Discover the meaning, traditions, and importance of Holy Saturday for Christians throughout history and around the world.
What Is Holy Saturday?
Holy Saturday is referred to in each Gospel, but Luke gives a glimpse into the law behind this specific day. Luke 23:55 shares, “As his body was taken away, the women from Galilee followed and saw the tomb where his body was placed. Then they went home and prepared spices and ointments to anoint his body. But by the time they were finished the Sabbath had begun, so they rested as required by the law.”
Saturday in Jewish tradition is the Sabbath, so it was against the law of the land for the women 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 honor the body again, and it is then in Luke 24 that the glorious miracle is revealed that indeed Jesus was true to His word to rise again.
Each Gospel account is very similar in the account of what occurred between the death of Christ and His resurrection. Matthew 27, Mark 15, Luke 23, and John 19 each share in describing that a man by the name of Joseph made provisions for Jesus’s body to be laid in a new tomb and Mary Magdalene and the other Mary intended to assist in preparing the body with spices and oils. 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 hours between arriving at the tomb must have been filled with tears of sorrow, yet glimmers of hope that indeed He would do as He said on Sunday.
Holy Saturday Traditions
Holy Saturday, also called Easter Vigil, commemorates the final day of Christ’s death, which is traditionally associated with His triumphant descent into hell.
Churches that observe Holy Saturday traditionally do so by commemorating a day of somber meditation as they consider the world of darkness that would exist without the hope and redemption of Christ’s resurrection.
The early church honored the end of Lent with great baptismal ceremonies. However, for many centuries no ceremonies were observed on Holy Saturday in Western churches. This harkened to the suspended status of Christ’s followers in the time between his Crucifixion and Resurrection.
How Should Christians Observe Holy Saturday?
The day preceding the miracle is yes, a Sabbath, a day to rest, but it is also a day to be still. Exodus 20:8 is the original verse explaining to God’s people how to observe this law, “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 meant to rest in dedication to the Lord. On Holy Saturday Christians today can take this a step further in resting or abiding in what the Lord is doing today.
Just as Jesus’ followers waited the tedious hours of that Saturday to see what would occur Sunday, so we wait to see the hand of the Lord in our own lives. The prayers that are yet to be answered and the hopes left lingering still can all be placed at the throne of God as we rest and abide in His presence. Exodus 14:14 shared to, “be still and wait for the Lord” as the Israelites stood at the banks of the Red Sea waiting for the Lord to act, and so in that they yielded their fears, their worries, and their own actions to the Father for movement. When it was time to move, the Lord made it clear to them, but there came a time of trusting in being still before He revealed what was next.
The Holy Fire on Holy Saturday
The Holy Fire is a miracle that happens every year at the Church of the Holy Sepulchre in Jerusalem on Holy Saturday. It is commonly regarded to be the oldest witnessed annual miracle in the Christian world, documented continuously since 1106. In many Orthodox countries, the Holy Fire ceremony is televised live.
The observance begins at noon when the Patriarch of Jerusalem or another Orthodox Archbishop reads a particular prayer. The Christians gathered will then chant “Lord, have mercy” until the Holy Fire descends on a lamp of olive oil held by the patriarch while he is alone in the tomb chamber of Jesus Christ. The patriarch will then exit from the tomb chamber and light candles to distribute to the faithful.
The fire is also said to spontaneously light other lamps and candles around the church. Pilgrims say the Holy Fire will not burn human skin in the first 33 minutes after it is ignited. Before entering the Lord’s Tomb, the patriarch or presiding archbishop is inspected by Israeli authorities to prove that he does not carry the means to light the fire himself.
Scriptures and Prayer for Holy Saturday
“And if Christ has not been raised, your faith is futile and you are still in your sins.” ~ 1 Corinthians 15:17
“And Jesus said to them, “Have you come out as against a robber, with swords and clubs to capture me? Day after day I was with you in the temple teaching, and you did not seize me. But let the Scriptures be fulfilled.” And they all left him and fled.” ~ Mark 14:48-50
“The next day, that is, after the day of Preparation, the chief priests and the Pharisees gathered before Pilate and said, “Sir, we remember how that impostor said, while he was still alive, ‘After three days I will rise.’ 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.” Pilate said to them, “You have a guard of soldiers. Go, make it as secure as you can.” So they went and made the tomb secure by sealing the stone and setting a guard.” ~ Matthew 27:62-66
“On the evening of that day, the first day of the week, the doors being locked where the disciples were for fear of the Jews, Jesus came and stood among them and said to them, “Peace be with you.” When he had said this, he showed them his hands and his side. Then the disciples were glad when they saw the Lord. Jesus said to them again, “Peace be with you. As the Father has sent me, even so I am sending you.” And when he had said this, he breathed on them and said to them, “Receive the Holy Spirit. If you forgive the sins of any, they are forgiven them; if you withhold forgiveness from any, it is withheld.” ~ John 20:19-23
Lord God,
On the Sabbath,
Jesus rested.
He was in the grave.
He had finished his work.
To most people’s eyes,
It looked as if it were all over.
He was dead and buried.
But only as a seed dies when it is planted in the earth,
Not to decay, but to spring to new life.
Teach us to take refuge in you when we are afraid
Teach us that death is not our end
Teach us to hope always in you
And in the resurrection, the making of all things New.
Through Jesus Christ our Lord, Amen.
God Bless You and Your Families!
Love,
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