It’s Saturday. The disciples were frightened and hiding. They had forgotten what Jesus had said.

Have you ever been lost to the point of panic? Confusion can fade details in the most crucial times. Fear sets in.

The disciples had walked away from their work and for three years placed all their hope in this leader, Jesus. They watched Him heal the sick, calm the sea and stand against those filled with legalism.

Jesus took care of the immediate needs around the disciples and now it appeared He was gone. There was a mixture of confusion and disappointment. There was no more talk of a Kingdom and reigning with Jesus. Even one of their own betrayed Him at that last meal.

Every one of the disciples that had remained fled. And you would have too.

It had all gone up in smoke. Nothing made sense. Jesus dies in the darkness of noonday. It was all over.

Disappointment had turned to despair and as a disciple, you would feel foolish and probably afraid. How can you go back home and not be mocked by those who told you it was a stupid idea to follow Jesus in the first place?

If you flip through the pages leading up to Jesus’ death, you find Jesus shared His promise three times in the last week before He died; Matthew 16:21, 17:22, 20:17. A promise that after His death, Jesus would rise again

When you’re scared, you forget these kinds of details. When you’re confused, you forget east from west and where the shoreline is. And the longer you are in this state of confusion, the greater the panic.

You can’t remember the promise of resurrection behind red, swollen eyes. Resurrection in your relationships. Resurrection of your dreams. Resurrection of your situation. These are faint memories now. The stories of His faithfulness in the past become foggy as the darkness sets in.

What is interesting is that those who put Jesus to death hadn’t forgotten. The day after Jesus died, while the disciples were hiding, the Pharisees approached authority, “Sir, we remember how that impostor said, while he was still alive, ‘After three days I will rise.’ (Matthew 27:63)

So the tomb was secured with a stone and guard, in case the disciples tried to steal the body and fabricate a story about how Jesus had been raised from the dead.

The enemy remembered Jesus’ words.

Where are you feeling lost right now? Are you disappointed, scared, in panic or despair? This is the hard middle. This is Saturday. You might be ready to give up on a friend, a spouse, or a plan. Maybe you’re ready to throw in the towel on Jesus. It’s not the life you thought it would be.

The pain may have clouded His promise but even the enemy hasn’t forgotten; Jesus will rise. The promise of this resurrection must remain the mental glue that holds our scared and shattered thoughts together. It’s impossible to know the details of how Jesus will pull it off but this shouldn’t cause us to hide from the hope; ‘He will rise again’.

Your situation will turn around. The death of your dream will resurrect. Cling to this promise as your hope during these moments of long suffering. This is Easter Saturday; Sunday is coming.