Silent Saturday

Each day of Holy week we are featuring devotionals written by members of our congregation. Today’s devotional is by Abby Jessup!

Luke 23:50-56

A little group standing at the edge of a crowd of spectators. They could not do anything but watch, wait, and weep. Only a few words from the man who hung there, clinging to breath as they wondered—Is this the good kingdom? Is this what power and resurrection and life look like?Hidden in their hearts were His words and his miracles; even now what hope could be found.

Taking his last breath:

“Father, into your hands I commit my spirit.”

And next a hurried and hushed sight for the rich men named Joseph and Nicodemus and the small group of women. Sabbath was upon them and to these Jewish followers, Sabbath was on Saturday. It was the day that the Lord had completed His creation in Genesis. He blessed it and rested from His labor.

“Six days shall you labor.”

Sabbath was, and still is, for the Jewish community from sundown to sundown. A day begins at sunset, so by Friday night all must be prepared. So they took his body down and laid him in a new tomb. The women fully anticipated coming back to complete his bodily preparation.

But for now…

Exodus 20:8–11

“Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy. Six days you shall labor, and do all your work, but the seventh day is a Sabbath to the LORD your God. On it you shall not do any work, you, or your son, or your daughter, your male servant, or your female servant, or your livestock, or the sojourner who is within your gates. For in six days the LORD made the heavens and the earth, the sea, and all that is in them, and rested on the seventh day. Therefore the LORD blessed the Sabbath day and made it holy.

So like a seed in the ground that winter hides away until spring.

I used to wonder as a child, why was it Sunday that he rose from the grave? Why three days? Besides the obvious—to prove that He was very dead—I’m now seeing the point was laid down back in Genesis that God rested from His work.

Christ’s work for our atonement and salvation was completed as they laid his body down.

“It is finished.”

Silent Saturday is a blessed comfort, for just as Christ’s followers could not do anything to save Christ on the cross, so too are we unable in our own salvation. His work took away our wrath and shame that we would otherwise reap on the day when all creation will be judged.

Instead, He is calling us into His rest. Into His finished work.

Our sin has been buried with Him. So as we go about this day, we feel the fullness of anticipation and the fulfilled promise of rest. Not because we got it for ourselves, but because it is given to you and me. The creation mandate and rhythms of weekly Sabbath were and are always meant to point us to the greater rest in Christ. We could never work our way to our own completion; it was always Christ’s to fulfill.

Tomorrow is Spring. And like the hull of a seed splitting, we will celebrate a bursting forth that He is making all things new.

Lord,

May the rest and resurrection that were completed in Christ stir in our hearts. May your finished work call us deeper to follow your path of righteousness and joy. And from your completion may we be generous and fruitful because of the ultimate rest you are calling us to.

Amen