“When God Seems Silent!”

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​First Presbyterian Church of Blackwood
21 E. Church Street
Blackwood, NJ 08012
Meditation Notes (11:00 a.m. Easter Service ~ April 17 th , 2022)
Rev. Dr. Mouris A. Yousef, Pastor

“When God Seems Silent!”
Matthew 28:1-10

It’s easy to rush to Easter’s joy and victory, leaving the horrible events of Maundy
Thursday and Good Friday behind. After all, no one enjoys living in the “in-between”. Yet, the
truth of the matter is that, no Easter Sunday without Good Friday. Those experiences between
despair and joy count. They really do. They are not a waste. That Saturday between Good
Friday and Easter counts.
I am sure it was a devastating day after Jesus was put to death. It seemed that God was
silent. It seemed to everyone that the story of Jesus had come to an end. It’s over. Of course,
you and I today have the privilege of knowing the full story. We can turn the page and read
Friday and Saturday in light of Easter Sunday.
But have you ever thought about the disciples and what must’ve been felt after Jesus was
crucified? What questions would be racing through their minds? What did they do on Saturday?
It’s the same question you and I will have to wrestle with it when live in the “in-between”. What
do we do when it seems that God is silent?
The Bible doesn’t say much about how the followers of Jesus spent that Saturday
between the cross and the empty tomb; only one brief remark in Luke 23:56, “… but they rested
on the Sabbath in obedience to the commandment.” That’s it. Only that short statement about
the disciples that sorrowful Saturday. So in the light of the glorious news of Christ’s resurrection
today, I want to offer a couple observations when we find ourselves waiting for Easter dawn.
First: Keep Your Rhythm
When God seems silent, keep your rhythm. When you find yourself in the “in-between”,
keep your rhythm. Luke tells us that on that Saturday, the disciples, “rested on the Sabbath in
obedience to the commandment.” God gave His people a Sabbath day to give them a weekly
rhythm for all seasons of life, from the best of times to the worst of times. Even as the disciples
bore heavy sorrow, they held onto that teaching and rested amidst their grief.
When you’re feeling lost, stick to a rhythm. Keep going. Just hold on. There in the
moment, it all looks out of control. We want answers today, and it feels like an eternity of
waiting when we focus on the silence itself. But when we hold to a rhythm of prayer, of coming
to the Word, and of remaining in community, God draws us back to His steadfast promises
which serve as “...an anchor for the soul, firm and secure” Hebrews 6:19. Keeping your
rhythm, especially our relationship with God, is what sustains us through suffering.

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Second: Silence is Not an Absence of Action
Just because God is silent sometimes it doesn’t mean He is idle. The intertestamental
period: a 400-year gap between the ministry of Prophet Malachi and John the Baptist. God was
quiet but preparing the world to receive His son as Galatians 4:4 reminds us. They say the
darkest hour is just before the dawn. When you’re at your lowest point, when all seems lost and
all hope seems to be gone, have hope in God, because the end of our strength the mighty power
of the Almighty God.
Easter comes to remind us in away like no other that we believe in a God who works
behind the scenes. Easter is about God’s Power working behind the scenes. I think one of our
frustrations and disappointments as followers of Jesus is that we don’t always perceive the ways
of God. We don’t always understand how God works in the world and in our lives to accomplish
His purposes.
So when you find yourself between a rock and a hard place, trust God. When facing
situations where God seems absent and silent, remember that God is working behind the scenes.
Charles Spurgeon once said, “When we cannot trace His hand, we must trust His heart.” We
may be puzzled by our circumstances, but God has it all figured out. The disciples thought the
story of Jesus is over. But Easter reminds us that there is more to the story. God is still at work.
Friends, times of silence could be scary and requires more faith, but I hope you and I
today learn how to keep you rhythm because God is at work. Therefore, my friends, stand firm
in your faith. Rest in God while He is working behind the scenes. Remain confident in the truth
that He who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion. God is all powerful, all
knowing and ever present. The Lord is risen! He is risen indeed. Alleluia! Amen.