Holy Week – Saturday

Total Readings: Matthew 27:62-66; Luke 23:56

Readings Explained:
Luke 23:56 = Women Rested on the Sabbath
Matthew 27:62-66 = Jewish Leaders Request Guard from Pilate

Some extra explanations:
The Saturday in Holy Week is most commonly called “Holy Saturday.”  We remember Jesus’ time in the tomb.  It is also known as “Black Saturday”, “Easter Eve”, or the “Great Sabbath.”

Some Thoughts:
We’ve been reading about Jesus’ pain and the events leading to His crucifixion, but today I’m imagining what His followers must have been experiencing on this “day after”.  I’m not sure we can imagine the shock and emotional trauma Jesus’ followers were experiencing.  They had just had their hopes dashed to the ground.  Even though Jesus told them what to expect, did they understand, or even reflect and remember His words?  Could they possibly have hope they would see Him alive again? 

I remember when someone close to me died tragically that I kept thinking it might not be true; that there may have been a mistake.  The Galilean women mentioned in Luke 23:56 are not called by name, but we read elsewhere that they were Mary Magdalene, Joanna (wife of Chuza, Herod’s steward), Mary the mother of James, and other unnamed women who had supported Jesus’ ministry.  Did it feel surreal to them?  Did they wonder if it had been a “mistake” and that maybe it wasn’t truly Jesus nailed to the cross?

Scripture says that they “rested” in obedience to the Sabbath laws.  They must have felt they had a job undone.  They went home following the crucifixion and prepared spices and perfumes to return following the Sabbath to properly anoint Jesus’ body for burial.  But there was no “closure” for them.

What were the other disciples doing?  They had run away.  We know that John witnessed the crucifixion because he tells us so in John 19:26 ~ “²⁶ When Jesus saw his mother there, and the disciple whom he loved standing nearby, he said to her, ‘Woman, here is your son,’ ²⁷ and to the disciple, ‘Here is your mother.’ From that time on, this disciple took her into his home.”  I imagine that John comforted Mary as best as he could.  I try to imagine Mary’s grief.  Even though she knew Jesus was the Son of God, her heart must have been broken beyond imagination.  She already had lost her husband Joseph and now a beloved son.  I’ve heard parents say that losing a child is an especially “hard grief” because most parents expect to die before their children.  What was Mary feeling?
Just as Jesus wept at the grave of Lazarus, even though He knew He was going to raise Lazarus, I believe God wept with these followers of Jesus in their grief, even though He knew what was coming would bring them glorious joy beyond belief.  He is close to the brokenhearted.  When we’re experiencing the “Saturday between Friday and Sunday” metaphorically, we have a God who is near who comforts us. 

Prayer:
Thank You for being the God of comfort to our broken hearts.  You see the past, the present, and future all at once.  Yet, You sympathize with us in our present suffering.  Help us to remember Your words of encouragement, and to focus on Your peace, Your constant presence, Your promise of eternal life.  You’ve told us to not be afraid and that You provide comfort during trials.  In John 16:33, we hear Your voice speaking:  ³³ “I have told you these things, so that in Me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.”  Thank You, Jesus.

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