Saturday After Palm Sunday: The Silence of Saturday
Saturday After Palm Sunday: The Silence of Saturday
The cross was quiet.
The tomb was sealed.
And all of heaven seemed to hold its breath.
It was Saturday.
The noise of the crowds was gone.
The cries from the cross had faded.
And now, in the stillness of a sealed grave, it felt like hope had died.
Saturday isn’t often talked about, but it’s one of the most relatable days in Holy Week. Because it’s the day between the pain and the promise.
What Did Jesus Do on Saturday?
According to Scripture, Jesus’ body lay in the tomb.
“Then they took the body of Jesus and wrapped it in linen cloths with spices… and laid it in a new tomb.”
—John 19:40–42
It was the Sabbath, the Jewish day of rest. No work. No movement. No change.
Yet, while His body rested, His spirit was at work.
Many theologians believe Jesus descended into the realm of the dead, proclaiming His victory over sin and death (see 1 Peter 3:18–19, Ephesians 4:9). Though mysterious, this affirms that even in death, Jesus reigned.
Still, to the world, it looked like defeat.
What Was Jesus Thinking?
While we don’t have His thoughts recorded for this moment, we can be certain of one thing: He wasn’t done.
The work on the cross was finished… but the resurrection was coming.
Saturday was the silence before the stone rolled away.
A sacred pause. A divine delay.
It reminds us that God does some of His greatest work in the waiting.
How Did the Disciples Feel?
Saturday was brutal.
Grief filled their hearts.
Shame overwhelmed them (especially Peter).
Fear ruled their thoughts—they were hiding behind locked doors.
They didn’t yet know that Sunday was coming.
They couldn’t see resurrection on the horizon.
To them, the story felt over.
Maybe that’s where you are today.
Between heartbreak and healing.
Between the diagnosis and the deliverance.
Between the cross and the comeback.
Saturday gives you permission to feel that.
But it also invites you to hope anyway.
What Does This Mean for Us?
Holy Saturday teaches us to trust God in the silence.
When He feels absent, He’s still working.
When the tomb seems closed, life is still on the way.
When the world says “it’s over,” heaven whispers, “just wait.”
We all live through Saturdays—those in-between seasons where grief is heavy and answers are few.
But Saturday is not the end.
Final Thought
If Good Friday tells us that Jesus died for us,
And Easter Sunday tells us He rose again…
Then, Holy Saturday tells us to hold on.
It reminds us that even when God is silent, He is never absent.
The tomb is not the final word.
The silence is not the final scene.