Silent Saturday: Waiting and Trusting in the Silence
Friday ended with the cross. The sky went dark, the curtain was torn, the earth quaked and Jesus breathed His last. His body was wrapped, laid in a borrowed tomb, and the stone was rolled shut.
And then came Silent Saturday.
No miracles. No crowds. No words. Just silence.
This is the day in between—the day when it seemed like hope had died and Heaven had gone quiet.
The Tomb Is Sealed
Matthew 27:62–66 (ESV)
“So they went and made the tomb secure by sealing the stone and setting a guard.”
The religious leaders, fearing someone would steal the body, convinced Pilate to place guards at the tomb. If the chief priests and Pharisees approached Pilate on the Sabbath with their request, it is clear to see how radically they broke the Sabbath Law. A stone was sealed. Soldiers stood watch. In human terms, it looked final.
But while they were securing a grave, The Resurrection was coming.
We do not see this as defeat, but as the stillness before victory. God’s promises don’t unfold on our timetable – and His Word never fails.
The Disciples Scatter and Wait
Scripture gives us very little about what the disciples did on Saturday. We’re left to imagine the silence, the sorrow, and the questions:
- “Was He really the Messiah?”
- “What now?”
- “Why didn’t He stop it?”
- “Could the Son of God really die?”
Their faith had to be shaken. But even in their distress, God was still at work. The cross was not the end—it was part of the plan.
We recognize this as a moment to embrace the reality of God’s providence. We recognize His ways are not our ways. (Isaiah 55:8-9 ESV)
For my thoughts are not your thoughts,
neither are your ways my ways, declares the Lord.
For as the heavens are higher than the earth,
so are my ways higher than your ways
and my thoughts than your thoughts.
There are times in our Christian walk when we let our emotions tell us we are alone and God is distant from us—but we know He is present. He is faithful, and at work, even in the waiting.
A Day of Rest and Fulfilled Law
According to the Gospels, Saturday was the Sabbath—a day of rest commanded in the Law (Luke 23:56). But now, the One who fulfilled the Law lay resting in the grave.
Now, the question is good to be asked, “Why would the Jewish Leaders gather before the Roman governor (Pilate) on the Sabbath to ask about sealing the tomb?” The Jewish leaders even give Pilate the reverent title of “Lord” when asking to seal the tomb. This title of “Lord” was typically used by believers only for Jesus, God, or parables of God. These leaders are keeping something interesting in mind – “were Jesus’ words going to come to pass?” He had claimed to these Jewish leaders that the one sure sign they would see was “the sign of the prophet Jonah” – meaning, His death and resurrection. They pose their concern as worry over what the disciples will do (Matt. 27:63-66), but they may be concerned for Jesus words of resurrection coming true.
Sabbath laws were part of the ceremonial system that pointed forward to Jesus. Once Christ came, the shadow gave way to the reality.
Colossians 2:17 (ESV)
“These are a shadow of the things to come, but the substance belongs to Christ.”
Because Jesus is the ultimate fulfillment of the Sabbath, we now gather on the Lord’s Day to celebrate the resurrection. He replaced the ceremonial observance with spiritual reality. He provides eternal rest through salvation.
Jesus had finished His work as he declared on the cross. Saturday is silent—but it’s with purpose.
What Silent Saturday Teaches Us
- God is at work even when we can’t see it.
- Waiting is part of the journey of faith. Trust grows in the stillness.
- Jesus truly died. The full reality of His humanity and sacrifice is affirmed by His time in the grave.
- Resurrection is coming. The silence of Saturday only makes the victory of Sunday louder.
Reflection
Silent Saturday invites us to sit in the stillness—not to despair, but to trust and remember. God is not done. The stone may be sealed, but the grave cannot hold the King.
Cling to God’s Word and the assurance that when your faith is tested and life feels uncertain, God is in control. There has never been, and there never will be, a situation where God is not ruling and reigning. As the song says, “Behold our God, seated on his throne, come – let us adore him. Behold our King! Nothing can compare, come let us adore him!” In view of Silent Saturday, we must remember the resurrection is already on the calendar. He has not forgotten.
The silence will break. The Son will RISE.