On the very first Easter, more than 2,000 years ago, the disciples were scattered. One week before, they had been celebrating, cheering, and worshiping. This Sunday morning, they were alone, sad, and confused. The joy they had expected and the triumph they had yearned for was gone. Victory was replaced with the overwhelming presence of death. Their Messiah, the light of the world--their God incarnate--was gone.

Today is what is known in the universal church as “Holy Saturday.” It is the day that comes “in between”: we have commemorated Jesus’s death on the cross for our sins on Good Friday, but are still waiting to celebrate His resurrection from the dead on Easter Sunday.