Holy Saturday before Easter: a biblical description in simple words

Holy Saturday is the last day of Holy Week, a day of silent expectation, when the earth seems to freeze in sorrow, but also in anticipation of joy. This is the day when the body of Jesus Christ was laid in the tomb, and His soul, according to the Christian faith, descended into hell to proclaim salvation to all those who died from the creation of the world.

Holy Saturday seems to pass "in the shadow" of Easter, but the importance of this day of Holy Week is fundamental: it is a time of silence in which the Victory of the Resurrection is maturing. The biblical description of the events of Holy Saturday in simple words is in the material of Izvestia.

Holy Saturday: the burial of the body of Jesus, the descent of Christ into hell

After his death on the cross, Jesus' body was removed by Joseph of Arimathea and Nicodemus, the Savior's secret disciples, who performed funeral rites with respect and reverence.

His body was wrapped in a special veil with incense, a shroud and placed in a tomb carved into the rock near Golgotha.

This scene is filled with sadness and awe.: God died and was buried as a man.

Great Saturday is not only a day of mourning, but also a day of secret spiritual celebration. It is believed that Jesus' soul descended into the underworld, but He ended up there not as a defeated man, but as a victor.

Christ destroyed the gates of hell and brought out the souls of the righteous, who had been waiting for deliverance from time immemorial. This is the mystery of salvation, which took place outside the eyes of men, but became the basis of the Christian hope for eternal life after death.

Rest and expectation of the Resurrection

For earthly life, this is a day of silence. Everything is complete: suffering, death, burial. All the tension that happened on Friday is gone, and in its place comes a strange, mysterious expectation.

On Saturday morning, one of the most beautiful services of the year takes place — Vespers with the Liturgy of St. Basil the Great. The great entrance takes place in front of the shroud in the center of the temple. At the service, prophecies about the Resurrection of Christ are read — 15 passages from the Old Testament, which are called parodies.

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Where are the events of Holy Saturday described in the Gospel

The Gospels do not describe the events of Holy Saturday itself in as much detail as the other days of Holy Week and Sunday. The Gospel of Matthew 28:1-20 is a must-read on Holy Saturday.

28:1 And it came to pass after the Sabbath, at daybreak on the first day of the week, that Mary Magdalene and the other Mary came to see the tomb.
28:2 And, behold, there was a great earthquake, for an angel of the LORD came down from heaven, and came and rolled away the stone from the door of the tomb, and sat upon it.;
28:3 His appearance was like lightning, and his clothes were as white as snow.;
28:4 When the guards were afraid of him, they trembled and became like the dead.;
28:5 But the angel spoke to the women and said, "Do not be afraid, for I know that you are looking for Jesus crucified.";
John 28:6 He is not here; He has risen, as he said. Come and see the place where the Lord lay,
John 28:7 And go quickly and tell his disciples that he has risen from the dead and is going before you into Galilee; there you will see him. That's what I told you.
28:8 And they hastily came out of the tomb, and ran with great fear and joy to tell his disciples.
28:9 And as they went to tell his disciples, behold, Jesus met them, and said, Rejoice! And they came and took hold of His feet and worshiped Him.
28:10 Then Jesus said to them, "Do not be afraid; go and tell my brothers to go into Galilee, and there they will see me."
28:11 And as they were going, some of the guards entered into the city, and told the chief priests all that had happened.
28:12 And when they had gathered themselves together with the elders, and had held a conference, they gave sufficient money to the soldiers.,
28:13 And they said, "Tell me that his disciples came at night and stole him while we were sleeping.";
28:14 and if word of this reaches the governor, we will convince him, and we will save you from trouble.
28:15 And they took the money, and did as they had been taught; and the word spread among the Jews to this day.
28:16 And the eleven disciples went into Galilee, to the mountain where Jesus had commanded them.,
28:17 And when they saw him, they worshiped him, but others doubted.
28:18 And Jesus came near and said to them, "All authority has been given to me in heaven and on earth."
28:19 Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.,
28:20 Teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the world. Amen.