Luke 24:3 And they entered in, and found not the body of the Lord Jesus.

The light of the world is gone. It is day two of the three darkest days in history. It is however our first opportunity to observe the apostles. They went looking for Jesus where they expected to find Him. All they found was an empty hole.

When life presents its darkest hours, it is that empty hole in our hearts that hurts the most. We go looking for a way to fill the hole and end the pain. We go looking first where He is not. Are we looking in the right place, for the right thing, at the right time?

During these three days the actions of the apostles might speak to us about our own darkest days. Dare we look or do we know enough that we want to run and hide? My darkest days were not pretty. It is not easy to look at them with any objective forgiveness. At the time I was as far from peace and forgiveness as I’d ever been.

Rather than going to that really dark place, let us look to the group as a whole. What was happening in their world that we might relate to in our own experience?

How about feeling persecuted? They were being hunted down to be questioned vigorously about where the body went. Accusations were being made. No one wanted to believe them, much less listen to them.

A loneliness, even in the middle of a group, sets in when you are in darkness. You hear rumors and want to believe the worst in everyone. You come to even doubt your friends. Thomas might have been the only one brave enough to voice his doubts. Fear often causes us to avoid sharing how we feel.

Matthew 27:62-66 Now the next day, that followed the day of the preparation, the chief priests and Pharisees came together unto Pilate, Saying, Sir, we remember that that deceiver said, while he was yet alive, After three days I will rise again. Command therefore that the sepulchre be made sure until the third day, lest his disciples come by night, and steal him away, and say unto the people, He is risen from the dead: so the last error shall be worse than the first. Pilate said unto them, Ye have a watch: go your way, make it as sure as ye can. So they went, and made the sepulchre sure, sealing the stone, and setting a watch.

There is no record here for the activities, thoughts or expressions of Christ’s followers. This first dark day is full of activity for the enemies of the Cross. They will enlist the help of their sworn enemies if need be to see that Christ is denied.

If anything can be said of the apostles, at least those that were Jewish, is that they went back to observing the Sabbath and did nothing. Christ was gone, they had no leadership, no direction, instruction, and nothing to do. They ignored everything Jesus had taught them and fell back into old behaviors.

One could also say they were patiently waiting on the Lord but in order to support that thought, we would have to see their reactions on the second day.

If there are any lessons here for us to see during dark days would be personal. What do you lean upon without Christ? I cannot answer that for you.