“The women who had come with Jesus from Galilee followed Joseph and saw the tomb and how his body was laid in it. Then they went home and prepared spices and perfumes. But they rested on the Sabbath in obedience to the commandment.” (Luke 23:56-57)

All four gospel accounts end their narratives of the Crucifixion with a report of Jesus’ body being laid in the unused tomb of one Joseph of Arimathea.

They also add that it was the day of preparation for the Sabbath.  Technically, the Sabbath began at sundown on Friday. So, Jesus was buried before Sabbath officially began.

When the story continues in the next chapter though, we are already into Sunday, the first day of the week.

Ever wonder what happened on the Saturday between Good Friday and Resurrection Day?

Not a whole lot, apparently.  At least nothing that the gospel writers considered worth recording for posterity.

The reason, of course, is that it was the Sabbath. And good Jews keep the Sabbath holy by doing no work whatsoever.

Just as God rested on the seventh day of Creation, so did the people of God.

Luke records that the women who hung around long enough to watch Jesus being entombed, went home and prepared spices and perfumes with which to anoint his body on the first day of the week.

But, on Saturday, they did nothing. They rested, as they were supposed to.

So, here we are, on Holy Saturday. What are we to do?

Simply rest.

There is a sense in which Holy Saturday is more than a day for some of us. It is more like a season.

We may have just come through a season that was akin to Good Friday—marked by rejection, persecution, betrayal, abandonment, loss, even death.

The hope of Resurrection is in our hearts. We believe that our circumstances will be reversed. We confess that victory is ours.

As we are often fond of saying: “It’s Friday…but Sunday’s coming!”

And that indeed is the right attitude to have.

But the fact of the matter is, we need to go through Saturday in order to get from Friday to Sunday.

There is no way to avoid it. We simply cannot bypass it.

So, what do we do in the season of Holy Saturday?

Exactly what the women did. Exactly what every law-abiding Jew is supposed to do on the Sabbath.

We rest.

Easier said than done, isn’t it?

Sadly, many of us find ourselves rest-less in this season, don’t we?

We fret. We worry. We may even be tempted to doubt.

Yet God calls us to simply trust Him and rest in Him.

As He says in Isaiah 30:15: “In returning and rest you shall be saved; in quietness and confidence shall be your strength.”

So, whether Holy Saturday for you is simply the last day of Holy Week or a season lasting more than just one day, will you follow the example of the women?

Prepare yourself for Sunday, for Resurrection Day, for the upcoming season of new life, when you will enter into the fullness of your destiny.

Then rest.