HOLY SATURDAY

The death and resurrection of Jesus are both literally earth-shattering. Both
times Matthew reports that the earth shook. As Jesus died on the cross, “the earth
quaked, rocks were split, tombs were opened” (Matthew 27:51–52). Now we
hear that when Mary Magdalene and Mary the mother of James came to the
tomb, “behold, there was a great earthquake” (28:2). As momentous as these
two events were, however, the reaction to each event was earth-shattering in
its own right: the Roman centurion immediately believed, the guards went into
shock, the women needed the reassurance of an angel. Sometimes an insight
that leads to faith can come like a bolt out of the blue.


Having renewed my commitment to the Lord and filled with joy in his victory
over death, how can I bear fruit in the world?