Jesus Is Laid in the Tomb

Soon after Jesus cried out, “It is finished!” a Roman soldier pierced Jesus’ side with a spear to ensure He was dead. The soldiers removed Jesus from the cross. Joseph and Nicodemus then took the body of Jesus, wrapped it with spices in strips of linen, and laid Him in Joseph’s tomb. Little did Joseph know, when he built this tomb for himself, that it was to become the temporary resting place of the body of Jesus Christ, Savior of the world. 

For centuries, Christians have called the day between Jesus’ death and His resurrection Holy Saturday. It is a day of pause. A day of waiting. It is somber and stark, lonely and quiet. Yet, it is a day filled with great hope and anticipation. So, where does our hope lie on the Holy Saturdays of life? At the center of the gospel, there sits the silence of Holy Saturday. What does this mean for you and for me?

The grave of Jesus Christ shows us the greatness and depth of the Savior’s love. Though King of kings and Lord of lords for us and for our salvation, Jesus humbled Himself not only to death but to the grave. Why should we remember the burial of Jesus? We draw near to the grave of Jesus to see death conquered. The penalty for our sins is death. Between the cross and the empty tomb of Christ, Jesus’ soul entered into the state of death and remained under the power of death. But God . . . We find our hope in the Word of God in Isaiah 53:11, declaring: “As a result of the anguish of His [Jesus’] soul, He [God] will see it and be satisfied; by His knowledge the Righteous One, My Servant, will justify the many, as He [Jesus] will bear their iniquities.” 

In order to deliver us from the grip of our sin, no matter how big or small it may be, God sent His only Son to die for us. Therefore, Jesus entered the grave not as a captive, but as a conqueror. Through His death, He destroyed death. We are not made right with God because of anything we’ve done, but only through the shed blood of Jesus Christ. 2 Corinthians 5:21 tells us, “He made Him who knew no sin to be sin on our behalf, so that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.” Jesus took our sin, pain, and failures so that we could have His righteousness, healing, and victory. Because of the finished work of Christ on the cross, when I trusted in Jesus as my Savior at the age of eight years old, my sin was stripped away, and I was clothed with Christ’s goodness!

Thus, with joyful hope, you and I can visit and reflect upon the tomb of Jesus and consider death as stingless, and the grave as glorious! Jesus has turned death into life and sanctified the grave to all who love Him. Because of this, you can be delivered from the fear of death and the grave by the death and burial of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. Therefore, with great joy and anticipation, we can now look to the day of Jesus’ return and the day in which He calls us home and join that glorious song of triumph with all the redeemed: “O death, where is your sting? O grave, where is your victory? The sting of death is sin; and the power of sin is the law. But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ!” (1 Corinthians 15:55–57). 

Questions for Thought

1. As you reflect upon your life, what do you need to let go of and bury in the grave in order for God to rescue, redeem, and raise you from your current situation or circumstance?
2. What might God be trying to teach you during a season of waiting for His promised Word to be revealed and resurrected in your life?

Daily Challenge

I challenge you to take hold of and tap into the power of God that is in you. Those who have trusted in Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior can live in the hope and confidence that the same power that rose Jesus from the tomb also lives in us not just for today, but for tomorrow, and forever. He holds onto us and will never let go. Lean into the everlasting arms of God and trust that He is with you always. Today might be a somber and stark Holy Saturday of your life, but don’t lose heart, something is happening. Sunday is coming!