Luke 23:44–56

Be still: Heavenly Father, as the shadows fall, help me to wait patiently in your presence. Teach me to trust you in the moments of darkness and silence, knowing that you’re always at work. Amen. 

Read: Luke 23:44-56  

Jesus called out with a loud voice, 'Father, into your hands I commit my spirit.' When he had said this, he breathed his last. (v46) 

Encounter: I am terrible at waiting in the dark and where I’m from in New Zealand, we get power cuts all the time. When they happened, my immediate reaction was a rush of anxiety. I find it really hard when I don't know when the lights will come back on, and I feel super out of control.  

In this passage, a literal and spiritual darkness covers the land as Jesus hangs on the cross. The sun stops shining, the temple curtain rips in two, the disciples' hopes are shattered, and the world is plunged into grief.  It feels like the end of the story. Yet, right at the moment of death, Jesus speaks words of absolute surrender and trust, ‘Father, into your hands I commit my spirit’. Even in the deepest darkness, Jesus knows exactly who holds him. 

What follows is a holy pause. Joseph of Arimathea steps up to ask for the body, then wraps Jesus in linen and places him in a tomb. The women watch, prepare spices and then wait. Luke ends this section with a quiet, heavy line: ‘And they rested on the Sabbath in obedience to the commandment’. They didn't know Sunday was coming. To them, Friday night and Saturday were defined by silence, grief and the unknown.

We often find ourselves in our own 'Saturday' seasons, times when God feels silent, prayers seem unanswered, and darkness is all you can see. Yet, this passage reminds us that the tomb is not the end. Even when we can’t see it, God is holding us and he’s working in the dark. 

Apply: Are you walking through a season of darkness or waiting right now? What does it look like for you to commit your situation, your anxieties and your future into the Father’s hands today, choosing to trust him in the silence? 

Devote: Father, I commit my life, my worries and my fears to you today. Give me the grace to rest in your love and trust that you’re always in control.