Holy Saturday, also known as Easter Eve or Black Saturday, is the day between Good Friday and Easter Sunday. It falls during Holy Week on the day before Easter. Holy Saturday commemorates the day that Jesus Christ’s body lay in the tomb after his death on Good Friday. It is a time of reflection and waiting in preparation for the joyful celebration of the Resurrection on Easter Sunday.
The Bible does not provide many details about what happened on the Saturday between Jesus’ crucifixion and resurrection. However, we can gain insight into the significance of Holy Saturday from the Scriptural accounts of Jesus’ death, burial, and resurrection.
The Death of Jesus
All four Gospels give an account of Jesus’ death by crucifixion on Good Friday (Matthew 27:32-56, Mark 15:21-41, Luke 23:26-49, John 19:16-37). After being beaten and mocked by the Roman soldiers, Jesus was crucified between two criminals around 9 AM. As he hung on the cross, Jesus spoke several times, forgiving his persecutors and promising salvation to one of the criminals crucified beside him.
Around noon, darkness fell over the land. Then, at about 3 PM Jesus cried out “It is finished!” (John 19:30) and died. At the moment of his death, the temple curtain was torn in two from top to bottom (Matthew 27:51). This signified that Christ’s sacrificial death opened the way for people to approach God directly, without a priest as intermediary.
After Jesus breathed his last breath, a man named Joseph of Arimathea, who was a secret disciple of Jesus, received permission from Pilate to bury Jesus’ body (Mark 15:43-45). Joseph, along with Nicodemus, took Jesus’ body from the cross, wrapped it in linen cloths with spices, and placed it in a new tomb cut out of rock (Matthew 27:57-60, John 19:38-42). The women who had followed Jesus from Galilee saw where he was buried (Luke 23:55-56).
So Jesus’ body lay in the tomb throughout the Sabbath day (Saturday). The chief priests and Pharisees posted a guard of soldiers at the tomb and sealed the stone over the entrance because they remembered Jesus’ claim that he would rise after three days (Matthew 27:62-66).
The Silence and Waiting of Holy Saturday
The Scriptures say little about what happened on the Saturday between Jesus’ death and resurrection. It was the Jewish Sabbath day, so Jesus’ followers rested according to the Fourth Commandment (Exodus 20:8-11). Luke 23:56 notes the women who had witnessed the crucifixion went home to prepare spices and perfumes for Jesus’ body.
Holy Saturday commemorates the day Jesus’ body lay in the tomb. Some key things to note about Holy Saturday:
– It was a day of grief, sorrow, and waiting. Jesus’ disciples were heartbroken at the death of their Lord and wondering what would happen next.
– Jesus descended into hell and proclaimed his victory over sin and death to imprisoned spirits (1 Peter 3:18-20, 4:6). This descent affirmed Jesus’ triumph over evil.
– While Jesus’ body was in the tomb, his spirit was active and alive. The Creed affirms that Jesus “descended to the dead” before rising again.
– Holy Saturday emphasizes the reality that before the joy of Easter, Jesus truly died and was buried. The silence of his tomb reminds us of the darkness before the dawn.
– The day embodies lingering grief but also eager anticipation of Christ’s victory over death on Easter Sunday.
Holy Saturday remains somewhat enigmatic. It marks the liminal space between the sorrow of Good Friday and the joy of Easter Sunday. The day dwells in uncertainty. Yet in the depths of abandonment, loss, and silence, seeds of hope and new life begin to sprout. Holy Saturday reminds us that suffering and death do not have the final say.
The Resurrection of Jesus Christ
On Sunday morning, some of the women who had witnessed Jesus’ crucifixion and burial went to the tomb to anoint his body with spices (Matthew 28:1, Mark 16:1-3, Luke 24:1, John 20:1). When they arrived, they discovered the large stone covering the tomb’s entrance had been rolled away. The tomb was empty, and an angel appeared announcing that Jesus had risen from the dead as he said he would.
The Gospel accounts describe Jesus appearing to various followers on Easter Sunday and during the following forty days before ascending to heaven (Matthew 28:8-20, Mark 16:9-20, Luke 24:13-53, John 20-21). His appearances validated his resurrection and demonstrated his victory over sin and death.
The resurrection stands as the foundation of Christian faith and hope. Some key things the Bible teaches about Jesus’ resurrection:
– God raised Jesus bodily from the dead, and the empty tomb stands as evidence (Matthew 28:6, Luke 24:3-6).
– Jesus’ resurrection fulfilled Old Testament prophecy and his own predictions (Psalm 16:10, Acts 2:25-32, Matthew 20:19).
– The resurrection affirms Jesus’ divinity as the Son of God and his power over death (Romans 1:4, Revelation 1:18).
– The risen Christ appeared to many eyewitnesses, providing convincing evidence he was alive (Acts 1:3, 1 Corinthians 15:3-8).
– The resurrection establishes Jesus’ lordship and the truth of his teachings (Acts 2:36, Matthew 28:18).
– Jesus’ resurrection previews the future resurrection of believers (1 Corinthians 15:20-22, Romans 6:5).
– The power that raised Jesus from the dead works presently in believers (Ephesians 1:18-20).
The combined witness of Scripture proclaims Jesus’ resurrection as an essential Christian truth. Jesus is alive, death is defeated, and new creation has dawned. The risen Christ turns sorrow into joy, despair into hope, and death into life.
Prophecies of Jesus’ Death and Resurrection
The Old Testament contains prophecies pointing to the suffering, crucifixion, and resurrection of the Messiah. Jesus and the apostles interpreted these prophecies as referring to Jesus and finding their fulfillment in him (Luke 24:25-27, 46). Some key Old Testament prophecies include:
– The Messiah would suffer and die: “He was pierced for our transgressions; he was crushed for our iniquities” (Isaiah 53:5).
– His hands and feet would be pierced: “They have pierced my hands and feet” (Psalm 22:16).
– He would be mocked and insulted: “All who see me mock me; they hurl insults, shaking their heads” (Psalm 22:7).
– Not one of his bones would be broken: “He protects all his bones, not one of them will be broken” (Psalm 34:20).
– His side would be pierced: “They will look on me, the one they have pierced” (Zechariah 12:10).
– He would rise from the dead: “You will not abandon me to the realm of the dead” (Psalm 16:10).
Jesus said the Old Testament Scriptures testified about him (John 5:39). He opened the minds of his disciples to understand these prophecies (Luke 24:45). The fulfillment of prophecies hundreds of years old in Jesus’ death and resurrection adds powerful testimony to his identity as the promised Messiah.
The Significance and Meaning of Holy Saturday
What meaning does Holy Saturday hold for the Christian faith? Here are some key truths this somber day emphasizes:
– It affirms the reality of Jesus’ death. Before his resurrection, Jesus truly experienced human death. His body lay lifeless in the grave.
– It displays the sacrificial nature of Christ’s death. He gave his life as an atoning sacrifice for sins (1 Corinthians 15:3). Holy Saturday recalls the cost of the cross.
– It emphasizes Jesus’ humanity. Fully God and fully man, Jesus shared in our experiences, including grief, suffering, and death (Hebrews 2:14-18, 4:15).
– It highlights the Son’s obedience to the Father. Even to the point of death, Jesus entrusted himself to God’s redemptive plan (Philippians 2:8).
– It directs hope toward the resurrection. Holy Saturday heightens the suspense and anticipation of Easter Sunday. Death gives way to new life.
– It foreshadows our death and resurrection in Christ (Romans 6:3-5). Christ’s passage through death inaugurates new creation.
– It reminds us we do not grieve without hope, because Jesus is risen (1 Thessalonians 4:13-18). His resurrection guarantees the resurrection of believers.
– It calls for silent reflection and meditation, as we wait on the Lord in our darkest moments. God often works in unseen ways during seasons of waiting.
Holy Saturday is a solemn day of faith, focusing on Jesus’ death without skipping ahead to the joy of Easter. It provides space to feel the weight of Christ’s sacrificial death and acknowledge our dependence on the risen Savior.
Holy Saturday Observances and Traditions
Holy Saturday has been observed and commemorated in various ways throughout church history:
– Fasting and prayer: In the early church, Christians would fast and pray through Holy Saturday in preparation for Easter. Some denominations still follow this ancient custom.
– Services in darkness: Worship services incorporate darkness and silence to remember Jesus buried in the tomb. The church remains bare and empty on Holy Saturday.
– “Easter Vigil”: This Saturday night service begins in darkness and ends in a joyous celebration of light and Christ’s resurrection. Candles and lamps symbolize the victory of light over darkness.
– Preparing for baptism: In many traditions, Easter Vigil includes baptizing new believers. The imagery recalls Romans 6, where baptism unites the believer with Christ in his death and resurrection.
– Anointing the sick: Some churches practice anointing the sick or dying on Holy Saturday, symbolizing suffering with Christ and awaiting resurrection.
– Vespers for the Dead: In some traditions, vespers (evening prayers) focus on praying for those who have died in the hope of resurrection. The descent of Jesus’ spirit to the dead is commemorated.
– Decorating Easter eggs: Cultures worldwide decorate eggs on Holy Saturday in anticipation of Easter. The cracking of an egg symbolizes Jesus’ empty tomb.
– Holy fire: In Jerusalem each year, a sacred fire is said to miraculously descend on Holy Saturday. From this fire, candles are lit to symbolize the light of Christ and his victory of death.
– Food traditions: Baking special breads, cakes, and pastries for Easter feasting begins on Holy Saturday in many European cultures. The dough rising represents resurrection life.
These diverse traditions capture the mood and theological significance of Holy Saturday for Christian faith. Solemn reflection on Christ’s sacrificial death gives way to joyful celebration of the resurrection victory.
Holy Week Events Leading Up to Holy Saturday
Holy Saturday is part of the final week of Lent, a 40-day season of preparation and repentance leading up to Easter. The major events of Holy Week include:
– Palm Sunday (1 week before Easter): Jesus rides into Jerusalem and crowds welcome him by waving palm branches and carpeting his path with cloaks and branches.
– Maundy Thursday: Jesus observes Passover with his disciples in the Upper Room, institutes the Lord’s Supper, prays in Gethsemane, and is betrayed and arrested.
– Good Friday: Jesus endures trial, beating, mocking, and crucifixion. He dies on the cross as the perfect sacrifice for sins. His body is removed and buried.
– Holy Saturday: Jesus’ body rests in the tomb on the Jewish Sabbath as his followers grieve his death.
– Easter Sunday: Jesus is resurrected! Women find the tomb empty and angels proclaim Christ risen. Jesus appears to his followers, proving his victory over death.
– Ascension (40 days after Easter): Jesus commissions his disciples and then ascends visibly into heaven, promising to return.
Each part of Holy Week recounts a key event in the Christ’s final days on earth. Together they enact the drama of redemption accomplished through Jesus’ suffering, death, burial, resurrection, and ascension. He faces the powers of sin and death and triumphs forever!
Symbols and Motifs of Holy Saturday
Certain Scriptural symbols and motifs characterize the Holy Saturday story and shape its observance in the church:
– The tomb: The sealed, guarded tomb where Jesus’ body was laid represents the finality of death and Christ’s sacrificial offering of himself.
– The stone: The massive stone sealing the tomb’s entrance symbolizes the obstacle between life and death that only God can remove.
– The darkness: Darkness falling on the land when Jesus died recalls darkness overcoming light. It adds solemnity to Holy Saturday remembrance.
– Silence: The Scripture’s silence and the quiet observance of Holy Saturday express emptiness, loss, lament, and expectation.
– The Sabbath: Jesus rested on the Sabbath, even in death. Holy Saturday honors the Creator’s intent for Sabbath as a gift.
– Spices and perfumes: Prepared to anoint Jesus’ body, they remind us of loving devotion and the lingering aroma of life cut short.
– The descent: Jesus descended to proclaim triumph in death’s domain before rising. Holy Saturday celebrates victory amid despair.
– Light and fire: The Easter Vigil kindles lights in the darkness, anticipating God dispelling the darkness of death forever.
– Baptism: New believers are often baptized on Holy Saturday, uniting with Christ in his death and sharing in his resurrection life.
– Eggs: Decorated eggs represent new life cracking open the shell of death. They foreshadow the empty tomb.
These scriptural symbols and traditional observances capture the meaning of Holy Saturday and direct our hearts toward resurrection hope.
Holy Saturday in the Life of the Church
For early Christians the day between Good Friday and Easter was spent in deep sorrow, prayer, and waiting. Over time Holy Saturday traditions developed:
– Initially a normal fast day, by the 4th century it entailed stricter fasting to honor the day Christ’s body remained in the tomb.
– In Jerusalem, pilgrims would gather to remember Christ’s passion and burial on Holy Saturday.
– By the 4th century Easter Vigil originated, keeping vigil late into night and culminating in Easter morning resurrection celebration.
-Converts to Christianity were often baptized into Christ’s death and resurrection during Easter Vigil.
-As infant baptism became more common, fewer adults were baptized at Easter. But many churches continue that ancient practice.
-In the Middle Ages, communication of church teaching on Holy Saturday was largely through passion plays, sacred art, and medieval mystery plays.
– Holy Saturday acquired an increasingly penitential focus during the Middle Ages. Somber tones still characterize the day.
– Reformation leaders sought to re-establish the primary place of Scripture in communicating Holy Saturday’s meaning.
– Some contemporary churches incorporate Holy Saturday traditions from various eras of church history. Others focus exclusively on the biblical narrative.
-Holy Saturday remains the least celebrated day of the church calendar. Yet it retains deep theological significance.
The church continues to glean from biblical truth and church tradition in commemorating Holy Saturday for contemporary believers. This day of sorrowful waiting confirms death’s reality and kindles the first sparks of resurrection hope.
Prayer and Reflection for Holy Saturday
Holy Saturday lends itself to quiet meditation, prayerful lament, and hopeful expectancy:
– Reflect on Christ’s sacrificial death for you: “He was pierced for our transgressions…The punishment that brought us peace was on him” (Isaiah 53:5,6). Give thanks.
– Express lament and grief at the sorrow of Jesus’ death and burial. “Weep with those who weep” (Romans 12:15).
– Wait in hopeful silence: “Be still before the LORD and wait patiently for him” (Psalm 37:7).
– Consider your own death to sin in Christ: “We were therefore buried with him through baptism into death in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, we too may live a new life” (Romans 6:4).
– Rest in confidence of your own resurrection: “And God raised us up with Christ and seated us with him in the heavenly realms in Christ Jesus” (Ephesians 2:6).
Holy Saturday invites identifying with Christ in his death as we long for the morning of new life. Take time for thoughtful meditation and prayer using Scripture as your guide today.
Conclusion
Holy Saturday stands as a day of silence, sorrow, and waiting in the Church calendar. Yet in the quiet darkness hope anticipates the dawn. Holy Saturday reminds us that the stench and sting of death do not get the final say over followers of Christ. Sin and death and hell have lost! The Savior has conquered. So we wait in expectant hope, trusting that joy comes in the morning.