It is Saturday, the day after Good Friday and the day before Easter Sunday. This day has always struck me as a time when a sort of quiet hush is upon the world, like a valley between two enormous mountains.

The atonement has been accomplished through the sacrificial death of Christ on the cross. Isaiah writes, “Upon him was the chastisement that brought us peace, and with his wounds we are healed.” (Is. 53:5) One enormously significant mountain.

Tomorrow, Easter Sunday, up from the grave He arose! Paul proclaims, “But in fact Christ has been raised from the dead, the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep. … For as in Adam all die, so also in Christ shall all be made alive.” (1 Corinthians 15:20,22) Another enormously significant mountain.

In between, Christ has been buried in the grave, a lull in the supernatural activity. While some believe this is when Christ “descended into hell” proclaiming victory (1 Pet. 4:6, Eph. 4:9), yet Scripture is not clear on this point. This is a time I have always used for reflection, for fasting and prayer, for quietness before the Lord meditating on the amazing work of Christ on my behalf. I imagine the crushing confusion and loss that must have filled Jesus’ family, the disciples, and Jesus’ other followers on that first Saturday. They didn’t know Easter was coming. All they saw was the horrifying agony of the cross when the Son of God bore the full wrath of a holy, righteous God upon Himself. Jesus, their hope and life, the light of the world, was gone.

However, we know the rest of the story. Jesus emerged victorious over sin, death, and the devil, and because of that we can rejoice, for now and for all eternity.

“Death is swallowed up in victory.” “O death, where is your victory? O death, where is your sting?” The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law. But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.  – 1 Corinthians 15:54-57.

It is helpful for us to meditate on the flow of those three days, the apex of the spiritual calendar, the pivotal moment for all human history. May you sense God near to you on this day, a valley between two mountains, knowing the glorious story is true and life-changing!