It’s 3 o’clock here in Southern Indiana. Today it is dark and rainy. Multiple storms have been passing through the area. A large company in Louisville had a major fire at a warehouse. Streets are flooding all around. My drive to work felt like I was going through a war zone or a major catastrophe. Being around 1 mile from the warehouse fire, there was burnt plastic garbage strewn across the parking lot of the office complex from the fire. There was a definite ominous feel to the day.

Fitting isn’t it? On this day in what was likely A.D. 30, our Lord Jesus was crucified. The world rejected it’s Savior, not only rejected but condemned to die a horrible death.

I have been thinking for the last couple of days on what it must have been like on that day for the disciples and the few who still followed Jesus. How must have they felt? What must it have been like when the earthquake happened, the inner veil in the temple was rent, and the sky darkened because the sun hid it’s face in a total eclipse? It was enough to make a roman soldier cry out “Surely this man was the Son of God”. It must have been much more ominous than my drive to work today!

As I’ve considered how the disciples must have felt, I remembered, not only did they see Jesus crucified on Friday, but NOTHING happened on Saturday for them. We focus on Jesus dying on Good Friday and the resurrection on Sunday. What about Saturday? Because we can watch movies like “Jesus of Nazareth” or “The Gospel of John” in 3 hours time, we can “experience” Jesus’ death and resurrection very quickly. We grieve as we see him depicted on the cross, but it’s OK because in the next few scenes He will be risen! Hallelujah!

And we forget what it must have been like for the disciple on Saturday. All day, all night, nothing but the memories, nothing but the fear, nothing but doubts and frustrations. Their ideas, their plans, their expectations – all dashed to pieces. In one week time from “Triumphal Entry” to Ignominious death. How do they cope? What are their thoughts?

Fitting also we have a blood moon eclipse happening on Saturday morning this year. Fitting because on Saturday morning in A.D. 30 – Jesus was gone. The life giving rays of the Sun on the moon will be shadowed by the world.

Today has been so fitting of a day for remembering the price Jesus paid. Yet, I sit in a comfortable office, surrounded by small catastrophe’s in a fallen world removes me quite a bit from that day in A.D. 30. Tomorrow, I’m going to try to watch some of the eclipse, and endeavor to spend the day thinking about what it must have been like in the Shadow of Saturday.