Holy Week Saturday

Holy Week

Saturday

Scripture References-

The Guarded Tomb- Matthew 27:62-66

The Gospels devote a great deal of space to the events leading up to Jesus’ crucifixion on Thursday and Friday of Passover week, as well as Jesus’ resurrection on Sunday. Yet we are told very little about the day between Good Friday and Easter Sunday. None of the Gospels record any of the activities of the disciples on the Sabbath after His burial and prior to His resurrection, except for Luke, who simply writes, “On the Sabbath they rested according to the commandment.” This reference to the disciples’ Sabbath rest may cover up the inner struggle they were experiencing. It is likely that Jesus’ followers were doing on Saturday what they were doing on Sunday when Jesus appeared in their midst: meeting together behind closed doors in fear of the Jewish leaders. Their hopes and expectations had been crushed. The One they hoped was the Messiah had been killed as a criminal. They hadn’t understood Jesus’ predictions about suffering and dying before the crucifixion took place and it would not be until Jesus appeared among them the following day as the risen Savior and conqueror of death that they would begin to understand. Most likely, they were concerned, if not anxious, or even terrified, that what had happened to their leader would now happen to them as well.

Only Matthew gives any details about what happened that day behind the scenes on the Sabbath. According to his account, it was on Saturday that the Pharisees and chief priests came to Pilate and asked for a guard to be posted at Jesus’ tomb. They told him that Jesus had predicted that He would rise from the dead on the third day. Perhaps the unusual circumstances surrounding Jesus’ death—darkness covering the land, an earthquake, the tearing of the temple curtain—gave the Jewish leaders reason to be concerned. The Pharisees were obviously aware of the predictions Jesus had made about His resurrection, although they didn’t necessarily think that His words would actually come true. In fact, their words show nothing but disdain for Jesus whom they call “that impostor” and “fraud.” Nevertheless, it is ironic that not only were the Jewish leaders aware of Jesus’ prediction that He would rise on the third day, they acted on it, which exhibits more “faith” than Jesus’ own followers at that time. While the Jewish authorities didn’t believe Jesus’ words any more than the disciples did, they were adamant that the body placed in the tomb must stay there and not be removed. These activities on Holy Saturday serve as proof that the Romans and the Jewish authorities secured Jesus’ tomb, which makes it unlikely that grave robbers, such as Jesus’ own disciples, could have stolen the body or that it could have disappeared through some sort of foul play in any other way.