that they may observe his statutes”, Psalm One hundred and Five, verses 1, 7 and 45. Christ is the Enfleshed Word of God, who, through his love shown on the Cross, brought us into God’s Kingdom.
In the Gospel of John in Chapter 19 verse 31 we read, “Since it was the Day of Preparation, in order to prevent the bodies from hanging on the cross on the Sabbath – for that Sabbath was a very solemn and important one – the Jews requested Pilate to have the bones broken and the bodies taken away,” (Amplified Bible). Jesus became the Passover Lamb for everyone, his bones were not broken, for he died outside the city, for the sins and wrongs of the entire world. While the people were preparing to commemorate their history, being saved from slavery, Jesus broke the bonds of slavery to sin, death and condemnation. He opened up the Kingdom of God for all who believe in his sacrifice for them. This is what Christ suffered for each and every one, as he chose to die for a world burdened under the oppression of lovelessness and unbelief.
The Disciple Peter wrote in his first letter, Chapter One, verse 18, “Christ suffered for sins, once and for all, the righteous for the unrighteous, in order to bring you to God,” (NRSVB). The sacrifice of Christ’s life for us causes us to contemplate in revered awe and quietly silenced, this day of redemption. It has become for us the greatest Sabbath, the day our Lord died at Calvary, to set us free from slavery. We are children of the New Covenant, the Covenant of the Lord Jesus Christ, who loves the world and brought the nations of the world together to have peace in the Kingdom of God and life-everlasting.
Father, we thank you for the Cross. Thank you, Jesus, that you love us so much that you laid down your life for us. Our salvation is through Jesus, the King of the Jews, Amen.
