There was plotting by those who wanted Jesus gone: The tomb was secured so Jesus’ body wouldn’t be stolen with the claim of his resurrection (Matthew 27:62-66).

And what about Jesus’ followers? What about those whose lives had been changed by following their King? What did they do? 

They obeyed.

They obeyed God’s commandment to keep the Sabbath day holy (Exodus 20:8).

“Then they returned and prepared spices and ointments. On the Sabbath they rested according to the commandment” (Luke 23:56 ESV). They follow God’s commandments despite their world being turned upside down.

They were heartbroken, yet they obeyed. (Mark 16:10)

They were scared, yet they obeyed. (John 20:19)

They were confused, yet they obeyed (Mark 16:11; Luke 24:21)

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What do we do during our in between time? When we’re dealing with something that happened while waiting for the fulfillment of hope? We may be waiting for longer than one day. We may be waiting years.

But we obey.

We obey and follow His commands. “And if you will indeed obey my commandments that I command you today, to love the Lord your God, and to serve him with all your heart and with all your soul, he will give the rain for your land in its season, the early rain and the later rain, that you may gather in your grain and your wine and your oil” (Deuteronomy 11:12-14 ESV).

We obey and love. “Everyone who believes that Jesus is the Christ has been born of God, and everyone who loves the Father loves whoever has been born of him. By this we know that we love the children of God, when we love God and obey his commandments. For this is the love of God, that we keep his commandments. And his commandments are not burdensome” (1 John 5:103 ESV).

We obey and believe. “Whoever believes in the Son has eternal life; whoever does not obey the Son shall not see life, but the wrath of God remains on him” (John 3:36 ESV)

We obey and remember that God’s timing is perfect. The Gospels tell us that Jesus died on the day of Preparation, the day before the Sabbath. That day the women prepared spices and ointments for Jesus’ body (Luke 23:56). Then they observed the Sabbath the following day. But what if the second day hadn’t been the Sabbath? Would they have brought the spices and ointments to the tomb on the second day rather than on the third day? Jesus foretold his resurrection on the third day. That’s when the women returned. That’s when God’s perfect timing was revealed (Mark 16:1-8).

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May this time in-between be filled with reflection, confession, and joyful expectation and we anticipate God revealing His goodness in His time.

“Now may the God of peace who brought again from the dead our Lord Jesus, the great shepherd of the sheep, by the blood of the eternal covenant, equip you with everything good that you may do his will, working in us that which is pleasing in his sight, through Jesus Christ, to whom be glory forever and ever. Amen.” (Hebrews 13:20-21 ESV)

Happy Easter!