Forty Days of Faithfulness: A Lenten Journey of Reflection and Renewal - Day 37: The Tomb

​As we approach the final days of our 40-day Lenten devotional, we find ourselves on Day 37, standing before the sealed tomb of Jesus. Today, we will examine the burial of Jesus and the sealed tomb as described in Matthew 27:57-66 and focus on the themes of waiting and hope in the midst of darkness.
 
The burial of Jesus was a moment of profound sorrow and darkness for His followers. Joseph of Arimathea, having received Pilate's permission, took Jesus' body down from the cross, wrapped it in a clean linen shroud, and laid it in his own new tomb, which he had cut in the rock. He then rolled a great stone to the door of the tomb and departed. The following day, the chief priests and Pharisees gathered before Pilate, expressing their concern that Jesus' disciples might steal the body and claim He had risen from the dead. Pilate agreed to their request for a guard and ordered the tomb to be made secure by sealing the stone and setting a watch.
 
In the darkness of the tomb, there is a profound sense of waiting. It is a waiting filled with uncertainty, grief, and the palpable weight of finality. Yet, for us as believers, this waiting is also imbued with hope. The sealed tomb becomes a symbol not just of death, but of the anticipation of resurrection. It is in this space of waiting that our faith is often tested, and our hope is called to shine the brightest.
 
The sealed tomb also represents the times in our lives when we face our own periods of darkness and waiting. We all experience moments when our hopes and dreams seem to be buried, when the weight of our circumstances feels as immovable as the stone sealing Jesus' tomb. It is in these times that the story of the tomb calls us to remember that darkness is not the end. The same God who raised Jesus from the dead is present with us in our waiting, whispering promises of new life and resurrection.
 
As we reflect on the sealed tomb, let us consider the ways in which we are called to wait with hope. How can we embody a spirit of expectancy, even when the dawn seems far off? How can we support one another in times of darkness, offering the light of hope to those who struggle to see it?
 
Let us also remember that the tomb was not the end of the story. The darkness of the tomb was a prelude to the glory of the resurrection. As we wait in our own lives, may we hold fast to the hope that our stories, too, have not reached their conclusion. The same power that rolled away the stone and revealed the empty tomb is at work in our lives, bringing light to our darkness and turning our mourning into dancing.
 
In our prayer today, let us ask for the grace to wait with hope. May we be strengthened by the knowledge that, even in the darkest of tombs, God's love is at work, preparing the way for resurrection and new life.
 
Closing Prayer: Heavenly Father, in the stillness of the sealed tomb, teach us to wait with hope. Help us to trust in Your promises, even when we cannot see the path ahead. As we reflect on the burial of Your Son, fill our hearts with the assurance that darkness is never the end of the story. May we rest in the knowledge that You are always at work, bringing life from death and light from darkness. In Jesus' name, we pray. Amen.