“Silent Saturday” given to that inactive day between Good Friday and Resurrection Sunday. Of course, it was the Sabbath (Saturday) when devoted Jews did no work and very little activity. Yet our “enquiring minds want to know” what was going on in the lives of main characters during the Silent Saturday Sabbath.
What were the disciples doing? Only John the Beloved was present with the women at the foot of the cross (John 19:25-26). It seems the other disciples were locked away in the Upper Room, fearful that the blood-thirsty mob would come for them (John 20:19).
What was Jesus doing? One thing for certain–Christ was not hanging on the cross. When the expert Roman crucifiers had certified our Lord was dead, they allowed Nicodemus to remove His body from the cross. The body eas anointed with spices, wrapped in traditional straps of cloth, and placed in the newly-hewn tomb if Joseph of Aramathea (John 19: 38-42). This was done hastily on Friday; the Sabbath was almost upon them!
BUT THE SPIRIT OF JESUS WAS NOT IN THAT BODY, if we are to believe the plain teachings of Christ and the Apostle Paul. Our Master spoke about the Rich Man and Lazarus in Luke 16:19-31). In verses 22-23 He said both men died and their souls went immediately to their eternal states; Lazarus into eternal comfort and peace but the Rich Man to eternal torment.
We get a better understanding when we read Paul’s words in 2 Corinthians 5:8 where he writes that to be absent from the body is to be present with the Lord, immediately! There is no such thing as “soul sleep”!
So where was Jesus on silent Saturday? When Jesus spoke His final words from the cross, “Into Your hands I commit my spirit”, He gave up His spirit here and went to be with the Lord, there! Oh, He would be back– to appear to believers on Resurrection Sunday morning, so stay tuned!
What is the message of Silent Saturday for us today? All of us pass through hours of hurt and anguish.
We all have our “bad Fridays” and hope for Resurrection deliverance. We pray and ask the Lord for relief and help. But it seems the heavens are made of brass; all we seem to get are “Silent Saturdays”. What are we to do?
We can do what our Lord did from the cross. He had words with the Father and we can “have a little (BIG) talk with Jesus”! We can tell Him all about our troubles, and it’s okay to ask Him “why?” Jesus asked why He was forsaken. And these Silent Saturdays teach us patience and to “wait upon the Lord” (Isaiah 40:38-41). And we can rest assured that even though we walk through the valley of dark shadows on Silent Saturday, Resurrection Day is coming!