Holy/Black Saturday 

by Max Lucado

John didn’t know on that Friday what you and I now know. He didn’t know that Friday’s tragedy would be Sunday’s triumph.

John would later confess that he “did not yet understand from the Scriptures that Jesus must rise from the dead”

(John 20:9).

That’s why what he did on Saturday is so important. We don’t know anything about this day; we have no passage to read, no knowledge to share. All we know is this: When Sunday came, John was still present. When Mary Magdalene came looking for him, she found him. Jesus was dead. The Master’s body was lifeless. John’s friend and future were buried. But John had not left. Why? Was he waiting for the resurrection?

No. As far as he knew, the lips were forever silent and the hands forever still. He wasn’t expecting a Sunday surprise.

Then why was he here?

You’d think he would have left. Who was to say that the men who crucified Christ wouldn’t come after him? The crowds were pleased with one crucifixion; the religious leaders might have called for more. Why didn’t John get out of town?

Perhaps the answer was pragmatic; perhaps he was taking care of Jesus’ mother. Or perhaps he didn’t have anywhere else to go. Could be he didn’t have any money or energy or direction … or all of the above. Or maybe he lingered because he loved Jesus.

To others, Jesus was a miracle worker. To others, Jesus was a master teacher. To others, Jesus was the hope of Israel. But to John, he was all of these and more. To John, Jesus was a friend. You don’t abandon a friend—not even when that friend is dead. John stayed close to Jesus. He had a habit of doing this. He was close to Jesus in the upper room. He was close to Jesus in the Garden of Gethsemane. He was at the foot of the cross at the crucifixion, and he was a quick walk from the tomb at the burial. Did he understand Jesus? No. Was he glad Jesus did what he did? No. But did he leave Jesus? No. What about you? When you’re in John’s position, what do you do?

When it’s Saturday in your life, how do you react? When you are somewhere between yesterday’s tragedy and tomorrow’s triumph, what do you do? Do you leave God, or do you linger near him? John chose to linger.

Good Friday 

John 3:16 “For this is how God loved the world: He gave his one and only Son, so that everyone who believes in him will not perish but have eternal life.”

Maundy Thursday – Command

Read John 13:1-17, 31-35

Holy Thursday is also called Maundy Thursday. “Maundy” is the Latin term for “Command.” The Palm Sunday Parade is over. The joyous Celebration is now just a memory. The Palms are gone and Jerusalem is quiet. Thursday night is remembered for Jesus washing his disciples feet, one last meal and his conversation with Peter about his denial. Today we are going to focus on the Command. Jesus tells us to love each other. This isn’t just lip service. He gets down on his knees, he pours water into a basin and begins washing His Disciples feet. This is the love He is talking about. Humble, lowly devotion. It’s not a glamorous love, it gives you nothing back. It is a costly love, it is a holy love. It is how we identify ourselves as followers of Christ.

As we enter into the great three days of Christ’s Death and Resurrection, let us hear this last lesson about our identity as Children of God and Followers of Christ. People will know us by how we love each other and those who are lowly. People will see where our hearts and values are by how we fall to our knees and reach out in service to our neighbors.

Our eternity is secured in heaven and our call is clear, “Love Each Other” is our command.

Today reflect on how you can love others well.

The Two Sinners

Read Matthew 26:1-16

It’s hard to imagine a greater contrast between these two sinners: Judas Iscariot and Mary Magdalene. While Mary wept for her sins, and then lavished Jesus with her love, Judas complained of her extravagance, and then went to betray his Lord. Each fulfilling prophecy by their actions.

Here we see the heart of Judas turning dark. Jesus is not going to be the Messiah that he had hoped for. He hoped for a King of Worldly Glory with all of its riches and honors. He acts like a disciple saying the money Mary spent should have gone to the poor. But, Jesus knows Judas’s true desire is not for the poor but for himself. Judas is incapable of understanding the love that urged Mary. Jesus recognizes true worship with false worship. Money was what a Judas worshiped. Jesus was who Mary worshipped. Jesus brought Mary’s act of love into the brightest light by saying, “Leave her alone. Why do you trouble her? She has done what she could; she has done a beautiful thing to me.” Perfect love is at work, it does everything it can. And where it does, the Lord himself adds to it far more than we can imagine or understand. He accepts Mary’s loving deed as the anointing of his holy body for its burial and resurrection, and declares that this will be proclaimed by every tongue as long as the world exists.

Today we are halfway through Holy Week. Consider today the acts and intentions of the “Two Sinners.” Mary’s act of Worship and Judas being filled with greed and hatred which led to his betrayal hours later. Are we so filled with worship that we would be willing to do it at any cost? Are we willing to give our money, our time, our energy to love our God and others well? How are we “spending” our lives?