Standing off in the distance, the same women who had watched Joseph of Arimathea take Jesus’s body down from the cross also watched as His body was “laid in a tomb cut out of the rock,” with a stone rolled against the entrance (Mark 15:46). Their Savior, Lord, and friend was now dead and buried.
Can you imagine how they felt? If I had been there to witness the stone being rolled over the entrance—sealing His body inside—I wonder if my waning hope for a Savior King would’ve been sealed inside, too. The darkness and overwhelming sadness of the event must have made Jesus’s trusted followers feel utterly hopeless.
Many of us know what it feels like to believe God has left us. We know what it’s like to doubt. We’ve had our own dark seasons—seasons where we’ve felt susceptible to the attacks of the evil one, lacking all peace.
I have walked through seasons of depression and extreme anxiety and have had the same thoughts as the writer of Lamentations: “My future is lost, as well as my hope from the LORD” (3:18). And in those moments, there doesn’t seem to be a light at the end of the tunnel or an end to the suffering.
For followers of Jesus in that day, it was difficult to see the light at the end of their tunnel. We can now rest on this side of the resurrection, but it’s important to sit in the space where those first Christ followers once found themselves. Sometimes, we need to lean into our questions, doubts, and brokenness with open hands, expectantly waiting for God’s next move. Because even when it seems all is lost, dead and buried and grieved, God is still doing something.
While the disciples hid in their homes, God was busy defeating sin and death. While Mary Magdalene looked at the closed tomb, God was reconciling everything to Himself through Jesus’s blood, shed on the cross (Colossians 1:20). While Jesus’s followers sat with doubt, fear, sadness, and loss, God was faithful to keep His promise to save His people.
In our dark seasons, when we feel hopeless, God is still moving and working things out for our good. There is hope in Jesus’s life, death, and resurrection. “Death no longer rules over him. For the death he died, he died to sin once for all time; but the life he lives, he lives to God. So, you too consider yourselves dead to sin and alive to God in Christ Jesus” (Romans 6:9–11). Jesus is still our one, good hope. May we stay expectant of God’s deliverance.
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47 thoughts on "The Burial of Jesus"
Oh so beautiful ❤️
Thank you Jesus for seasons of brokenness where we have no choice but to lean into our brokenness and wait for you to show yourself faithful. When we are forced to abandon ourselves to His will it becomes a place of holiness as we lay at his feet. ❤️
Amen. Thank you for this inspirational message.
God is working on my behalf! Thank you Jesus!
I love this Jenna!
“Even when it seems all is lost, dead, buried and grieved, God is still doing something!” What an encouraging reminder.
Thank You Jesus
I keep thinking about what Tony Evans said. “When God is silent, He is not still. God does some of His best work in the dark. Trust Him. He’s there.”
❤️ I will wait on you Lord, you’re the sun in my horizon . The beautiful rose of Sharon , my balm in Gilead . I ‘m waiting because love is coming – thank you lord because you live I can face tomorrow ❤️
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The moment of his death and carrying Jesus to his tomb had to be the worst feeling to carry your hope to its deathbed. Thankfully we serve a living God
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I never witnessed a death on the scene before, but I have witnessed traffic accidents on highways, in which I did not know the people personally, however as a bystander, my heart immediately sank, and I would say a quick prayer upon seeing broken pieces of crushed vehicles and wondered if the person could make it. The death of the Lord was worse, and would crush the hearts of those who witnessed. But, there is Hope forewarned. The prophecy Jesus said He would rise again on the third day (Mark 10:34) had been given ahead of time. This tiny sprinkle of hope must have escaped their mind. Of course, to be forewarned of a tragedy and to actually go through it are two different things. But as always, there is hope, there is hope, there is hope. You will find hope if you look for it earnestly, search for the hope He promises somewhere, ask God to remind you. The Lord is mysterious but He gives hints to navigate. For the plans He has for you is to give you Hope and a Future (Jeremiah 29:11). Therefore, wipe away your tears, pick yourself up you soldier of God. Mourning will turn into dancing, sorrows will turn into joy. For the Lord is coming back. That is the God we serve.
The disciples didn’t know for sure that Jesus would rise from the dead that Saturday before his resurrection. They felt hopeless and alone. As we reflect on this devotional today, let us all rest in the hope we have that no matter how dark our days on earth may be, Jesus is coming back for us one day:) happy almost resurrection Sunday! ❤️
Thank you, Bailey (and everyone), for this reminder that God IS at work behind the scenes – in the sorrow and the silence.
“The Lord is good to those who wait for Him, to the soul who seeks Him. It is good that one should wait quietly for the salvation of the Lord .” Lamentations 3:25-26 ESV
What stood out to me this morning, was the same thing that stood out to many of you as I read comments. “While the disciples hid, God defeated sin and death.”
I can’t imagine how scared they must’ve felt. To them Jesus was dead. They lost hope. So thankful that Jesus defeated death giving us the hope that we all have today that someday we will all be with Him forever. I can’t wait!
We definitely all struggle with moments when we don’t FEEL close to God…we ask for deliverance and peace but we feel the description in Lamentations 3:7 “i can not get out, he hath made my chain very heavy”…
we might be asking God for some way out and yet we sit trapped in Mark 15:46 “the stone is rolled over the door”….we want deliverance NOW but we’re stuck, but feeling the answer that we’re crying out to God for…
but it’s in the waiting that we can stand firm in the promises of God Colossians 1:15 “ Who is the image of the invisible God…” when we can’t see Him, we don’t feel Him, we aren’t getting the rock rolled away…we can cling to the promises in Gods word Colossians 1:20 “having made peace through the blood of his cross by him to reconcile all things unto himself”
…He made peace for us…we have to wait sometimes… but we can trust that he made peace and because of that we can choose to have peace even in the waiting!!!!
“JESUS paid it all. All to Him I owe. Sin had left a crimson stain, He washed it white as snow”. <3
Two years ago on Good Friday we buried my 38 year old brother in law. Husband , father to three , son and amazing Christian brother who died by suicide. We don’t know why but we rejoice in the hope one day we will all be reunited together. My favorite holiday is Easter as we have hope in what Christ did for us. I always say One Glorious Day and every time we see a rainbow we hold onto the promise God gives us and when we hear I raise as Hallelujah we all think of that day we will be together. We have had so much loss in our family another brother died to cancer shortly after . Our mom died 8 years ago , two grandmas and a aunt. We long for the glorious day to be reunited all together and I love being able to be drawn closer to Gods Word by She Reads Truth. Thank you for posting, daily reads and podcasts and daily social media posts . I have been touched deeply.
As I have been reading Mark this week, I wanted to rush through the chapters about Jesus’s suffering and crucifixion and get to his resurrection! But this study has shown me that I need to walk through His pain, sorrow, and humiliation. I need to realize what it cost Jesus to take on my guilt and sin. I need time to lament. But Sunday is coming, and then I will rejoice. Praying for you, Dorothy, and your family. Also praying for all my SRT sisters that today would be a day of reflection and hope.
Amen!
Hope—to wait expectantly.
The tomb was filled with hope.
With mercy.
With faithful love.
This Saturday was not silent.
It screamed hope.
This is Hope-Filled Tomb Saturday!
I can’t imagine what his disciples felt. They must have been so confused. I need to remember that in times of confusion and doubt God is still at work. In this case he was doing the most amazing thing ever done. Sunday is coming….
God is amazing and is always faithful. Even when He is quiet and we are in the darkness He is working. I am in awe of that fact. Always!
Well the disciples hid, God defeated sin and death. Wow! That puts things into perspective.
Praying for you sweet sisters here at SRT. Special prayers for the hearts of you Dorothy, Tina, Heidi. Love and hugs to all of you. ❤️
I liked the devotion today because it’s REAL. We who believe DO have times of darkness, wondering what happened to our faith, and what God is doing, and why He’s silent. In the dark days we hang on to His words, and wait for the stone to be rolled away so that we SEE.
We know the end of this story, and that is our hope for all the times it feels like God has left us.
Tina – I am so sorry for your loss. I can’t imagine the pain of burying a daughter, and yet my own mother had to do it when I was young. Thank you for sharing sharing your story. Thank you for displaying faithfulness and hope and faith in God in the midst of what must have been the darkest of days. Thank you for reminding us … But God. ❤️
This is silent Saturday. Jesus is in the tomb. His disciples are in hiding, wondering if they are the next to be arrested. Let this be a silent Saturday for us as well. Let us ponder Jesus’ final words spoken as he was dying. Let us ponder the courage of Joseph of Arimathea. Let us ponder the roles of Pilate and the centurion. Let us think of Mary Magdalene and Mary the mother of Joses as they were watching to see where Jesus was laid. Let us stop and wonder what each may have been thinking, may have been feeling. Let us sit and be silent because Jesus is in the tomb. Just for this one day, let us be silent.
The waiting and the sorrow they must have felt, magnified by the injustice of the crucifiction and the guilt of having done nothing, hiding, and denial. This was in the waiting and the wondering of now that Jesus was dead, what did that mean for them. I wonder did His words come back to them in their sorrow,? His commands, healings, humble incredible love. Miracles, even raising Lazarus and others from death?
So much to ponder, in all that he had told them. Jesus, Name above all names, blessed Redeemer. Living Word. Be with us Lord as we ponder your sacrifice and all you have done to give us life, forgiveness, mercy, grace and love. Hugs Susters, Sunday is almost here.
Thanks Heidi, praying with you for Dorothy and her family. Hugs to you Dorothy may you feel Jesus near and His love over you all this day.
That I will see the goodness of the Lord in the Land of the Living. Come Lord Jesus! Bring Life.
I really needed this. Thank you!!
Christian hinges on the resurrection- can’t wait for tomorrow!! So grateful for the whole truth all at once. Can’t imagine living thru it – although powerful in a completely different, tangible way!
With you Heidi, Dorothy and family as we hold youup in prayers for peace of heart on this first anniversary of your nieces passing..
Sending love wrapped hugs sister..❤
I have watch in helpless hopelessness as the undertakers sealed my daughters coffin. One nail at a time. I have watched as the soil was thrown over her casket deep in that six foot grave, the feeling of wanting to get in and bring her back to us. I have felt utterly hopeless, as I watched people walk away in their sorrow and sadness… knowing this truly was it… SHE WAS NOT COMING HOME.. we would never in real time see that beautiful smile, hear that laughter, walk alongside her..The lid on the coffin, the soil, marking the end of life as we, those thst loved her, knew it…
But God…
Dear wonderful, loving, faithful God..
Yes, we needed a period of mourning our loss here on earth, we needed to rejig our life to the new normal, we had to say ‘goodnight’ ‘see you one day soon’, best way we could in our own time, in the interim, I was blessed to have had a picture from God as to where my daughter was.. an absolute blessing and life changer for me!
But God..
Mercifully never ever leaves us, and this story, this truth of our Savior, his death, the rules of noting the Sabbath, the quietness and brokenness of heart for all who knew and loved Jesus, and that feelingg of ‘is that it’ hopelessness.. I tell you what, sisters, that stings, thst hurts my heart, it truly does..
But God..
Thankfully, oh my heart sings so with that word, THANKFULLY..
Never leaves us with our sorrows. In our darkness, I have often found this day a non discrpt day .. dumbness come to mind. But here’s the thing, for me .. my daughter, did not come home as my dreams had me hoping..
But God called her home to be with Him, to wholeness, to peaceful rest. I am of the hope that for all Jesus endured days before, He needed to be with His father, to restore, to rejuvenate, to reconfig because…
SUNDAY IS COMING.
And we know what that means…
Blessings abundant dear hearts..
I loved today’s readings and devotional. After a few seasons that really constantly felt likt this day between death and resurrection, brokeness and giving up hope , in the last few months this has slowly turned from lament to joy and I’m starting to see how God moved, and how, even more importantly, in that hidden place He changed my entire foundation and being for the better. So grateful for Resurrection Sunday, but also so grateful for the quiet Saturday….
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The waiting… the waiting during a trial can be worse (sometimes) than the trial itself… that’s where hope can so easily get lost. The enemy’s whispers of abandonment of our God is (I think) one of his most favorite weapons bc it is so easily taken up by us silly humans. Hope in the Lord. Hope in the Lord. Hope in the LORD. Not in the outcome of my circumstances. Not in the quickness of my results. Not in the people around me to support/fix what I’m feeling. My hope HAS TO BE in my God and Savior and King- it is the absolute ONLY thing that will never disappoint. Because He? Has already come through. The enemy has already been defeated. Tomorrow? My savior will rise. He will be alive. He will be forever on the victorious side of eternity. And praise His name I will one day be there with Him!❤️
Holy Saturday feels so expansive this year. I have known it every year of my life and always skipped over it but this year as I sat pondering it, the day of waiting: he died yesterday and will rise again tomorrow but today, today there is silence. I was reminded that this is so our world – he has died, death is defeated and yet, tomorrow we will rise – heaven has not yet come to earth and our king has not yet returned. We are in someways living in a perpetual Holy Saturday awaiting the day He comes again. Oh, there is always hope, nothing can take that away, may we see more of his kingdom come even as we wait!
Thank you Prue Anne for this! I never thought of it that way, but I feel you are right! In this world are in caught in between. We are living in Silent Saturday. I’m so glad on this side if his first arrival and resurrection we can wait expectantly for Him and for our own.
LETS PRAY FOR DOROTHY- idk if you’ll be on here today, Dorothy, but wanted you to know we remember today is the anniversary of the passing of your niece and you are being prayed for as well as Carol, Jake, Andrew, and Daniale. Praying you all feel His peace and are able to live this day in the hope of our Savior. ❤️
Amen
Happy Saturday ladies.
SUNDAY IS COMING!!!
All I can say is how sad this makes me, but then I think MY GOD IS GOOD!