Holy Saturday: The Silence Before the Dawn
“They took the body of Jesus and wrapped it in linen cloths with the spices, according to the burial custom of the Jews… They laid Jesus there.” John 19:40, 42
Holy Saturday is the quiet day. A day of waiting. The day between the sorrow of the cross and the joy of the resurrection. A day of wonder, mystery, waiting. A day that calls for patience. An invitation to trust God amid discouragement and uncertainty.
For the disciples, this day must have felt unbearable. Their Lord, the one they had followed for years, was gone. His voice, which had commanded the seas and calmed their fears, was silent. His hands, which had healed the sick and broken bread for thousands, were still. This Immanuel, who had come to dwell with them, was sealed away in a tomb.
We, too, experience seasons of waiting, of silence, of wondering if God is still at work. We experience times of feeling sealed off from His presence. Prayers seem unanswered. Darkness lingers. The pain of Good Friday still echoes, but Easter morning has not yet come.
And yet, God is not absent in the waiting. The silence of Holy Saturday is not the end of the story. Even in the stillness, God is preparing something unimaginable. Death is about to be defeated. The grave is about to lose its hold.
If you find yourself in a season of waiting, take heart. Holy Saturday reminds us that even when we cannot see it, God is still working. His promises are still true. His love has not failed.
And Sunday is coming.
Father, in the waiting, help me to trust You. When I cannot see or understand, remind me that You are still working, even in the silence. Fill my heart with hope as I wait for the dawn of Your resurrection power. Amen.