April 19, 2025

Today's Reading: Matthew 27:57-66

Daily Lectionary: Exodus 13:17-14:9; Hebrews 7:1-22

“Therefore order the tomb to be made secure until the third day, lest his disciples go and steal him away and tell the people, ‘He has risen from the dead,’ and the last fraud will be worse than the first.” (Matthew 27:64)

In the Name + of Jesus. Amen.

The church leaders go to great lengths to make sure that there will be no confusion about the death of Jesus. Jesus died and is buried. Saturday is a day of silence. Nothing is written about what transpires from Friday evening until Sunday morning other than the placing of the guards at the tomb of Jesus. Silence covers the world. The Son of God is silent. The Son of Man, The Son of God, rests on the seventh day. He rests on the Sabbath. He will rise from the dead on the eighth day, finalizing His work of conquering death.

On this day, Christians all around the world are reflecting on the time of Christ in the tomb. Vigils are held, and Scriptures are read in the sanctuaries. In Christian homes, there is silence as the death of the Son of Man is remembered. In the midst of our silence, there is a lot of noise. Noise from sin, satan, and the world. The noise of a fallen creation is the complete corruption of God’s Holy creation. The chaos we experience in life. The reality of broken homes. The struggle with broken relationships. The confrontation of death at any age. The Old Adam in us reminds us that we are tired from all the chaos. Satan still lays out his temptations before us as we are drawn into secular activities surrounding Easter. We feel as if the world is against us, and we are flailing in the deep end of the pool of life. The desire for silence consumes us, but it does not come.

On this day, many of our sanctuaries are preparing for the Easter Services. As post-pentecost churches, we know the rest of the story. We know that the silence is not permanent. The tomb will be opened, and Christ will rise from the dead. Death is conquered. No longer is there silence in the world as the gates of the grave are burst open. All of Christ’s words come to fruition. He will suffer, He will die, and on the third day, He will rise from the dead. His rest in the tomb on the Sabbath is the final rest He takes. Today, as we enter into His Sanctuaries, He works while we rest and receive the Gifts He gives to us in His Means Of Grace. We receive the promise that we, too, will rise from the grave on the Last Day.

In the Name + of Jesus. Amen.

O God, creator of heaven and earth, grant that as the crucified body of Your dear Son was laid in the tomb and rested on this holy Sabbath, so we may await with Him the coming of the third day, and rise with Him to newness of life, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. (Collect for Holy Saturday)

-Rev. Timothy Davis, pastor of Trinity Lutheran Church in Athens, GA.

Audio Reflections Speaker: Pastor Jonathan Lackey is the pastor at Grace Lutheran Church, Vine Grove, KY.

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