The Jewish Sabbath day before Easter is known as Holy Saturday, observed at the end of the Holy Week. All the gospels mention Holy Saturday, but only Luke explains the law about this particular day. According to Luke 23:55, "The women from Galilee followed as his body was taken away and saw the tomb where his body was placed." After that, they returned home and made ointments and spices to anoint his body, a Jewish custom.
However, the Sabbath had already started by the time they were done, so they rested as required by law. Since Saturday is considered the Sabbath in Jewish tradition, the ladies were not allowed to place the oils and spices they had prepared for the body. This timing is no coincidence, for after the Sabbath is over at the dawn of Sunday they attempt to go and honour the body again. At this point in Luke 24, the glorious miracle is revealed that Jesus was indeed true to His word to rise again. The events between Christ's death and resurrection are detailed in all three synoptic Gospels.
A man by the name of Joseph of Arimathea made arrangements for Jesus's body to be placed in a new tomb, and Mary Magdalene and the other Mary intended to help prepare the body with spices and oils, according to Matthew 27, Mark 15, Luke 23, and John 19. The women ran out of time before it was officially the Sabbath, so the anointing of the body would have to wait until Sunday morning. One would imagine that the time taken to arrive at the tomb must have been filled with tears of sorrow, yet there were glimmers of hope that something could happen on Sunday, as Jesus had said when He was alive.
How should Christians observe Holy Saturday?
The day before Easter is a Sabbath and a time to rest, but it's also a time to remain silent. The original verse from Exodus 20:8: "Remember to observe the Sabbath day by keeping it holy. You have six days each week for your ordinary work, but the seventh day is a Sabbath day of rest dedicated to the Lord your God." The act of keeping something holy is to keep it set aside or reserved for a purpose and this specific day is intended to be a day of rest dedicated to the Lord. While we rest and remain in God's presence, we can cast all our unanswered petitions and unfulfilled hopes at His throne.
The Israelites were told to "be still and wait for the Lord" in Exodus 14:14 when they stood by the Red Sea, awaiting the Lord's intervention. By doing this, they gave the Father permission to move in response to their worries, fears, and personal acts. The Lord showed them when it was time to move, but there came a time of trusting in being still before He revealed what was next.
Spending time together is a necessary component of the relationship the Lord longs for with us. Holy Saturday is a great day not to ask for anything but to spend time within the Spirit of the Lord.
