Today is Holy Saturday. Traditionally, a day of stillness and silence between the devastation of Good Friday and the triumph of Easter Day. It’s interesting to wonder how the disciples would have felt. The whole world has changed, and yet life continues. Would they have been thinking back over the last few days, wondering what went wrong, what they could have done differently? Would they have felt numb, knowing a beloved friend and teacher was gone and they’d never see him again? Were they thinking back, comparing stories of the good times and the lessons he had taught? I guess we’ll never know – the bible skips over that part.
But for us, it’s gives space to reflect. I know for me, Holy Saturday is a day when I try not to make any plans, enjoying the opportunity to catch up with loved ones and just to have some space to myself. But I’ve also found myself reflecting on the journey of the last week. My key themes for this Lent were grace, gratitude and trust, and they seem fitting companions to reflecting on the events of Holy Week, especially viewing the events through the eyes of grace.
Just a week ago, I wrote about the joy of Palm Sunday. Jesus rides into Jerusalem to shouts of “Hosanna!” But Jesus knew he was approaching the end. Luke 9:51 says, “Jesus resolutely set out for Jerusalem.” He knew, even as he was hailed a champion of the people, that they would turn on him. And yet he chose to go. Grace meets us even in the midst of celebration – quietly, intentionally, walking towards sacrifice while others wave palm branches in triumph. It is grace that walks willingly into pain for the sake of love.
Skipping ahead a few days, we reach Maundy Thursday. Jesus shares a final Passover meal with his friends, sharing food and drink even though he knows one will betray him, one will deny him, and the others will abandon him. He ties a towel around his waist and washes their feet. Grace shows itself as Jesus humbles himself to do a servant’s work, knowing that not one of the men around that table deserves it. Grace doesn’t wait until we are worthy, it meets us as we are. It bends low, washes feet, and offers love in the face of betrayal.
And later, in the garden, Jesus kneels before God and cries out in desperation, hoping for another way but knowing there isn’t one. He submits, trusting God even at this darkest point. Grace doesn’t mean the absence of fear or struggle. It means choosing to trust and surrender, even when the cost is everything.
Then comes Good Friday. Jesus is beaten, mocked, and crucified. And even on the cross, we see grace in action. Jesus prays for forgiveness – for the soldiers who crucify him, for the crowd who turned on him, and even for us, whose sins he carries. In his agony, he still looks outward. He shows mercy to the criminal beside him, promising paradise even though there’s no time left to prove repentance. He entrusts his mother to John, ensuring she will not be left alone. Grace doesn’t falter in suffering. It pours itself out, even when there’s nothing left to give.
And now we arrive at Holy Saturday. The day of silence. The in-between. The day when it looks like grace has failed. But grace isn’t gone, it’s waiting. Working in the unseen. Grace holds space for grief and stillness. It doesn’t rush to the resolution. It allows the weight of sorrow to be felt. It holds us when we don’t know what comes next.
Maybe that’s where some of us are today – not yet at Easter morning, but waiting in the dark. If that’s you, know this: grace is here too. Grace sits beside you in the silence. Grace holds on, even when we can’t. And tomorrow, grace will rise.
The Reason for my Hope Blog 