Saturday: The Day Every Dream Seems Dead
Daily Scripture
Matthew 27:57-66
57 That evening a man named Joseph came. He was a rich man from Arimathea who had become a disciple of Jesus. 58 He came to Pilate and asked for Jesus’ body. Pilate gave him permission to take it. 59 Joseph took the body, wrapped it in a clean linen cloth, 60 and laid it in his own new tomb, which he had carved out of the rock. After he rolled a large stone at the door of the tomb, he went away. 61 Mary Magdalene and the other Mary were there, sitting in front of the tomb.
62 The next day, which was the day after Preparation Day, the chief priests and the Pharisees gathered before Pilate. 63 They said, “Sir, we remember that while that deceiver was still alive he said, ‘After three days I will arise.’ 64 Therefore, order the grave to be sealed until the third day. Otherwise, his disciples may come and steal the body and tell the people, ‘He’s been raised from the dead.’ This last deception will be worse than the first.”
65 Pilate replied, “You have soldiers for guard duty. Go and make it as secure as you know how.” 66 Then they went and secured the tomb by sealing the stone and posting the guard.
Daily Reflection & Prayer
To Matthew, it was vital to record the burial because the Hebrews saw burying the dead as a moral duty. He also reported the futile steps the religious leaders and Pilate took to keep Jesus in his tomb. Those Saturday events “set the stage” for Jesus’ resurrection. Scholar N. T. Wright saw the day’s stage setting function: “We might suppose the burial narrative to be a sad and not particularly interesting appendix to the story of Jesus’ death, yet it trembles with the suppressed excitement of what the gospels know is going to happen next.” * Pastor John Ortberg identified another important aspect of Saturday: “Everybody knows Saturday. Saturday is the day your dream died. You wake up and you’re still alive. You have to go on, but you don’t know how. Worse, you don’t know why…. Jesus Christ defeats our great enemy death not by proclaiming his invincibility over it but by submitting himself to it.” ** We all know Saturday. What were, or are, those times in your life?
- Some skeptics claim the women went to the wrong tomb, found it empty and fancied that Jesus had risen. Scholar Craig Evans said, “The literary, historical and archeological evidence points in one direction: the body of Jesus was placed in a tomb, according to Jewish custom…. there is no good reason to think that family and friends of Jesus had no idea where Jesus was buried.” *** Matthew added that the authorities guarded Jesus’ tomb, because they feared claims of his rising (Matthew 27:62-66). Would those first Christians have risked their lives declaring that Jesus was alive if they thought his body might just lie in some misplaced tomb? What makes the bodily reality of Jesus’ resurrection important to your faith?
- Luke 23:50-52 said Joseph of Arimathea was one leader in Jerusalem who did not consent to killing Jesus. John 19:39 added a last glimpse of Nicodemus, who met Jesus in chapter 3. How did God use even their timid loyalty to meet a need at this critical hour? What of yourself and your resources can you offer God right now?
Prayer
Lord Jesus, you fully entered into my experience, even to the painful effect of our human mortality. Thank you for making it plain that you defeated death, rather than just avoiding it. Amen.
GPS Insights
Hugo Ngwira
During 2026 we are introducing you to writers from our global Missions partners every few weeks. They add perspective to our understanding of Resurrection's reach around the world.
Hugo Ngwira, a passionate community development leader and the founder of Opulence Malawi, a nonprofit organization dedicated to empowering communities to overcome poverty through sustainable, community-led solutions, wrote today's Insights. He holds a Master of Science in project management with University of Bolton, UK. Witnessing the persistent struggles of marginalized rural communities, he was inspired to establish Opulence Malawi—a vision deeply rooted in his personal experiences, professional journey, and a prophetic message from his late father in 2020. Today, Hugo is committed to creating lasting impact through education, economic empowerment, food security, and water sanitation programs, helping communities achieve true abundance.
There are moments in life when you feel pressed on every side… when it seems like everything is working against you. When what you believed for feels buried under disappointment, delay, or pain.
In Matthew 27:60, a stone was rolled in front of the tomb. In verse 66, that stone was not only closed, it was sealed, and guards were posted. In other words, every human effort was made to make sure nothing could come out. And maybe that’s how your situation feels right now.
But hear this clearly: What God has placed inside of you cannot be buried by circumstances.
People may misunderstand you. Situations may limit you. Doors may close. It may even feel like everything around you is trying to suppress what God promised. But no pressure, no opposition, no delay can cancel what God has already ordained.
The Bible says in Isaiah 60:22, “When the time is right, I, the Lord, will make it happen.” Not when people approve. Not when conditions are perfect. But when God’s appointed time comes.
Hold on… because when God moves, no stone will remain in place, no seal will hold, and no situation will be able to contain the life He brings.
On another note, Joseph of Arimathea is a powerful reminder that God can use what is already in your hands–your influence, your position, your resources–for something far greater than you may realize.
In Matthew 27:57-60, Joseph was described as a rich man and a disciple of Jesus. At a time when many had gone silent out of fear, Joseph stepped forward boldly. He went to Pilate, an act that required courage, and asked for the body of Jesus. This was not a small decision. Associating with Jesus in that moment could damage his reputation, his status, even his safety. Yet Joseph chose to identify with Christ not when it was popular, but when it was costly.
What Joseph did may have looked like a simple act of burial, but in reality, he was aligning himself with prophecy and playing a role in God’s redemptive plan. That very tomb became the place where the greatest miracle in history would be revealed.
© 2026 Resurrection: A United Methodist Church. All Rights Reserved.
Scripture quotations are taken from The Common English Bible ©2011. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
References
* Wright, N. T., Matthew for Everyone, Part 2: Chapters 16-28 (The New Testament for Everyone) (p. 162). Louisville: Westminster John Knox Press. Kindle Edition.
** Craig A. Evans and N. T. Wright, Jesus, the Final Days: What Really Happened, edited by Troy A. Miller. Louisville: Westminster John Knox Press, 2009, p. 9.
