Holy Saturday Sermon: Waiting in the Silence

Scripture: Matthew 27:57–66; Psalm 130:5–7

Matthew 27:57-66 WEB
When evening had come, a rich man from Arimathaea named Joseph, who himself was also Jesus’ disciple, came. [58] This man went to Pilate and asked for Jesus’ body. Then Pilate commanded the body to be given up. [59] Joseph took the body and wrapped it in a clean linen cloth [60] and laid it in his own new tomb, which he had cut out in the rock. Then he rolled a large stone against the door of the tomb, and departed. [61] Mary Magdalene was there, and the other Mary, sitting opposite the tomb. [62] Now on the next day, which was the day after the Preparation Day, the chief priests and the Pharisees were gathered together to Pilate, [63] saying, “Sir, we remember what that deceiver said while he was still alive: ‘After three days I will rise again.’ [64] Command therefore that the tomb be made secure until the third day, lest perhaps his disciples come at night and steal him away, and tell the people, ‘He is risen from the dead;’ and the last deception will be worse than the first.” [65] Pilate said to them, “You have a guard. Go, make it as secure as you can.” [66] So they went with the guard and made the tomb secure, sealing the stone.

Psalm 130:5-7 WEB
I wait for the Lord. My soul waits. I hope in his word. [6] My soul longs for the Lord more than watchmen long for the morning, more than watchmen for the morning. [7] Israel, hope in the Lord, for there is loving kindness with Yahweh. Abundant redemption is with him.

Holy Saturday is a quiet day—too often overlooked, resting in the shadow of the cross and on the threshold of resurrection. It is a day of in-between. Jesus has died. His body lies in the tomb. The crowds have dispersed. The noise has fallen away. What remains is silence. Stillness. Waiting.

For the disciples, this was a day of deep confusion and sorrow. Their teacher, their Messiah, had been crucified. Their hopes seemed buried with Him. They did not yet know what we know—that Sunday was coming. All they had was silence.

And yet, in the silence of Holy Saturday, God was still at work. Though unseen, His purposes were unfolding. Jesus rested in the tomb not in defeat, but in fulfillment. He had said on the cross, “It is finished.” The sacrifice was complete. Now came the sacred pause—the rest after redemption.

Psalm 130 speaks to the waiting heart: “I wait for the Lord, my soul waits, and in His word I hope.” Holy Saturday invites us into this kind of waiting. It is the waiting of grief, but also of trust. The waiting of not-knowing, but still believing. It is a waiting that allows space for mourning, for reflection, and for the slow, steady hope that does not yet see, but still holds on.

There is grace in the silence. There is holiness in the pause. In our own lives, we, too, experience Holy Saturday seasons—times when it seems like God is silent, when prayers feel unanswered, when hopes lie dormant. In those moments, Holy Saturday reminds us that silence is not absence, and stillness is not abandonment. God is still present. He is still faithful.

Application: Embrace the quiet of this day. Make space for silence. Reflect on the cross and what it means for you. Rest in the knowledge that God’s promises are not undone by delay. If you find yourself in a season of waiting, trust that God is still at work—even in the tomb.

Prayer: Lord of the stillness, on this Holy Saturday we wait with You. We sit in the quiet, remembering the weight of Good Friday and hoping for the joy of Easter. Teach us to trust You in the silence. Strengthen our hope, even when the world seems dim. Let Your promises sustain us until the morning breaks. Amen.

---

Image generation by WordPress Ai.

Please note this blog is written in British English!

Please subscribe. Let’s support each other. I always follow back.

© Richard J Kirk, writing as Joseph R Mason – 2025. If you want to know why, see:
https://josephmasonauthor.com/about/ 

If you like what you read, treat me to a coffee:  https://www.buymeacoffee.com/josephiu

Thank you.