Holy Saturday

By Brandon Brown

The quiet of a new day. The initial shock has worn off, but there is still an air of disbelief. There has been a reunion of many scattered disciples and they have heard that another of their friends has died. The whys of Judas' choices and actions are upon their minds as they work on the puzzles in their midst. Some are beginning to speak of remembering phrases and ideas. But still the wonder of why Judas would betray his friend. Anger, grief, and terror still work at the edges of their minds, but now they are also thinking and remembering.

He said they would kill him. But what does it all mean? It feels like a dream, or nightmare, in which they find themselves the key players. What else did he say that might give them a clue? The silent day, the day of unknowns, the day that defeat still feels present. In the stillness, what does it mean?

The religious leaders are considering the apparent win. Their positions and power are safe and they are once again in control of the messaging. Although some are feeling the weight of that power and wondering if they are still wrong. Maybe Nicodemus is thinking about his encounter with Jesus and wondering about the man who talked of being born anew. There is safety in the silence.

Pilate feels he has dodged another insurrection. He has contained the mob and prevent a mark upon his lead. He hopes the emperor will notice. Could this help him get out of the backwater of Palestine? He dreams of future glory while his wife still sits uneasily in the remembrance of terror. She wonders at this uneasiness and the possibility that something is not as it seems. The events of the previous day still linger in the air and she senses a charge which remains.

There is tension and yet quiet. The tension of the unknown and yet to come. What is next and how will they go on...