Saturday-holy week – 1 Peter 3: 19-20

For most people the day before Easter is a regular day like any other Saturday. There are household chores to accomplish. In some homes, however, new clothes are anticipated to wear on Sunday. Of course, there are eggs to color. Instead of observing the resurrection of Christ during this weekend, many families observe the fable of the Easter Bunny. The history of the Easter Bunny and colored eggs is easily known.

In Christian Europe, the hare became associated with Easter and the Virgin Mary, symbolizing purity and virginity due to the belief that hares could reproduce without losing virginity.   Eggs, another central symbol, represented the tomb of Jesus and resurrection, and were     often decorated and given to children after the Lenten fast. 

Jesus was crucified on Friday and rose from the dead Sunday. What did he do and where was he on Saturday? The four Gospels of Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John do not report anything about Saturday other than it was a high holy day as the Sabbath.

If we put two pieces of information together in the Scriptures, we have an answer to our question. To the penitent thief Jesus said, “today you will be with me in paradise.” (Luke 23:43)  When Jesus told the story of the rich man and Lazarus, he indicated that there was a place of the departed separated by a great gulf fixed. On one side were those condemned. On the other side were the righteous. In all Scripture before the resurrection of Christ, when a person died, the Bible says he “went down.” After the resurrection of Christ, on the death of a righteous person the Bible says, “he went up.”

When we come to 1 Peter 3: 19, 20, we are also given another hint of what Jesus did on Saturday. He was in the place of the righteous. He preached to the unrighteous. In particular, he spoke to those who died in the great flood when Noah and his family were saved on the ark. This preaching was not done so that the people at the time of Noah could have salvation. There are several words in the Greek language translated as preach. In the case of Jesus, he made an announcement. He proclaimed himself as the one who would’ve saved them had they asked.

It is beyond my imagination what the penitent thief experienced standing beside Jesus. For several hours he agonized on the cross while recognizing that he got the just judgment for his crimes. He went from the cross to the place of the righteous with Jesus. How gracious Jesus was. The penitent thief had nothing to offer. He did no good works to earn his salvation. He accomplish nothing spiritually. Yet, he did the one and singular most important thing he could ever do. He said, “Remember me when you come into your kingdom.” He judged himself rightly and sought the grace of God. This is what we try to encourage all peoples to do because this is our great commission.