Exploring Holy WeekSample

In the days after Jesus’ death, the disciples were afraid the authorities might kill them as they killed Jesus, and they grieved the loss of a dear friend and trusted teacher. How could they believe the promises that Jesus had made, that God really cared about the new ways of loving others that Jesus taught? What about his claim that he was “the way, the truth, and the life”? Sometimes when we ask God for things, waiting for a response can feel lonely. But God proves over and over again that when he makes a promise, he keeps it. While the disciples wait together, let’s talk about an example of God keeping his promises.

Long before Jesus was born, God promised a man named Abraham that he and his wife Sarah would have a child. This was important because, without a child, all Abraham’s home and belongings would go to someone who might not have used them to care for Abraham’s family. But God promised he would have a son, even though Abraham and Sarah were very old. They waited 25 years before their son Isaac was born. And while they both had moments of doubt (Sarah laughed when she first heard the news) the Bible says Abraham’s faith was counted as righteousness. Doubt did not cancel out faith. Abraham and Sarah’s descendants thrived and eventually, Jesus would be born to one of their descendants, Mary. The wait was worth it! And the disciples’ wait will be worth it too as we’ll see tomorrow.

Explore: We can be sure that God is with us, even in the waiting. What is the longest wait you’ve ever had? What did it feel like? How would that change if you had a friend waiting with you? Next time you need to wait for something, imagine God with you. He really cares about all the things you feel while you’re waiting. Do you trust that he’ll stick with you, even as you wait through scary or uncertain times?