“The women who had come with him from Galilee followed and saw the tomb and how his body was laid. Then they returned and prepared spices and ointments. On the Sabbath they rested according to the commandment.” Luke 23:55-56

In the celebrations and observances of Holy Week, Christians have the least to celebrate about Saturday. With a profundity of information about other days, only two activities of mankind are mentioned in scripture about Saturday. In Matthew 27:62-66, the religious leaders placed a guard at the tomb and sealed the tomb so no one could steal the body. Luke 23:36 records that, “on the Sabbath they (the women) rested according to the commandment.” The gospels of Mark and John record nothing about the Sabbath. One point of notice is that nothing is heard from God.

There are times when God seems to be in hiding. In a time when Jesus’s followers needed a word of encouragement or a miracle, nothing promising was heard or seen. Jesus was buried. Guards were in place to ensure the body remain. The stone was sealed by religious leaders to ensure no one entered the tomb. The situation was totally dismal for those who needed to hear from the Lord.

As an act of honor, the women had prepared spices and perfumes for visiting the tomb after the Sabbath. One can imagine the Sabbath day was spent in the residence, in the dark, seated together but having little to say. In such a day, it seems life was at a standstill. The women may have rested according to the Law, but the rest they found was far from refreshing.

God was the author of the day of rest. After creating everything, God rested. In the covenant with Moses, God commanded for the people to rest on the seventh day. After Jesus endured the cross for six hours, paying for our sins, He rested. It is consistent to expect the disciples would need to observe the Sabbath and rest as well.

Periods of silence and rest are necessary. If Jesus had come back to life as they removed his body from the cross, who would have believed he died and rose again? What action would be more profound than a guarded grave followed by a resurrected Savior. The period when nothing seems to be happening is time for us to ponder what God has already done. It is time for us to realize our inability to handle all situations and give them to God for resolution.

The day came when God showed His solution. On the first day of the week, Jesus came forth from the grave and weary believers celebrated in ways they never dreamed when they had rested in the silence the day before.

If you find yourself wondering where God is, rest in the thought that God is alive! He knows where you are and what you need. Don’t try to be a solution. Be faithful. In due time God will answer.