Hope in Waiting

Based on Luke 24:1-12

On the first day of the week, very early in the
morning, the women took the spices they had prepared
and went to the tomb.
They found the stone rolled away from the tomb,
but when they entered, they did not find the body of
the Lord Jesus.
While they were wondering about this, suddenly two
men in clothes that gleamed like lightning stood beside
them.
In their fright the women bowed down with their faces
to the ground, but the men said to them, "Why do you
look for the living among the dead?
He is not here; he has risen! Remember how he told
you, while he was still with you in Galilee:
'The Son of Man must be delivered into the hands of
sinful men, be crucified and on the third day be raised
again.' "
Then they remembered his words.
When they came back from the tomb, they told all
these things to the Eleven and to all the others.
It was Mary Magdalene, Joanna, Mary the mother of
James, and the others with them who told this to the
apostles.
But they did not believe the women, because their
words seemed to them like nonsense.
Peter, however, got up and ran to the tomb. Bending
over, he saw the strips of linen lying by themselves,
and he went away, wondering to himself what had
happened.
Today is a special day. It is Holy Saturday, the last
day of Holy Week and the day before Easter. Last
month, we talked about "Growing in Faith Together."
Today, I want to share about "Hope in Waiting" on this
special day.

1. The Meaning of Holy Saturday

Holy Saturday is the day between Good Friday, when

Jesus died on the cross, and Easter Sunday, when He
rose again. The Bible doesn't say much about this day.
But this silence tells us a lot. How did the disciples feel
on this day? They probably felt despair, confusion,
fear, and a sense of waiting.

In Matthew 27:62-66, we read that the chief priests and

Pharisees went to Pilate. They asked for guards to
watch Jesus' tomb. They sealed the tomb and placed
guards there. The powerful people of the world thought
everything was over.

We also have "Holy Saturday" times in our lives. These

are the times between hope and despair, between
prayer and answer, between promise and fulfillment.
Sometimes these waiting times feel long. It may seem
like God is silent.
But God's silence doesn't mean He is not there.
Sometimes God is working the most when things seem
the quietest.

2. The Faithful Women Who Waited

In Luke 24, we see an interesting scene. Mark's Gospel

tells us more about who these women were:
"When the Sabbath was over, Mary Magdalene, Mary
the mother of James, and Salome bought spices so that
they might go to anoint Jesus' body." (Mark 16:1, NIV)

Who were these women? They had followed Jesus from

Galilee. While the male disciples hid in fear (John
20:19), these women took a risk. They went to the
tomb to care for Jesus' body. Their actions came from
deep love and commitment, not just duty.

It's important to notice how they "waited." They kept

the Sabbath rules and waited fully. Then they acted as
soon as they could. This shows a balance between
waiting and acting. Their waiting wasn't passive. It was
waiting with preparation.
3. Unexpected Meeting and Amazing Surprise

When the women arrived at the tomb, they found

something totally unexpected. The stone was rolled
away, and Jesus' body was gone. They must have been
confused and surprised. Then the angels gave them
amazing news:

What an amazing surprise this must have been for the

women! They came to put spices on a dead body.
Instead, they heard news of life. God did something far
beyond what they expected.

Isaiah 55:8-9 comes to mind:

"'For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are
your ways my ways,' declares the Lord. 'As the
heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways
higher than your ways and my thoughts than your
thoughts.'" (NIV)

This is true in our waiting times too. Sometimes we

expect God to answer in a certain way. But God works
in ways beyond our imagination. When we expect
death, God brings life.
4. The Challenge of Faith

What's interesting is how people reacted after hearing

the angels' message. The women believed and
remembered. But the apostles did not believe. This
teaches us an important lesson. Sometimes on our
faith journey, we must go alone without others'
understanding or support. Our hope and belief might
sound like "nonsense" to others.

Hebrews 11:1 says:

"Now faith is confidence in what we hope for and
assurance about what we do not see." (NIV)

The women believed the visible evidence (empty tomb)

and the words they heard (the angels' message). This
is what true faith looks like.

5. The Difference Between Waiting and Hoping

There is a difference between simple waiting and

waiting with hope. Just waiting can be passive and
sometimes anxious. But waiting with hope is active and
includes preparation.
The women didn't just wait. They prepared spices and
acted as soon as the Sabbath was over. This is what
waiting with hope looks like.
Hope is being sure of something we can't see yet. And
this hope brings patience. It means waiting with
endurance.

What kind of waiting are you experiencing in your life?

Are you waiting for a promotion at work? For healing
in relationships? For physical healing? For an answer
to prayer? Is your waiting full of hope? Or is it full of
anxiety and fear?

6. Active Waiting

Peter's reaction shows us another aspect. Luke 24:12

says: "Peter, however, got up and ran to the tomb.
Bending over, he saw the strips of linen lying by
themselves, and he went away, wondering to himself
what had happened." (NIV)

Peter heard what the women said and took action. He

ran to the tomb to see for himself. This is also a form
of waiting. It's not sitting around passively. It's actively
seeking the truth.

James 2:17 teaches:

"In the same way, faith by itself, if it is not
accompanied by action, is dead." (NIV)
Our waiting should also include action, like Peter's. We
should seek God's will, study His word, pray, and serve
others during our waiting time.

7. Holy Saturday in Our Time

We are living in a "Holy Saturday" time in history. It's

the time between Jesus' first coming and His return.
How should we live during this waiting time?

We wait for "the blessed hope" of Jesus' return. This

waiting is not passive. It means living "self-controlled,
upright and godly lives.“

2 Peter 3:11-12 also teaches about this waiting:

"Since everything will be destroyed in this way, what
kind of people ought you to be? You ought to live holy
and godly lives as you look forward to the day of God
and speed its coming." (NIV)

Like the women, we should prepare with love and

dedication. We should wait with hope. This isn't just
letting time pass. It's seeking the Lord's will and acting
on it while we wait.
8. Conclusion

Tomorrow is Easter. Jesus' resurrection shows us that

no waiting is in vain. After the pain of the cross and
the silence of Holy Saturday came the glory of
resurrection. At the end of our waiting times, God's
faithfulness will also be shown.

1 Corinthians 15:58 encourages us:

"Therefore, my dear brothers and sisters, stand firm.
Let nothing move you. Always give yourselves fully to
the work of the Lord, because you know that your
labor in the Lord is not in vain." (NIV)

I hope that in the "Holy Saturday" times of our lives,

we don't lose hope. This is because the Easter morning
will surely come.

As Paul says, may we all "be joyful in hope, patient in

affliction, faithful in prayer" (Romans 12:12, NIV).
Let's close with prayer.
"Loving God, thank you for not letting us lose hope in
our waiting times. Sometimes we go through long, dark
times like Holy Saturday. But help us believe that
Easter morning will surely come. We all have things we
are waiting for in our lives. But we believe our waiting
is not in vain. Help us to be faithful in preparation like
the women. Help us to passionately seek truth like
Peter. We pray in Jesus' name. Amen."