Holy Week Resource

April 19, 2025

holy week resource - saturday

They killed him. Jesus is dead. My rabbi. My friend. My Savior.

I thought that he was the prophesied one that we have been waiting on for centuries. He was supposed to be our Savior. The one who would rescue us from the oppression of the Romans. The One who would restore Jerusalem and conquer our promised land. But now… He’s dead. He still had so much left to do! How are we supposed to continue on without Him? He spoke with authority, knowing Yahweh’s will in a way not even the Pharisees do. He healed the sick and forgave people’s sins – only God could do that! (Luke 5:17-26) But now… He’s gone.

“It is finished.” Those were His final words. (John 19:30) But what does that even mean? He didn’t do what we thought He would. What did we miss? He had to have been the Son of God. The moment that He drew His final breath, the ground beneath us began to shake. Rocks split apart. And the dead…. They were raised. I thought that I had imagined it, but I wasn’t the only one who saw them. And I heard that the curtain to the Holy of Holies was torn in two, right down the middle! No man could do that…. (Matthew 27:51-53) How had anyone in the temple even survived? No one can enter God’s holiest presence except the High Priest, and even the High Priest can only enter once a year after a time of purification or he will die. (Leviticus 16; Hebrews 9:7)

What does this all mean? My Friend is dead. He’s never coming back. He said that He would rebuild the temple. (John 2:19) I guess He’ll never have the chance. He will never get to finish His work that I put all my faith in. I will never get to finish my training under a rabbi. I probably shouldn’t have been chosen anyway; it’s not like I had the schooling. But more than any of that, I miss my Friend. And I’ll never get to see Him again. Maybe I’m still in denial, but some part of me still holds onto hope. This work is “finished,” but is there something more? Maybe tomorrow I will understand better.

Response:

Think back to a time when you were struggling and couldn’t see what God was doing. How did He carry you through that time? If you’re in that place now, how can this story give you assurance that God is still with you?

by Grace Kann, Elwood, IN
Body & Soul® Spiritual Impact Team

Body and Soul® Fitness is an international Christian fitness organization that trains and equips instructors to lead a variety of group fitness programs including choreographed aerobics-style Cardio Strength & Flexibility™, cardio dance style Dance Blast™, free-weights-focused Power Strength™, boot camp style FIT360™ and Longevity FIT360™, and GOLD™ - lower impact programming for participants that are pregnant, have weight challenges, injuries, or other medical conditions. These exercise classes meet in church gyms, community centers, gymnasiums, parking lots, schools, etc. across the United States, Europe, and Africa. In-person and virtual fitness classes are available.

Key words: Christian fitness, women's exercise classes, group fitness, dance aerobics classes, Christian group fitness, Christian fitness app, FitTV, Body & Soul, Body and Soul, fitness instuctor training, low impact exercise

Holy Week Resource - Saturday