It had been three long, dark, dangerous days since they had witnessed the horrific torture and execution of Jesus. 

They were full of fear, full of questions, and full of angst at the thought that everything good that had been their life with Him was now just gone. 

The tension was at its boiling point just days ago, and now the only thing they could feel was the dark, deafening silence in the solitude of hiding. 

Would they be next?

Would they too be captured and tortured for their participation with Him?

Would they end up being punished for following Him?

Jesus had told them to stay where they were until they received the Promise, but wouldn’t that be the most unsafe place to be? Especially without Him now that He was just gone? 

It's in our lowest, most painful moments amidst the spiritual battle, when our giant is seemingly slaughtering us, that Jesus commands us to be still and just wait on Him.

It sounds crazy, until we can see … “suddenly”. 

It was in that place of desperation, that surely with some sense of resolved defeat, His disciples experienced their “suddenly”.

Scripture speaks of this in the book of Matthew, chapter 28:9.

Jesus had been crucified.

The disciples had been left confused.

Until …

Suddenly Jesus met them. “Greetings,” he said.

They came to him, clasped his feet, and worshiped him.

Can you imagine, in that moment, their sense of total exhilaration? 

When it seemed to be at its darkest, hope suddenly appeared, right on time.

When it seemed to be at its lowest, peace suddenly appeared, right on time.

When it seemed to be that all was lost, Jesus suddenly appeared, right on time. Jesus was alive!

They had thought for sure everything had changed for the worse! They had thought that their lives had been ripped out from underneath them.

But, suddenly, Jesus was back. Jesus had met them in their moment of need. He was there with them again. And He was right on time!

Don’t miss the first words Jesus said to them, knowing the struggle they must have faced over the wreckage of those three days.

10 … “Do not be afraid”.

Those four words are words we need to have permanently stamped onto our hearts and seared into our brains.

When we face the darkest of nights, wait for the suddenly.

When we are toe to toe with the toughest of giants, wait for the suddenly.

When anger, fear, confusion, frustration, and anxiety come calling,

wait for the suddenly.

• There’s no situation too serious that can’t or won’t, at some point, succumb to a suddenly.

• There’s no fight too fierce that can’t or won’t, at some point, falter to a suddenly.

• There’s no giant too great that can’t or won’t, at some point, give in to a suddenly.
  

Be encouraged. Your God will show up, just at the right time.

Be assured. Jesus will meet you in your moment of need … suddenly. Right when you need Him.