Hiding behind locked doors, the disciples waited. They feared reprisals from religious leaders owing to their association with Christ; who was now dead and buried behind a great, immovable stone. Feeling abandoned and bewildered by all they had experienced the past three years; not realizing that Jesus had been trying to reveal the Father’s plan to them. They waited.
It seemed that the “Jesus movement” was over. Done. Finished.
What the disciples could not know and could not see was the warfare happening in the spiritual realm.
Isaiah 25:8, 1 Peter 3:18-19 and Ephesians 4:7-10 tell us what was happening in the dark hours between Friday and Sunday.
Christ kicked down the gates of Sheol! He took the keys of sin and death. He ministered the Gospel to the Lord’s faithful people and brought them to Himself. He showed death and the demons that His authority extended to the very depths of darkness. There is no where on earth or in the heavens that Chris does not reign.
John 20:6-9 When Simon Peter finally arrived, he went into the tomb and observed the same: the cloth that covered His face appeared to have been folded carefully and placed, not with the linen cloths, but to the side. After Peter pointed this out, the other disciple (who had arrived long before Peter) also entered the tomb; and based on what he saw, faith began to well up inside him! Before this moment, none of them understood the Scriptures and why He must be raised from the dead.
Finally, the pieces are starting to fall into place for the disciples. The light is dawning: maybe the crucifixion was not the end but the beginning….
Suddenly, Jesus appears. In the flesh. Alive.
The disciples are hiding out when Christ appears into a locked room. If the gates of hell cannot stop Him; then a locked door certainly isn’t going to block His entrance.
Today is Saturday. We are waiting.
Have you ever been waiting for something to happen? Waiting for pieces to fall into place? Anxiously waiting the “not yet”? Confused about circumstances that seem like detours or road blocks? I certainly have.
We are in the waiting.
Waiting for the breakthrough.
Waiting for clarity.
Waiting for a path to open up.
The good news is that Jesus Christ is not only with you in the waiting; He is the breakthrough, He is the clarity, He is the path.
When we cannot see the purpose; we can rest assured that He has everything under His control and authority.
Sweet friend, I want to leave you with this verse.
Colossians 1:16,17 Christ himself is the Creator who made everything in heaven and earth, the things we can see and the things we can’t; the spirit world with its kings and kingdoms, its rulers and authorities; all were made by Christ for his own use and glory. He was before all else began and it is his power that holds everything together.
Life In The Valley 