The Second Day

So the sermon on Easter Sunday was about how "a lot can happen in 3 days". When Jesus died on Good Friday and the disciples' worlds were flipped upside down, it was if all hope was lost. It seemed as if the last couple years of Jesus teaching and performing miracles had been for nothing. But then on that third day, Jesus revealed Himself. He had triumphantly rose from the dead and made atonement for all of the sins for everyone forever. When you put it like that, that is a lot to do in three days. But then again, He is God, and He could have done it in an instant if He had wanted to. In the blink of a human eye, Jesus could have died, gone down to hades, whooped the devil's butt, and come back up to throw a party that same evening. Now, aside from the fact that all the prophesies had said that it was going to take three days, and if it hadn't taken three days we would be living in a very different world right now full of question and doubt about the validity of prophesies and the Bible itself... why did God plan for the resurrection to take three earthly days? Day 1: Jesus died. Day 3: Jesus rose. What about day 2? Why did He allow all that time in between for the sadness, and the feelings of forsakenness, and the evil ones to think they had won? Why the second day? This is one of those questions I am quite content not knowing the true answer until I reach my final home, but while I serve this earthly term, I'd like to muse.

My friend, Hannah, and I had an amazing conversation back in November about patience in God's timing. I actually started this blog post a couple months ago, not knowing which direction it would take or when I would finish it. Today seemed appropriate. I think that even if we don't know why the world had to sit in sadness on that second day, it teaches us that we shouldn't sit around moping because we still have something to hope for. That we should be anticipating a redemption. Hannah talked about how when it seems all hope is lost and your world seems completely irreparable, we must trust that another door will eventually be opened. It may not be immediately, but it will be a door that has something much better on the other side of it. Until then, we wait in that dark hallway. God gives us people to wait with. People to encourage you and people for you to encourage. We give each other hope as well, until a new light shines out from that door we've been anxiously and faithfully awaiting. We wait and continue to hope during that second day, because we know the third day will eventually come. A day of redemption and joy that surpasses what we had hoped for.

I'm thankful for friends that remind me during this time of my life that there is something, and someone, much better awaiting me. They are true blessings and give me so much hope in this long hallway.

James 1:2
Hebrews 10:23
Romans 5:5
Jeremiah 29:11