The Crucifixion, the Creation, and the Meaning of Sabbath Rest

This last weekend was a different kind of day for me, in that I didn’t really do anything. It seems that as the workweek ends, there is always something that needs to be done, and weekends turn into opportunities to ‘get caught up.’ This can mean we spend the day working the side hustle, working on home improvement projects, working on ‘professional development,’ working, working, working. Sometimes jobs around the house like mowing the lawn or cleaning up can be refreshing and satisfying, but other times they can be just plain work. When was the last time you honestly took a day of rest? Is there a blank day in your calendar, or one that simply reads, ‘no events planned’?

In a 24/7 world, there is pressure to squeeze productivity out of every second. We have a task-based mindset that pushes us to do more in less time so that we can do more later in the time we have now freed up. It seems that the technology we use to make our lives easier and more efficient only creates new tasks to be done, leaving us frazzled and stressed. Not only that, but the ability to ‘unplug’ from the world has become more and more difficult. Working from home, once considered unusual and ineffective, has become the norm even for those who go to a building to work. School is done over the internet virtually. Even when we are ‘off,’ our devices and the internet are calling to us and reminding us that there are more tasks to be done, more that needs our attention.

Yet God sets Genesis 2:2 squarely in front of us to deal with. This pattern of rest, established and practiced by God Himself, is not just in the Bible as a passing statement, but a resounding command, a life-defining rhythm that echoes throughout the centuries and through the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus.

Saturday: The Day God Rested, Again

...On the Sabbath they rested according to the commandment. - Luke 23:56

Most of us are familiar with the events of Holy Week, the week starting with Palm Sunday and leading to the crucifixion and resurrection of Jesus. The crucifixion was Friday, the resurrection was Sunday, but what happened on Saturday? Well, nothing really. Jesus was laid to rest before the beginning of the Sabbath and rose again after the Sabbath. So on Saturday, nothing happened, or did it?

God’s timing is never a mistake. Everything Jesus did was a fulfillment of prophecy, including his crucifixion in relation to Passover, his resurrection on the feast of first fruits, and it is no surprise that the ‘Silent Saturday’ in between is filled with purpose as well. Just as God ‘rested from the work He had done’ after the creation of the world, it makes perfect sense that Jesus, following the rhythm established by the Father, also ‘rested’ after the ‘work he had done’ in securing a new creation and the redemption of humanity. Even as Jesus laid in the tomb, prophecy was being fulfilled and the ordinances of God satisfied.

Why We Must Learn to Wait and Rest

Wait for the Lord; be strong, and let your heart take courage; wait for the Lord! - Psalm 27:14

This Silent Saturday echoes the moment of rest from Genesis. The work was done, it was finished, and then came a day of quiet. Because the work is finished, we too can rest in Christ. When Jesus died, the hope of his followers was also on the verge of death. From their perspective, the one who they followed and believed in had died like a common thief.

Yet when it seemed nothing was happening, things were happening, things had happened: “And behold, the curtain of the temple was torn in two, from top to bottom. And the earth shook, and the rocks were split. The tombs also were opened. And many bodies of the saints who had fallen asleep were raised and coming out of the tombs after his resurrection they went into the holy city and appeared to many”. When the centurion and those who were with him, keeping watch over Jesus, saw the earthquake and what took place, they were filled with awe and said, “Truly this was the Son of God!”’- Matthew 27:51-54.

In our waiting, God is working. Sometimes he is working in ways we will never see or know, and sometimes just to give us rest in him as we prepare for what is to come and as we seek to focus on him and him alone.

After all, this day of silence between the crucifixion and resurrection, this Sabbath day of rest, was to be followed by the most important event in history. The Roman guards were put in place to make sure that the tomb of Jesus stayed closed and that no one would move the stone from the outside. In the quiet, in the Saturday silence, they never anticipated it being opened from the inside.

Talk about It

• What do you think it must have been like for the disciples the day after Jesus died? 
• Why is it so difficult for us to wait on God when we know that he is faithful and his promises are true?
• What are some ways that we can rest in Christ? 
• How can we be at peace when we can't see what God is doing behind the scenes? 
• What steps can you take this week to make sure that you are following God’s rhythm of Sabbath rest in your life?

Photo credit: ©GettyImages/Boonyachoat

Jason Soroski is a homeschool dad and member of the worship team at matthias lot church in St. Charles, MO. He spends his free time hanging out with his family, exploring new places, and writing about the experiences. Connect on Facebook or at JasonSoroski.net.

This article is part of our larger Holy Week and Easter resource library centered around the events leading up to the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. We hope these articles help you understand the meaning and story behind important Christian holidays and dates and encourage you as you take time to reflect on all that God has done for us through his son Jesus Christ!

What Lent and Why is it Celebrated?
When is Lent? When Does Lent Start and End?
What is Ash Wednesday?
What Is Palm Sunday?
What is Maundy Thursday?
What Is Good Friday?

What Is Easter?
What is the Holy Week?
Easter Prayers