Completely Defeated, And Yet …

Psalm 149:4 For the LORD takes pleasure in his people; he adorns the humble with victory. (NRSV)

Easter Saturday … what do we do with that? It’s kind of a nothing day between the terrible events of Good Friday and the spectacularly wondrous events of Resurrection Sunday.

What do you think the disciples were doing on that first Easter Saturday? Just lolling around enjoying the Sabbath rest? Waiting for Resurrection Sunday so they could celebrate? I very much doubt it!

Perhaps they recalled Jesus’ predictions that He’d rise from the dead – but more likely they were so traumatised by the events of yesterday and still so incredibly fearful for their own lives that they were in hiding.

A few years earlier, Jesus had told them that He was humble of heart. Years later, the Apostle Paul would write to the church in Philippi that Jesus had humbled Himself to the point of death, even death on a Cross.

And when you think about it, the Son of God – the Creator of the universe – allowing Himself to be crucified to save you and me is without doubt the greatest act of humility in all eternity.

One of Israel’s hymns of old, Psalm 149, praises God for His goodness to His people.

Psalm 149:4 For the LORD takes pleasure in his people; he adorns the humble with victory. (NRSV)

God is nothing if not consistent. He absolutely loves to reward humility. And here on this kind of “nothing” day between Good Friday and Resurrection Sunday, it’s almost as though that verse speaks into what was about to happen.

The greatest defeat in all of human history was about to become the greatest victory in all eternity, because He adorns the humble with victory!

That’s God’s Word. Fresh … for you … today.