Armodoxy for Today: Holy Saturday – Before the Dawn

This Easter Eve we find ourselves in a rather awkward position. We have been through the Lenten journey and walked together during this Holy Week, but today, we find it difficult to really make sense of what we witnessed. Yesterday, we stood at the foot of the Cross of Christ, looking up at our Savior, looking up at a seemingly helpless god, a god who is unable to help himself and protect himself from the perils of humankind.

While Jesus was betrayed and sentenced to death, you and I – all of us – were betrayed to darkness, which is a much a bigger condemnation than death itself. Darkness is our first fear. A room without lights is scary at any age. Darkness holds the unknown. Each step we take in darkness needs to be measured. Imagine a life without Christ – a life without light, a life without love? Imagine a life with no purpose and no meaning. Darkness.

But today, off in the distance, we see light. We see a glimmer of hope, after all, we are children of history, we know how this story is going to end. Unlike the disciples, who were confused and didn’t know what to believe, we have the advantage of knowing that after crucifixion, something incredible will happen, Jesus will resurrect.

Easter Eve is a reminder that it’s always darkest before the dawn.

So off in the distance we see that light, that light of resurrection. In fact, Scripture tells us that before the dawn of the first day, before that Easter morning, the women went to the grave and found it empty. Plant your feet firm in this dawn, on this Easter Eve, you are at the grave. Easter has not come yet, but we know that there’s something great. We know that the journey that we took together over the last seven weeks is about to unfold – not end, but unfold into something greater, which we call life. We are about to confront life, as Christians, as witnesses to the resurrection, as witnesses to the power of love over hate, to the power of light over darkness, to the power of good over evil, to life over death.

All four Evangelists record the details of the first encounter with the Resurrected Lord. It was a small group of women, who had gone to with the intention of anointing Jesus’ Body that first received the news of the Resurrection. Today, you have arrived at the Grave before the dawn. Your anticipation will not be disappointed.