Day 45: Saturday, April 15 – Holy Saturday: Waiting in Hope

 

Day 45: Saturday, April 15 – Holy Saturday: Waiting in Hope

Scripture

"The next day, the one after Preparation Day, the chief priests and the Pharisees went to Pilate. 'Sir,' they said, 'we remember that while he was still alive that deceiver said, "After three days I will rise again." So give the order for the tomb to be made secure until the third day. Otherwise, his disciples may come and steal the body and tell the people that he has been raised from the dead. This last deception will be worse than the first.' So Pilate ordered the tomb to be made secure by putting a seal on the stone and posting the guard." — Matthew 27:62-66 (NIV)

Reflection

Holy Saturday is a day of silence, grief, and waiting. Jesus was laid in the tomb, and for His followers, all seemed lost. The Messiah they had hoped in was gone. The cross had shattered their expectations.

Can you imagine the confusion and sorrow they must have felt?

• The disciples were in hiding, fearing what would happen next.
• Mary, His mother, grieved deeply, remembering the words spoken over her Son from His birth.
• The Pharisees feared deception, demanding that Pilate seal the tomb to prevent any false claims.
• The world seemed unchanged, unaware that history was about to shift forever.

A Day of Waiting

Holy Saturday represents those moments in our lives when God seems silent.

• The promise has been spoken, but the fulfillment has not yet come.
• The struggle is real, but the breakthrough has not yet arrived.
• The prayer has been prayed, but the answer is not yet seen.

This is the tension of waiting in faith—not seeing the victory yet, but holding on to hope.

But even in the silence, God is still working.

The Hidden Victory

Though Jesus’s body lay in the tomb, the battle was not over.

• His death conquered sin, and His resurrection would soon defeat death itself.
• The grave could not hold Him. The enemy thought he had won, but God’s plan was still unfolding.
• In the waiting, God was preparing the greatest victory the world had ever seen.

Heart Check

🔎 Are you in a season of waiting, where it seems like God is silent?
🔎 Do you trust that God is working, even when you can’t see it?
🔎 How can you remain faithful and hopeful while waiting for God’s promises?

(Take a moment of silence. Imagine the tomb—sealed, quiet, but holding the greatest miracle yet to come. What does this waiting feel like in your own life?)

Hope in the Silence

Just as Saturday was not the end, your waiting is not the end of your story.

• God is still working in the unseen.
• Hope is never lost.
• Resurrection is coming.

Jesus’s followers didn’t know what Sunday would bring, but we do. The silence of Saturday was not the final word.

Application

1. Trust in God’s timing – If you are in a waiting season, remember that God’s delays are not His denials.
2. Rest in His promises – Just as Jesus’s resurrection was certain, so is God’s faithfulness in your life.
3. Prepare your heart – Holy Saturday is a time to reflect, pray, and anticipate what God is about to do.

Holy Week Connection

On Good Friday, it seemed like darkness had won. On Saturday, the world remained still. But Sunday was coming—the day when death would be defeated forever.

Prayer

"Lord, in the silence of waiting, help me to trust in You. Even when I cannot see the victory yet, I believe You are working. Strengthen my faith and prepare my heart to receive the hope of resurrection. In Jesus’s name, Amen."