New Day

 "Early on Sunday morning, as the new day was dawning, Mary Magdalene and the other Mary went out to see the tomb." Matthew 28:1...."It's only on Sunday that Friday makes sense." Sheila Walsh

It had been an earth shattering three days for the two Mary's, and all the other followers of Jesus as well. Their Lord had been taken, beaten and bloodied, forced to carry a heavy cross to His place of execution, and then crucified and killed there. Then He'd been buried in a tomb. A tomb sealed by the authorities. The One in Whom they'd hoped was gone. All they had were their grief and their questions. Why? Why had it happened? Why had God allowed it? Why had their Lord Jesus yielded to it? What would become of them now? Was all of it for nothing? Nothing made sense. Their limited human minds could not grasp anything more than what they had seen and were feeling. Have you ever been in such a place? Are you there now?

Walsh's above quote is so powerful. Christ was crucified on a Friday. Just a week before that He'd been hailed as Messiah by crowds of people. Everything seemed poised for Him to fulfill that which they believed He'd come for. And then this had happened.....on a Friday. Everything was darkness and despair. They could not even begin to grasp the why's of it all. They could comprehend nothing of what had happened to them. Again, have you ever been there? Are you there now?

Then came Sunday. As the Scripture reads, "as the new day was dawning." The two Mary's could not have known it, but all that had happened on Friday was in preparation for what He was doing on this day, Sunday. Here, on Sunday, the events of that terrible Friday would begin to be understood. Fridays are never final for those who are His. His Sunday is always coming, and will come, for those who trust and believe Him.

The two Mary's and all the disciples would soon behold the risen Christ. Sorrow would turn to joy, and their mourning into dancing. His Word, "Sorrow lasts for the night, but joy comes in the morning," would come wonderfully true in their lives. The death that took place on Friday was only to open the door on the eternal life found only in Him that sprung forth on Sunday. The old day, Friday, was past. A new day had dawned. Suffering, pain, and sorrow are always going to be part of this fallen world. His people are not going to be immune to it. But if we will trust Him, He will bring us into our new day. And in that new day, He will bring us into understanding that even in the pain of Friday, He was working to bring us into Sunday. He has a new dawning day for each of us.

Are you living in a Friday right now? Take heart. As the old saying goes, "It's Friday, but Sunday's coming." Press on. Take your pain, along with all the unanswered questions, and give them to Him. The heartache of Friday will not last forever. He will bring you into the fullness of His new day. Sunday is coming, and Friday and its pain will fade into the backdrop as His joy comes with all its wonder. He has defeated Friday in every form it can take. Cling to Him as He shows you how true that is.

Blessings,

Pastor O