I never paid much attention to Holy Saturday until the last couple of years. As the day falling between Good Friday and Easter Sunday, Holy Saturday always seemed quiet and empty to me. It felt like there was nothing to do but wait.
It was not until I experienced by own seasons of waiting that I realized how full of meaning Holy Saturday really is. There isn’t much written in the Bible about the day after Jesus’ death, but the few things we know reflect the deeply intricate plans of God and the beautiful message of hope He has for us.
Jesus died on Friday. The one that performed miracles of healing appeared not to have been able to save Himself. Everything looked hopeless.
Jesus was laid in the tomb and guards were assigned to keep watch so that no one would steal the body. Jesus’ friends were overcome with grief, and out of love, desired to honor His body.
“As His body was taken away, the women from Galilee followed and saw the tomb where His body was placed. Then they went home and prepared spices and ointments to anoint His body. But by the time they were finished, the Sabbath had begun, so they rested as required by law.”
Luke 23:55
If you’ve ever lost someone you loved, you know how important the steps after death are— choosing a resting place, planning a service for the person, and later going to visit where they’ve been buried. These finals acts of love can be healing for the grieving person because they offer the chance to do something when otherwise there would be nothing to do except sit in the grief and sadness. Jesus’ friends wanted to show love and honor to Him in the only ways they had left by visiting the tomb and anointing His body, but due to the timing of His death, they couldn’t. The Jewish Sabbath obligation required them to do nothing but wait and pray.
If Jesus had died at any other time, His loved ones wouldn’t have had to wait. But in knowing how the story ends, we can see how the waiting was essential to God’s plan.
It was during these quiet hours of Holy Saturday that Jesus descended to the realm of the dead to save those who had gone before Him and brought the righteous souls to heaven (Ephesians 4:9). Jesus went down to bring salvation to the souls that had been captive since the beginning of the world, fulfilling His messianic mission to redeem people of all times and all places.
To the people that loved Jesus and were mourning for Him, it appeared that nothing was happening. Their sadness, tears, and prayers were answered with nothing but silence from God. But we know that God was working in that quietness.
When Saturday passed and Sunday morning came, the women were finally able to go and visit the tomb. It was their waiting that placed them perfectly in time to witness the evidence of the resurrection.
God’s command to wait has been woven throughout salvation history. God commanded the Israelites to “be still and wait for the Lord” as they stood stuck at the Red Sea desperate for God to make a way for them (Exodus 14:14). Although we see God’s faithfulness throughout time, it is difficult for us to trust when it comes to our own stories. When we experience a traumatic event, we understand how it’s not just the moment of impact that hurts, but all the painful moments that follow. Hopelessness settles in when we feel like we’ve been waiting with no change in circumstances, when we pray and hear nothing but silence. Some may feel like they’ve been waiting months, years, or even most of their lives. But Holy Saturday shows us how holy waiting can be, how it requires trust, and how much of an act of love towards God it is to keep going even when it feels like nothing is happening.
In our seasons of waiting, may we trust that God is doing something amazing in the quietness. May we keep praying, keep hoping, and keep trusting in Him.
“I wait for the Lord, my soul waits, and in His word I hope. My soul waits for the Lord more than watchmen for the morning, more than watchmen for the morning.”
Psalm 130:5-6