Dead and buried. Our gospel stories tell us that Jesus was crucified and then buried in a tomb before the Sabbath. His friends then visit the tomb after the Sabbath, early in the morning, and we have our Easter stories.
What were Jesus’ friends doing in that intervening time? We can speculate that they commemorated the Sabbath, but also that they were grief stricken. Perhaps weeping. Consoling and cajoling one another? They must have been devastated by the horror of the excruciating death their friend endured coupled with the injustice of the whole thing. Then there was the threat that they, as his cohorts, will meet the same fate. We can readily imagine that they were seized by grief and fear and perhaps anger and remorse. The aftermath of Jesus’ crucifixion must have been unimaginably painful for his friends and loved ones.
And what about Jesus? Once he was dead we have no definitive historical evidence of what happened to his body. We have the traditions written decades after the fact that the body was placed in a tomb. We may like to think that he was at peace; out of his misery here on earth. There is the gnostic view that Jesus went back to be with God from whence he had come and he was back in paradise. Through the years, the church developed another tradition about the time in the tomb between the burial and the resurrection. The idea emerged that Jesus descended into hell not to suffer torment, but to rescue all those who had been consigned to hell in years past. Jesus went down to hell to bring them all out and take them with him up to heaven. There are paintings of Jesus down in hell, flames and all, coming up out of hell with streams of people in his wake accompanying him on the journey out of hell to heaven.
Talk about working on the Sabbath! Well, Jesus was known for that. When there was good to do, you just had to do it. I love this image of Jesus going into hell and rescuing the souls languishing there. You get the sense of a God whose love is so strong it is unstoppable. No one, anywhere, ever beyond the scope of divine love and care. A tireless God who forgets no one. Gives up on no one. Ever.
This Holy Saturday, we may want to consider how we are going out of our way to share God’s love. What are we doing to connect with those who seem beyond reach? How are we making the extra effort for those that we have given up on, forgotten about, or ignored? The violence and greed that are epidemic in our society show us that many around us are in need of experiencing the saving love of God. May they experience that love through us.
Prayer: We give thanks for the faithfulness and trust of Jesus in life, in death, and beyond death. May we come to trust that love is stronger than fear and even death itself. Trusting Divine Love, may we reach out to others – even those who have given up, or been given up on. God does not give up on anyone. God does not give up on us. May we not give up even when life seems to be hell. Amen.
Lakewood United Church of Christ 