As evening approached, Joseph, a rich man from Arimathea who had become a follower of Jesus, went to Pilate and asked for Jesus’ body. And Pilate issued an order to release it to him. Joseph took the body and wrapped it in a long sheet of clean linen cloth. He placed it in his own new tomb, which had been carved out of the rock. Then he rolled a great stone across the entrance and left. Both Mary Magdalene and the other Mary were sitting across from the tomb and watching.
The next day, on the Sabbath, the leading priests and Pharisees went to see Pilate. They told him, “Sir, we remember what that deceiver once said while he was still alive: ‘After three days I will rise from the dead.’ So we request that you seal the tomb until the third day. This will prevent his disciples from coming and stealing his body and then telling everyone he was raised from the dead! If that happens, we’ll be worse off than we were at first.”
Pilate replied, “Take guards and secure it the best you can.” So they sealed the tomb and posted guards to protect it.
Matthew 27:57-65
The next day, on the Sabbath, the leading priests and Pharisees went to see Pilate. They told him, “Sir, we remember what that deceiver once said while he was still alive: ‘After three days I will rise from the dead.’ So we request that you seal the tomb until the third day. This will prevent his disciples from coming and stealing his body and then telling everyone he was raised from the dead! If that happens, we’ll be worse off than we were at first.”
Pilate replied, “Take guards and secure it the best you can.” So they sealed the tomb and posted guards to protect it.
Matthew 27:57-65
God's Timing Is Perfect
Saturday was a day of mixed emotions. The disciples had followed Jesus for three years now. Not only was He their teacher, leader, and king, but He was also their friend. The disciples loved Jesus deeply, and they had just watched their friend suffer and die.
To make things worse, the Roman authorities thought that the whole thing was a hoax - that everything Jesus said had been a lie and that all of His followers were crazy and dangerous revolutionaries. The Romans searched for the disciples all over Jerusalem. Meanwhile, the disciples hid - frightened of what would happen if the authorities found them.
They thought Jesus was going to be the new King, that He was going to overthrow the corrupt systems that had been oppressing the Jews for centuries and restore Israel to its full glory, and now He was in a tomb. Jesus had claimed to be the Messiah and the Son of God with all authority from Heaven, but He had been arrested and crucified and didn’t try to defend Himself or put up a fight. In the waiting, the disciples wondered if they had believed a lie and began to doubt what Jesus said He would do.
Sometimes when we look back at this moment, it’s easy for us to question why the disciples were so scared and doubtful that Jesus would do what He promised to do. However have the luxury of knowing how the story ends. We know what happens on the next day.
Have you ever felt like you were waiting on Jesus to do something in your life? Maybe you were waiting for Him to respond to you are answer a prayer that you’ve been praying for a long time. Waiting isn’t easy, especially when things are hard in our life.
But God’s timing is perfect.
When we get discouraged in the waiting, we can be encouraged by that truth - God’s timing is always perfect. Just because God doesn’t always answer our prayers when and how we want them to be answered doesn’t mean He isn’t working. Sometimes we grow the most in the waiting period. His timing is perfect.
When was a time in your life that God’s timing was better than your timing?
To make things worse, the Roman authorities thought that the whole thing was a hoax - that everything Jesus said had been a lie and that all of His followers were crazy and dangerous revolutionaries. The Romans searched for the disciples all over Jerusalem. Meanwhile, the disciples hid - frightened of what would happen if the authorities found them.
They thought Jesus was going to be the new King, that He was going to overthrow the corrupt systems that had been oppressing the Jews for centuries and restore Israel to its full glory, and now He was in a tomb. Jesus had claimed to be the Messiah and the Son of God with all authority from Heaven, but He had been arrested and crucified and didn’t try to defend Himself or put up a fight. In the waiting, the disciples wondered if they had believed a lie and began to doubt what Jesus said He would do.
Sometimes when we look back at this moment, it’s easy for us to question why the disciples were so scared and doubtful that Jesus would do what He promised to do. However have the luxury of knowing how the story ends. We know what happens on the next day.
Have you ever felt like you were waiting on Jesus to do something in your life? Maybe you were waiting for Him to respond to you are answer a prayer that you’ve been praying for a long time. Waiting isn’t easy, especially when things are hard in our life.
But God’s timing is perfect.
When we get discouraged in the waiting, we can be encouraged by that truth - God’s timing is always perfect. Just because God doesn’t always answer our prayers when and how we want them to be answered doesn’t mean He isn’t working. Sometimes we grow the most in the waiting period. His timing is perfect.
When was a time in your life that God’s timing was better than your timing?