Saturday

Less is written about Saturday following Jesus’ crucifixion than any other day during the Passion Week. The disciples are scattered. Jesus’ body is laid in the tomb. On top of all of that, this day was the Sabbath. However, that did not stop a meeting between the Chief Priests and Pilate.

It is remarkable that this meeting took place on the Sabbath. The Chief Priests and Pharisees, along with every other Jewish person, were strictly forbidden to do work of any kind on the Sabbath. This was an extreme violation of the law, so why did they do this? After all, weren’t they the ones who instructed and enforced the Sabbath law for the Jewish people? The only logical answer is that they were terrified that Jesus would follow through on his resurrection.

This informs the requests they made to Pilate in this meeting: “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’” (Matthew 27:64). This and Pilate’s approval of the request show us something very interesting. Everyone in that meeting knew the disciples were scattered and stood no threat. They were not scared that the body would be stolen. They were scared that Jesus would do what he said he would do: resurrect from the dead.

“They went and made the tomb secure by sealing the stone and setting a guard.” (Matthew 27:66). The stone used for Jesus’ tomb was large and set in an inclined channel. It was a big obstacle and could not be rolled away from the inside. The disciples, if enough of them were present, could have rolled away the stone – but not without alerting the guards. The guards were highly trained and possessed more strength than anyone the Jewish Religious Leaders could have dispatched to the tomb, which brings us to the seal. The seal was a rope overlapping the width of the stone covering the entrance to the tomb. On either side of the doorway, there was a glob of wax securing the rope over the stone. These Roman guards would watch carefully as the stone was sealed because they knew their careers and their lives were on the line. The Roman seal was an extension of Roman authority. To break a Roman seal was to defy Roman authority. That stone was secured by the authority of the Roman Empire.

None of this mattered. They all bowed to the resurrection power of Jesus. A resurrected Jesus cannot be contained by material obstacles. A resurrected Jesus cannot be outranked by human authority. A resurrected Jesus cannot be overcome by any human strength. None of these measures could keep Jesus in the grave, and the same is true for you and me today. Nothing can keep Jesus from reaching you. Nothing can separate us from the love of God.

“Nothing can ever separate us from God’s love. Neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither our fears for today nor our worries about tomorrow—not even the powers of hell can separate us from God’s love. No power in the sky above or in the earth below—indeed, nothing in all creation will ever be able to separate us from the love of God that is revealed in Christ Jesus our Lord.” (Romans 8:38-39.)

For a full account of the events of this day as found in the Gospels, see Matthew 27:62–66.

Reflection Questions

1. What are you tempted to believe can separate you from God’s love?
2. What confidence do you feel knowing that nothing can overcome Jesus’s love for you?

Prayer

Jesus, thank you for your great love for me. Today, I am reminded and choose to believe that nothing I do can ever keep you from loving me. I receive and choose to live in the reality of your love. In your name, I pray, Amen.