Holy Saturday
Here we have a firm foundation,
Here the refuge of the lost:
Christ, the Rock of our salvation,
Is the name of which we boast;
Lamb of God, for sinners wounded,
Sacrifice to cancel guilt!
None shall ever be confounded
Who on Him their hope have built.
LSB 451 st. 4
“For the Scripture says, ‘Everyone who believes in him will not be put to shame.’”
Romans 10:11
Jesus lay in the tomb on this day, covered in a linen shroud. Just hours earlier He was exposed on the bloody cross, lifted high above the earth for all to see. He had been stripped of His clothes during the flogging and was naked. Such was the depth of His humiliation that He endured for all of us.
Hebrews 12:2 says he “scorned” the shame. More precisely the Greek word for scorn means to “consider of little value.” This means that in view of our salvation Jesus gladly and willingly endured the shame; in our day, we might equate this to saying “no big deal.” Jesus’ love for us outweighed the shame. In comparison to His love for us, it was “no big deal.” He did it so we would not be put to shame. Because of Him, our sins will not be exposed at the judgement on the Last Day. “I will remember their sins and their lawless deeds no more” (Heb. 10:17).
Let us pray: Lord God, heavenly Father, though we have done many shameful things, we thank You that You have covered us in the righteousness of Your Son, who endured the shame of the cross for us. May we be mindful of this, not only in Holy Week, but every day of our lives, through Jesus Christ, our Lord. Amen.
(Stuart Sultze, Alternate Route)