Tag: Holy Saturday

Holy Saturday

The Guards Secure the Tomb

The next day, on the Sabbath, the leading priests and Pharisees went to see Pilate. They told him, “Sir, we remember what that deceiver once said while He was still alive: ‘After three days I will rise from the dead.’ So we request that you seal the tomb until the third day. This will prevent His disciples from coming and stealing His body and then telling everyone He was raised from the dead! If that happens, we’ll be worse off than we were at first.” Pilate replied, “Take guards and secure it the best you can.” So they sealed the tomb and posted guards to protect it. (Matthew 27:62-66)

It had been a long week. On Sunday, Jesus rode triumphantly into Jerusalem. On Monday, He cleansed the temple. On Tuesday, He debated with the Jewish leaders. On Wednesday, He was anointed by Mary, the sister of Lazarus. On Thursday, He washed His disciples’ feet at the Last Supper. On Friday, He was crucified at the place of the skull. And then came Saturday. 

On Friday, Jesus cried out, “It is finished!” But on Saturday, when His body lay still and the stone was in place over the entrance of the tomb, Jesus was silent. Sunday may be coming, but for now, everything is quiet. Even the Lord was quiet. Max Lucado writes, “He (God) made Himself heard on Friday. He tore the curtains of the temple, opened the graves of the dead, rocked the earth, blocked the sun of the sky, and sacrificed the Son of Heaven. Earth heard much of God on Friday.” However… there is “Nothing on Saturday. Jesus is silent. God is silent. Saturday is silent.” 

Because of its silence, Holy Saturday doesn’t get much attention in the life of the church. Christians often observe Maundy Thursday with foot washing, Good Friday with Communion, and Easter Sunday with an explosive celebration. Good Friday marks the day when Jesus paid the price of redemption, and Easter Sunday marks the day of His glorious resurrection, but there in between is Saturday, and on that day, He is silent. It’s in this type of silence that we often feel the sting of death the hardest and sense the deepest sadness, which, until the quiet, we’ve hidden away inside ourselves. 

Sometimes God is silent on Saturday. In life, we experience many silent Saturdays. We might even endure a week or a month or even a year of Saturdays when we’re just waiting for God to speak. In those days, we must remember that Saturday’s silence is never God’s final word. He has not abandoned us. He is hard at work in our lives for our good and for His purposes. 

Yes, it can be deathly quiet on Saturday, but Sunday is on the way.

Prayer: Lord, in times when You seem silent, help us to always remember that You have not abandoned us and that You still have wonderful plans for our lives. In Jesus’ name, Amen. 

Followup Activity: Today, write out a prayer list of those people you would like to see God transform, specific needs you would like to see Him meet, and for guidance and patience in your own life as you wait for Easter Sunday. If you are leading your family through this devotion, lead them to do the same.

*Photo courtesy of Sincerely Media

**This devotion is part of RENEWED, a Holy Week Devotional from Celebration Church in New Orleans available for free download at http://www.celebrationchurch.org/library

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Saturdays Are For Waiting

“The next day, on the Sabbath, the leading priests and Pharisees went to see Pilate. They told him, ‘Sir, we remember what that deceiver once said while He was still alive: ‘After three days I will rise from the dead.’ So we request that you seal the tomb until the third day. This will prevent His disciples from coming and stealing His body and then telling everyone He was raised from the dead! If that happens, we’ll be worse off than we were at first.’ Pilate replied, ‘Take guards and secure it the best you can.’ So they sealed the tomb and posted guards to protect it.” (Matthew 27:62-66)

It’s Saturday. Jesus’ body lies silently in Joseph’s tomb. Much was spoken on Friday. Jesus will surprise the world on Sunday. But today is Saturday and Jesus is silent. God the Father is also silent. He made Himself known on Friday. He ripped the curtains of the temple from top to bottom. He opened the graves of dead and brought many back to life. He blocked the sun and allowed the darkness. He watched the sacrifice of His Son. His only Son. Yes, God was heard and known on Friday. And He will certainly act on Sunday. But it’s Saturday. So far, we hear nothing from Jesus. We hear nothing from God. There’s nothing to do but wait in the silence.

Most Easter sermons, devotions, articles and discussions skip Saturday altogether. Good Friday and Easter Sunday get all the attention. The crucifixion and the resurrection command our thoughts, as they should. But we can’t ignore Saturday, even if it is a silent Saturday. Because we all have our own silent Saturdays as well, those days between our own struggles and their solutions. Silent Saturdays are difficult. They torment us. We can’t help but wonder if God is mad at us. Did we somehow disappoint Him? He’s certainly doing a good job of giving us the silent treatment. Why doesn’t He speak? He knows what’s going on? He knows Jesus is in the tomb. He knows the issues we’re facing. He knows all about our failing careers, our disappointing marriages, and our financial disasters. So why is He silent? What are we supposed to do until He speaks?

Ironically, we do what Jesus did. We lie still. We stay silent. We trust God. We remember God’s promises. Jesus died knowing that “You will not abandon Me to the grave, nor will You let Your Holy One see decay.” (Acts 2:27 NIV) Jesus knew God would not leave Him alone in the grave. God will also not leave us alone with our struggles. His silence is not His absence. His inactivity is not His apathy. Silent Saturdays have their purpose. They let us feel the full force of God’s strength. If God had raised Jesus from the dead ten minutes after His death, would we appreciate the act? If God were to solve our problems as soon as they appear, would we be thankful for His strength?

It’s God’s business if He wants to insert a Saturday between our Good Fridays and our Easter Sundays. When we find ourselves in a silent Saturday, not knowing if an Easter Sunday is on the way, we must be strong and courageous. We must trust in Him who is always faithful. We must be patient.

Prayer: Lord, help us to wait on You and trust in You, even on our silent Saturdays, when we don’t know what You are doing next.  

Followup Activity –  Find a quiet place where you can be alone for a few moments. Make a list of issues of which you are waiting for the Lord to move. Pray over each item on your list, telling God you trust Him to work in the situation even if you can’t see Him move.

*Photo courtesy of Nathan Dumlao

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