{"id":35751,"date":"2015-04-03T12:00:20","date_gmt":"2015-04-03T19:00:20","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/blog.olivetree.com\/?p=35751"},"modified":"2023-03-27T09:51:13","modified_gmt":"2023-03-27T16:51:13","slug":"saturday-hope-in-the-waiting","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.olivetree.com\/blog\/saturday-hope-in-the-waiting\/","title":{"rendered":"Saturday: Hope in the Waiting"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Holy week is so busy<\/em>! First, Jesus rides into Jerusalem. People are singing and shouting, surrounding him \u2014 an introvert’s nightmare. Then he flips tables and empties out the temple. He’s betrayed. He gives thanks even in the presence of His betrayer. The first communion takes place, with Jesus sharing wine and bread among his disciples. Next Jesus is captured. He is scrutinized and condemned, taken before leaders, prodded up before multitudes. He is stripped and scourged, hung and nailed through. Lastly, Jesus is forsaken, bleeding, dying, and buried. Whew.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Job 30:26<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

But when I hoped for good, evil came,
and when I waited for light, darkness came.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

Now what?<\/strong><\/em><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

The time between death and resurrection feels so dark, so empty, so long. What is happening in this day between Friday and Sunday? What are we to do as we sit outside the tomb? And what is our Lord doing in the darkness\u2014the cold grips of death?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We have all experienced waiting. Most recently, many of us have sat in our homes wondering when life will begin to feel normal again. We are longing, yearning, and begging for hope. But darkness and grief are overwhelming. Hope is illusive. The disciples felt much of the same.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Hope is defined as a longing, a desire. Hope anticipates something good is coming. It is defined by trust and expectation. But Scripture adds a nuance, entwining hope with faith. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

A quick search of the word hope<\/em> shows 164 places<\/strong> in the ESV Bible<\/a> where the word is directly mentioned\u2014and even more frequently alluded to. Then, adding faith<\/em> to hope<\/em> limits the results to just 13. One of the most popular of these verses is Hebrews 11:1. “Faith is the assurance of things hoped for<\/em>.” Assurance. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Faith is the guarantee <\/strong>of hope.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Where is our hope? <\/em><\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

On Saturday the busyness of Holy Week comes to a halt\u2014like many of our lives. The tomb is closed. The Guarantor of hope is lying lifeless in a dark cave. We’re left in lonely isolation and hope seems lost. What is God doing?<\/em> <\/p>\n\n\n\n

But remember,<\/strong> where is our hope? In the Lord. How do we know we can hope in him? Our faith\u2014a faith that reaches back for generations and generations. This faith is rooted in all things. The sun sets and rises. Winter is followed by spring. Death is followed by life. This faith can be trusted… right? <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Who gave us this faith? Paul plainly tells us that faith is assigned by God (Romans 12:3<\/a>). It is a gift through which the gift of grace can work! Are you wondering if he has abandoned us? Again, the disciples felt much of the same.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Hope in the Waiting<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

So, what do we do with our faith and hope when we seem to be stuck in the waiting? Imagine the disciples anxiety on the long, dark Saturday between death and resurrection. What could they do? <\/p>\n\n\n\n

We must simply wait. The darkness is so heavy and the grief so thick that there is nothing to do but sit. Wait. Groan. Wonder. Weep.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

He is coming.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Job 17:15<\/em><\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Where then is my hope?
Who will see my hope?<\/p><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

\n\n\n\n

Melissa Joy, author of this article, seeks to grow in grace and wisdom alongside her husband Steven (Olive Tree\u2019s President). You can read more of her writing at <\/em>Joyful Domesticity.<\/em><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Holy week is so busy! First, Jesus rides into Jerusalem. People are singing and shouting, surrounding him \u2014 an introvert’s nightmare. Then he flips tables and empties out the temple. He’s betrayed. He gives thanks even in the presence of His betrayer. The first communion takes place, with Jesus sharing wine and bread among his<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":8,"featured_media":47083,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[5340],"tags":[],"class_list":{"0":"post-35751","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-seasonal-articles"},"yoast_head":"\nSaturday: Hope in the Waiting - Olive Tree Blog<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Saturday, between Good Friday and Easter Sunday, is long. 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