On Saturday

by Max Lucado

John didn't know on that Friday what you and I now
know. He didn't know that Friday's tragedy would be
Sunday's triumph. John would later confess that he
"did not yet understand from the Scriptures that Jesus
must rise from the dead" (John 20:9).

That's why what he did on Saturday is so important.

We don't know anything about this day; we have no
passage to read, no knowledge to share. All we know is
this: When Sunday came, John was still present. When
Mary Magdalene came looking for him, she found him.

Jesus was dead. The Master's body was lifeless. John's
friend and future were buried. But John had not left.
Why? Was he waiting for the resurrection? No. As far
as he knew, the lips were forever silent and the hands
forever still. He wasn't expecting a Sunday surprise.
Then why was he here?

You'd think he would have left. Who was to say that
the men who crucified Christ wouldn't come after him?
The crowds were pleased with one crucifixion; the
religious leaders might have called for more. Why
didn't John get out of town?

Perhaps the answer was pragmatic; perhaps he was
taking care of Jesus' mother. Or perhaps he didn't
have anywhere else to go. Could be he didn't have any
money or energy or direction . or all of the above.

Or maybe he lingered because he loved Jesus.

To others, Jesus was a miracle worker. To others,
Jesus was a master teacher. To others, Jesus was the
hope of Israel. But to John, he was all of these and
more. To John, Jesus was a friend.

You don't abandon a friend???not even when that friend
is dead. John stayed close to Jesus.

He had a habit of doing this. He was close to Jesus in
the upper room. He was close to Jesus in the Garden of
Gethsemane. He was at the foot of the cross at the
crucifixion, and he was a quick walk from the tomb at
the burial.

Did he understand Jesus? No.

Was he glad Jesus did what he did? No.

But did he leave Jesus? No.

What about you? When you're in John's position, what
do you do? When it's Saturday in your life, how do you
react? When you are somewhere between yesterday's
tragedy and tomorrow's triumph, what do you do? Do you
leave God???or do you linger near him?

John chose to linger. And because he lingered on
Saturday, he was around on Sunday to see the miracle.

From He Chose the Nails
Copyright (W Publishing Group, 2001) Max Lucado