Holy Saturday, the day between Good Friday and Easter Sunday, stems from two distinct Christian doctrines that developed their own ways of celebrating this day. For some, Holy Saturday is the day on which Jesus “rested” from His redemptive work. As Jesus died on the cross, his cry of “It is finished”, signified the completion of sin’s atonement, and therefore He rested on Holy Saturday. This is the first doctrine of Holy Saturday, which led to several centuries of no religious ceremonies on that day. The lack of religious services on Holy Saturday also reminded Christians of their “suspended status” during the time between Christ’s Crucifixion and Resurrection. If Christ had never risen, “your faith is futile; you are still in your sins” (1 Corinthians 15:17).
The other doctrine is that of the Harrowing of Hell, when Christ descended to the place of the dead to declare His victory over sin. 1 Peter 3:18-19 states that after His death, Jesus “preached to the spirits in prison”. It is widely believed that this was the opportunity for all those who died before Jesus’ ministry to accept the gospel and be saved. For more on the Harrowing of Hell, see the recent Epworth blog post on this topic.
According to scriptural records, there are two references to events on Holy Saturday. First, the disciples had dispersed when Jesus was arrested (Mark 14:50), and they spent the first Holy Saturday hiding for fear of also being arrested (John 20:19). They were surely wrestling with the meaning of Jesus’ death at the hands of the Romans as well as the treachery and suicide of their fellow disciple, Judas. The other biblical reference is Matthew 27:62-66, which records that the chief priests and Pharisees visited Pontius Pilate, asking for a guard for Jesus’ tomb.
Easter Vigil is traditionally held in the evening of Holy Saturday, often late enough to end the service after midnight. Because days were counted from sunset to sunset by the Jewish calendar, the Easter Vigil is the first celebration of Easter. Traditionally, catechumens were baptized and received into full communion with the Church during this service. Easter Vigil also closes the Lenten season.
