Sabbath Sanctuary: Holy Saturday

Yesterday, we remembered Christ and His crucifixion; His holy sacrifice for our filthiness and sin. Every sin I have committed, every idle word I have spoken, was nailed to the cross yesterday. I need only repent and apply His sacrifice to my life.  

As Good Friday passes, we look forward to Easter Sunday to celebrate the most significant event of all time—the Resurrection. Christ defeated death, hell, and the grave. He tasted death for us and overcame it. He holds the keys to hell; it is a celebration indeed!

Saturday seems to get lost in the holiday preparations. We return to the mundane life routine,  preparing food, doing the laundry, and preparing for worship on Sunday. But what about Saturday? Scripture, too, quickly passes over Saturday. There seems to be a void after the horrific crucifixion scene the previous day, and the celebration of an empty grave on Sunday. Matthew grants a glimpse into some of the events on Saturday; the Pharisees before Pilate, ensuring the grave is guarded, there will be no grave robbing this night!

Holy Saturday is a time of waiting, when nothing significant occurs. “The crucifixion, deliberately timed to precede the Sabbath day (which in John’s chronology was the Passover itself), was naturally followed by a pause when nothing would happen, and certainly no visit to the tomb by Mary and the others to anoint the body” (Alan Lewis, p.3).  Saturday is just an ordinary day, with Jesus' body seemingly lying in the cold, hard tomb, leaving all creation to groan for Him.

Though Jesus’ body may be entombed and lying on that cold, hard rock slab, there is much happening behind the scenes, taking place in the unseen heavens before His pierced, precious body is resurrected.

Jesus was not idle on Saturday; He was busy freeing the captives, declaring His victory over the devil and his minions. The prophet Hosea foretold this in Hosea 13:14: "Shall I ransom them from the power of Sheol? Shall I redeem them from death? O Death, where are your thorns? O Sheol, where is your sting? Compassion will be hidden from My sight" {NASB}. And so too, the prophet Zechariah 9:11: "As for you also, because of the blood of My covenant with you, I have set your prisoners free from the waterless pit" {NASB}.  Peter penned in 1 Peter 3:19-20a, "In which also He went and made proclamation to the spirits now in prison, who once were disobedient" {NASB}.

Paul also tells us in Ephesians 4:9, "What does it mean except that He also had descended into the lower parts of the earth?"{NASB}. Jesus defeated death, hell, and the devil, and mocked them openly; "When He had disarmed the rulers and authorities, He made a public display of them, having triumphed over them through Him" {Colossians 2:15 NASB}.  

Sabbath Saturday seemed quiet; the dust was settling from the events and commotion of the traumatic events of Good Friday, and a quiet hush seemed to hold the city captive. It looked like everything was dead. Everything the disciples hoped for is gone—their dreams died and were buried with Jesus. They could not see all that Jesus was doing. He was overcoming death so that He could ascend to take His place at the Father's right hand. Christ presented Himself, the perfect sacrifice, and sprinkled His blood on the Heavenly Mercy Seat.

So rest this Sabbath, and know what Christ did for you in His death. Rest this Sabbath, Saturday—tomorrow is Resurrection!

Alan E. Lewis, Between Cross & Resurrection: A Theology Of Holy Saturday (Grand Rapids: Eerdmans Publishing Company, 2001), 3.