Holy Saturday: The Lord’s Timing
“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
Holy Saturday is a strange day. Although situated between the darkness of Good Friday and the joy of Easter Sunday, it seemingly doesn’t carry any emotional weight. And even though historically it is celebrated in some traditions, growing up I never thought about the day having any significance. However, as I reflect on this particular day, I am reminded of two things, the first being the faithfulness of God’s promises. Oftentimes in life we can be tempted to doubt God’s faithfulness in our lives perhaps due to the trials of a particular season of life. We can’t forget that the Gospel story is the promise of salvation that only arrives after the cross.
The second thing I’m reminded of is the virtue of patience. Jesus could have endured His immense suffering and death only to come back to life instantly, and yet He did not. There is a deliberate pause, but why? I’m sure there are many theological and eschatological reasons, but for me I see this pause as a reminder that we operate on God’s timing, not our own.
So this Holy Saturday, let’s take some time to remember how we’ve experienced God’s blessings in the past and how they point to the hope of the future.
Michael Manasseh is a senior at Columbia University majoring in Economics. He is an avid coffee drinker, budding golfer, and a passionate fan of Boston sports.