Saturday - The Day Of Darkness And Hopelessness Series

A. There’s an old saying that goes “It’s always darkest before the dawn.”

1. The saying is meant to suggest that things always seem to get worse before they get better.

2. And the saying also suggests that the dawn will come, that we need to persevere through hard times, because things will get better, “there is a light at the end of the tunnel,” and it isn’t an oncoming train!

3. The main point I want to get across today is that even in the worst of circumstances, there is hope, and so we must not give up, but we must dare to hang on for one more day.

B. I found a hymn with the title “It’s Always Darkest Before the Dawn.”

1. It was written by Jim Patterson and never became widely popular, but the words are a good launching point for today’s sermon.

2. Verse 1: Are you discouraged and are you blue, Are clouds obscuring the sun from view?

Keep trusting Jesus, though storms assail, You have His promise He will not fail.

Verse 2: He knows your heartache, He understands, Just put your problems in His great hands,

No trouble meets you but in His will, He's not forgotten, He loves you still.

Chorus: It's always darkest before the dawn, Don't be discouraged but carry on,

He'll not forsake you, the sun will break through, It’s always darkest before the dawn.

C. Today, as we continue our sermon series “Final Week, Eternal Lessons” about the last week in the earthly life of Jesus, we come to that Saturday that fell between crucifixion Friday and resurrection Sunday.

1. Let’s be reminded again of the events of the last week in the earthly life of Jesus.

2. The week began that Sunday with the triumphal entry and the crowds singing, “Hosanna!”

3. On that Monday, Jesus cursed the fig tree and cleansed the temple.

4. On that Tuesday, Jesus spent the day teaching trying to open closed minds and penetrate hard hearts.

5. On that Wednesday, the story focused on an extravagant giver (Mary) and a ruthless taker (Judas).

6. On that Thursday, there was the evening of surprises as Jesus washed the feet of His disciples, predicted His betrayal, denial, and abandonment, and then was arrested in the garden.

7. Then, on that Friday, Jesus was condemned, crucified, and buried in a tomb.

D. Luke concludes the activities of that Friday with these words: 55 The women who had come with him from Galilee followed along and observed the tomb and how his body was placed. 56 Then they returned and prepared spices and perfumes. And they rested on the Sabbath according to the commandment. (Lk. 23:55-56)

1. There you have the complete biblical record of the activity of the disciples on that Saturday, the Sabbath day: “And they rested on the Sabbath according to the commandment.”

2. I want to spend the bulk of our time this morning focusing on what the disciples of Jesus must have been thinking and feeling on that Saturday.

3. But before we focus on them, I want to mention two other things that occurred in relation to that Saturday.

E. We didn’t have time in last week’s sermon to address what happened to Judas on that Friday when Jesus was crucified, so let’s spend a minute on what the Bible reports about Judas.

1. Matthew reports: 3 Then Judas, his betrayer, seeing that Jesus had been condemned, was full of remorse and returned the thirty pieces of silver to the chief priests and elders. 4 “I have sinned by betraying innocent blood,” he said.

“What’s that to us?” they said. “See to it yourself!” 5 So he threw the silver into the temple and departed. Then he went and hanged himself.

6 The chief priests took the silver and said, “It’s not permitted to put it into the temple treasury, since it is blood money.” 7 They conferred together and bought the potter’s field with it as a burial place for foreigners. 8 Therefore that field has been called “Field of Blood” to this day. 9 Then what was spoken through the prophet Jeremiah was fulfilled: They took the thirty pieces of silver, the price of him whose price was set by the Israelites, 10 and they gave them for the potter’s field, as the Lord directed me. (Mt. 27:3-10)

2. I don’t know what Judas thought would happen to Jesus after the betrayal led to his arrest.

a. Perhaps Judas thought Jesus would be punished and released, but not condemned and crucified.

b. Nevertheless, when Judas realized that Jesus was going to be killed, he was filled with remorse, he returned the bribe money, and then went and took his own life.

c. A truly tragic end to the life of an apostle who had walked with Jesus for three years.