Silent Saturday

The Day in Between

We know all about the blood and gore of Jesus’ crucifixion on Friday. We’ve read all about His spectacular Resurrection on Sunday. 

But what about Saturday? What went down on the day in between? Max Lucado calls it the silence of Saturday.

It’s the Sabbath. The day of rest. God doesn’t utter a word. Christ’s followers aren’t quoted in any of the Gospels. 

But in his biography of Jesus, the Apostle Matthew tells us of a business meeting (Mt 27:62-66). The enemies of the radical Rabbi/Carpenter huddle up.

They are anything but silent. That Troublemaker from Galilee is in the grave. They want to make sure His body stays there. Little did they realize that Sunday’s coming!

A Wild Couple of Days

Friday had been a long day for everybody involved. A VERY long day. There was very little sleep Thursday night. 

Jesus and His closest followers went to the olive grove known as Gethsemane to pull an all-nighter, praying about what was about to happen.

Judas Iscariot tipped off religious authorities about the Messiah’s previously undisclosed location. In a raid not unlike Zero Dark Thirty, Judas led troops on a late night ambush of Christ. 

The rest of the night was spent dragging their Captive from one kangaroo court to another.

Gruesome Good Friday

At sunrise, Jesus’ enemies pressure the Roman governor to crucify Him as an enemy of the empire. 

He’s tortured and then forced to carry His own cross, not unlike a convicted murderer lugging his own electric chair out of Death Row. 

The crowd that threw a coat-throwing and palm-waving parade in His honor last Sunday now cheers for His execution.

That’s when Friday gets even more gory. Roman centurions pound what look like railroad spikes through our Savior’s hands and feet. 

They raise the cross with the dying Jesus between two of Jerusalem’s most wanted. For several hours, Christ bleeds and struggles to breathe.

The sky goes strangely dark at high noon. About 3pm, Jesus screams and dies. 

To make sure his Victim is truly deceased, one of the Roman executioners rams his spear through Jesus’ side and into His heart. A disgusting combination of body fluids pours out.

The Corpse of Christ

The Rabbi/Carpenter won’t be bothering anybody again. Or so they thought. 

A couple of previously secret supporters of the Son of God take His lifeless corpse down from the cross.

There’s no time to waste because the Sabbath starts at sunset. They hurry to get His remains in the grave before the sun goes down. 

Yeah, Friday’s been a long day. A VERY long day.

Saturdays in Jerusalem are pretty quiet. After all, it is the Sabbath. 

That's God’s divine gift of a day off to His people after 400 years of working seven days a week back in Egypt. And it’s even more special since this is the Sabbath after Passover.

Sneaking around on the Sabbath

But who’s that over there? It’s a group of guys in a big hurry. And this isn’t just any bunch of dudes. 

You can tell by their fancy duds that these are the chief priests and the Pharisees. Where are they going on Sabbath Saturday? Something must be up.

Matthew tips us off that they are meeting with Pontius Pilate at the governor’s mansion (v62). They cut to the chase with their demand. 

“Sir, we remember how that impostor said, while He was still alive, ‘After three days I will rise’” (v63).

Con Artist or Christ?

They won’t even say His name. They tag Jesus as “the impostor.” They slap Him with Greek label πλανος/planos, which describes a deceiver, corrupter, tramp, wanderer, or vagrant. 

Think of a grifter or con artist who moves from town to town. His critics called Christ that back before they killed Him.

A few years ago at the Feast of Booths, they trashed His rep by saying, “No, He is leading people astray (Gr. πλανaω/planao)” (Jn 7:12). 

It’s a label that stuck with His followers. Just ask Paul. He tells his friends in Corinth how “We are treated as impostors (Gr. πλανος/planos), and yet are true” (2Cor 6:8).

A Mole on the Inside

Interestingly, Jesus’ own enemies are well aware that He predicted His own resurrection. They remember very clearly how He said, “After three days I will rise” (v63). 

The Son of God repeatedly tells His personal posse what will happen when He gets to Jerusalem but how He’ll walk right out of the graveyard (Mt 16:21; 17:23; 20:18-19; Mk 8:31; 10:33-34; Lk 9:22; 18:32-33).

You may wonder how Christ’s opponents got wind of His prediction to His disciples. Remember, they had a mole on the inside, the infamous Judas Iscariot.

Calling His Shot

In between Jesus’ death and resurrection, there’s somebody else who reminds folks about His prediction of walking out of the cemetery. 

The angel at the tomb reminded Mary Magdalene that Jesus’ grave is empty just as He had predicted. “He is not here, for He has risen, as He said” (Mt 28:6; Lk 24:6).

Baseball fans still talk about Babe Ruth pointing to the bleachers before hitting a homer in the World Series. That’s little league compared to Jesus announcing His resurrection while He was still alive. Talk about calling your shot!

Send in the Army

Meanwhile back at the governor’s mansion, the chief priests and Pharisees put the squeeze on Pilate to provide a security detail in the graveyard. 

“Therefore order the tomb to be made secure until the third day, lest His disciples go and steal Him away and tell the people, ‘He has risen from the dead,’ and the last fraud will be worse than the first” (v64).

Jesus may have forecast His resurrection so these religious bullies aren’t taking any chances. 

Just in case, they need armed guards at the tomb to keep the grave-robbing disciples from pulling a fast one.

If you thought things were whack while this crazy Rabbi was still alive, you ain’t seen nothing if His followers believe He rose from the dead! 

Jesus’ enemies want to put a stop to this madness, right here and right now. Send in the army.

Providing Proof

Pilate agrees. I have a sneaking suspicion he caves in so that these knuckleheads will get off his front porch on a Saturday. 

“So they went and made the tomb secure by sealing the stone and setting a guard” (v66).

The chief priests and Pharisees had to feel pretty cocky at this point. They thought they were preventing the grave robbing of Jesus’ corpse. 

Instead they are actually providing amazing proof of His resurrection! But that’s a story for another time.

Disciples In Hiding

So what were Jesus’ followers doing that particular Saturday? Apparently they were hiding out somewhere in the city behind a locked door. They figured they would be next.

Dr. Luke does give us one little tidbit of what Mary from Magdala and the other women did that day. “On the Sabbath they rested according to the commandment” (Lk 23:56).

While the so-called religious experts are hard at work conniving with Pilate, Jesus’ followers did what God’s Word told them to do. 

They rested. Granted, it probably wasn’t very restful. But they rested.

Sunday’s Coming!

What they didn’t know was what was about to happen. Sunday was about to happen. Resurrection was about to happen. 

They had no clue that this would be the last Saturday Sabbath for the followers of Christ!

Once the risen Jesus walks out of the tomb on Sunday, His followers change their day of worship. 

Hang tight 'cause Sunday’s coming.

©2015
Jay Jennings