As each day progresses, we continue to imagine a week without Jesus. Read about SINDAY and MOURNDAY here as well as TEARSDAY here, WASTEDAY here and THIRSTDAY here.

Now, a new day has come…

FRIDAY

But, without Jesus, Friday would not be Friday; Friday would be FRIGHTDAY. I believe Scripture supports the timeline of Jesus being killed and laid to rest on Friday, remaining in the tomb on the Sabbath day, then being resurrected on the third day, which would be Sunday, the first day of the week. (See Matthew 27:33 – 28:7). And I also believe Scripture supports the idea that the disciples were terrified when Jesus was arrested and crucified on that frightful Friday and the days leading up to resurrection Sunday.

But why were they afraid? What made that Friday, FRIGHTDAY? Didn’t Jesus tell them he would be put to death and then come back to life? Did they not believe Him? Why still be afraid?

On several occasions, Jesus did teach his disciples what would happen to Him as His work of ministry on earth was coming to a close. He said, “The Son of Man is to be delivered into the hands of men, and they will kill Him; and when He has been killed, He will rise three days later” (Mark 9:31). So why flee and act so frightened when he was arrested?

One reason is they did not understand what Jesus meant by what He said, but they did not want to ask or admit their ignorance because of embarrassment. The next verse makes this clear, “But they did not understand this statement, and they were afraid to ask Him” (Mark 9:32). The notion that their master might die and then come back to life was so overwhelmingly fantastic that they struggled to grasp it. 

Another reason I suspect they were afraid is that they were overcome with disappointment in the fact that Jesus was arrested, put on trial, and then executed between two robbers. They had high hopes that he would overpower the Roman government and establish a new Kingdom. These hopes were so real to them that even the mother of two of the disciples asked for her sons to be on each side of Jesus when He becomes King (Matthew 20:20-23)! Now with Him killed, their hopes were shattered. 

They also were frightened for their own lives and their future. All four of the gospels record how Peter (perhaps a self-appointed leader of the disciples) stayed in the background as much as he could when Jesus was arrested, on trial, and was crucified (Matthew 26:57-58; Mark 14:53-54; Luke 22:54; John 18:15-16. Then, of course, we have Peter, who denies Jesus and his relationship with Him. I believe these actions were all because of fear. 

It’s easy to pass judgment on these disciples, but how often does this happen to us? How often do we doubt what God has told us time and time again and act like it isn’t true? For example, as Christians, we know Christ has provided the church as a place of safety and support. We know that He has promised to return and claim us as His own and bring us into heaven to live with Him through all of eternity. We live in days that are not without Jesus, and there are more days to come in eternity with Him all the more. But, how often do we become frightened about the future and feel alone in the dark? 

Ask God to help you trust His promises more and more each day, and don’t let another Friday become FRIGHTDAY. Or any other day, for that matter.

Tomorrow, Lord willing, a new day will come…

SATURDAY

But, without Jesus, Saturday would not be Saturday; Saturday would be SADDERDAY.

After He died, was buried, and then was resurrected, He made several appearances in all sorts of situations and with various people. Read through 1 Corinthians 15:1-8, and there is a good list of people by name and even mentions that Jesus appeared to over five hundred people at one time. There is no doubt that he was raised from the dead; however, if you were there at the foot of the cross and witnessed Jesus’ death and then never knew or heard of anything else that happened, that would be a sad, sad situation. Things for you would only have gotten sadder and sadder. But instead, Jesus was resurrected, and things did not get worse and worse. It has only gotten better and better. 

When Jesus gave his disciples the great commission as recorded in Matthew 28:18-20, one of the last things he tells them is that he will be with them to the end of the age. This statement is a statement of hope and reassurance for the Christian. 

If we want it, we can have Jesus with us as days progressively come no matter what to the end of the world. For the Christian, we can enjoy the fact there is not a day that could come that Jesus is not with us. 

There is not a SINDAY (a day without forgiveness). 

There is not a MOURNDAY (a day with no reason to rejoice). 

There is not a TEARSDAY (a day of weeping and gnashing of teeth). 

There is not a WASTEDAY (a day that we waste time because we are not with Jesus). 

There is not a THIRSTDAY (a day we are not satisfied by drinking from the water of life freely). 

There is not a FRIGHTDAY (a day we are FRIGHTENED because we are in the dark about our future). 

Therefore, there is not a SADDERDAY (a day that seems worse and worse than the previous days). 

Why? Because Jesus is with us, and we are not ever without Him, as long as we make the effort to STAY with Him!

What a blessing!

Your ministers hope this week’s daily bread articles have encouraged you to contemplate a week without Jesus. We also hope what we have written has challenged you to work even harder to never be without him, either. Not for one week, not for one day, nor for one hour. 

~ Alex