What Was Jesus Doing On Holy Saturday?

What is Holy Saturday and Why is it Significant?

Holy Saturday is the Jewish Sabbath preceding Easter, and it is a day that should be kept during Holy Week as well.Holy Saturday is the day between Good Friday – the day of Jesus’ crucifixion – and Easter Sunday – the day of his resurrection.Palm Sunday marks the beginning of Holy Week, which culminates in the wonderful celebration of Easter Sunday.In the Bible, on Palm Sunday, people lined the streets, chanting Jesus’ praises as He came in on a donkey, according to the story (John 12:13).

Maundy Thursday, followed by Good Friday, is the following religious holiday honored.

Fast Facts on Holy Saturday:

• Holy Saturday is a 40-hour vigil between Good Friday and Easter Sunday that is generally observed by the Catholic Church
• just as Jesus’ family and friends spent Saturday waiting and praying, we can use Holy Saturday as a day of meditation and reflection
• Holy Saturday marks the end of Lent and fasting
• and Holy Saturday marks the beginning of Lent and fasting again.

What Is Holy Saturday?

Each Gospel makes reference to Holy Saturday, but only Luke provides a detailed explanation of the commandment that governs this particular day.″As his body was being brought away, the ladies from Galilee followed and came upon the tomb where his body had been laid,″ according to Luke 23:55.After that, they returned home and began preparing spices and ointments to anoint his body with.Although they had finished their work before Sabbath began, they took the time to rest as prescribed by statute.″ Saturday is considered the Sabbath in Jewish custom, and therefore it was against the rule of the country for the women to lay the oils and spices they had prepared for the body on the body on Saturday.

This is no coincidence, because after the Sabbath has ended and the sun has risen on Sunday, they attempt to go and honor the body once more, and it is at this point in Luke 24 that the glorious miracle of Jesus’ resurrection is revealed, demonstrating that He was, in fact, true to His word that He would rise again.When it comes to the events that transpired between the death of Christ and His resurrection, each Gospel narrative is strikingly similar.The gospels of Matthew 27, Mark 15, Luke 23, and John 19 all mention that a man named Joseph made arrangements for Jesus’s body to be put in a new tomb, and that Mary Magdalene and the other Mary intended to help in the preparation of the body with spices and oils, according to the Scriptures.The women had run out of time before the Sabbath formally began, so the anointing of the body would have to wait until the next morning, when the sun would rise.

• In the hours between His arrival at the tomb and His death, one would suppose that He must have shed many tears of sadness and glimpsed glimmers of hope that He would truly perform as He promised on Sunday.

How Should Christians Observe Holy Saturday?

Yes, the day preceding the miracle is a Sabbath, a day of rest, but it is also a day of silence and contemplation.The original passage in Exodus 20:8 instructs God’s people on how to obey this rule, saying, ″Remember to observe the Sabbath day by keeping it holy.″ It is legal for you to labor six days a week in your normal capacity, but the seventh day is a day of rest devoted to the Lord your God.″ It is the act of keeping something Holy that causes it to be put aside or kept for a certain purpose, and this particular day is intended to be a day of rest and commitment to the Lord.Christians today may take this a step further by resting in or abiding in what the Lord is doing in their lives on Holy Saturday, as well.The same way that Jesus’ disciples waited through the dreary hours of that Saturday to see what would happen on Sunday, we wait to see the hand of the Lord at work in our own lives.

All of our prayers that have not yet been answered, as well as our desires that have remained unfulfilled, can be put before the throne of God while we relax and dwell in the presence of the Almighty.As the Israelites stood on the banks of the Red Sea, waiting for the Lord to intervene, Exodus 14:14 instructed them to ″be quiet and wait for the Lord,″ and in doing so, they surrendered their concerns, their worries, and their own actions to the Father in order for Him to move.After a period of trusting in the Lord’s direction and remaining still, He revealed what was to be done and when it was time to go forward.Our focus on being present in the Lord on Holy Saturday should be on putting our own agendas aside and simply come before Him to be with him.

• In order for us to have a meaningful connection with the Lord, we must spend quality time with him each day.
• The day before Easter is a wonderful opportunity not to beg for anything, but rather to spend time in the presence of the Lord’s Spirit.
• Visit THIS LINK to download your FREE 8-Day Prayer and Scripture Guide – Praying Through Holy Week (PDF).
• Create your own copy of this wonderful daily devotional to use in the weeks leading up to Easter.

Is Holy Saturday Observed in Catholicism, Protestantism, and Orthodoxy? 

Holy Saturday is observed differently by different religious denominations within the Church.It is the last day of Lent for individuals who follow the practices of their respective religions (except for those who celebrate the end of Lent on the Thursday before Easter).Lent is a period of time leading up to Easter during which something is given up or fasted from in some way.Vigils are held in Roman Catholic churches in the evenings leading up to the dawn of Easter.

The Eastern Orthodox take this vigil a step further by burning flames and candles while tolling bells to represent the gladness that the Lenten season has come to an end, as shown in the video below.The Blessing of the Animals is a colorful celebration that many individuals of Mexican heritage who live in Los Angeles, California, participate in on Holy Saturday to commemorate the death of Jesus Christ.On Holy Saturday, it is recommended that you read the four stories of Christ’s death and resurrection that are scattered throughout the Gospels.The gift of Holy Saturday might be in preparing people’s hearts for the weight of what Easter represents.

A Holy Saturday Prayer

Father, We understand the significance of Holy Saturday in the context of the Easter season.It is more than just a day between Good Friday and Easter; it is a day to be observed in remembrance of what You have done to save our souls.We leave our own agendas, our own desires, and our own cries at the door, and we long to be silent and to rest in Your presence today, and we pray for the opportunity.It is with great gratitude that we have the capacity to calm our hearts and be in Your presence, and we desire to learn more about Your heart on this day.

God, thank You for sending Your Son to die for us, and thank You for keeping Your promise on that holy day on which we celebrate Easter.Don’t let us get so caught up in our own life that we lose sight of the splendor that You brought forth on that day.In the name of Jesus, Amen.Holy Saturday served as a day of relaxation and preparation within the hearts of the women who would visit the Tomb the following day.

• Although the oils and spices had been finished, the preparation of their hearts took place on Saturday afternoon.
• We, too, may prepare our hearts for the pleasure that will abound on Easter Sunday when the sun rises.
• Participating in that delight may include leaning in to what He has to say to our hearts on Holy Saturday, among other things.
• May God fill you with the joy of His love, as well as the excitement of what is to come via His hand in your life.

Sources: 

Holy Saturday, according to the Encyclopedia Britannica The New International Version of the Bible (NIV) Photograph courtesy of Getty Images /Romolo Tavani et al.Cally Logan is a writer and history teacher from Richmond, Virginia, who specializes in American history.In her spare time, she likes mentoring young people and spending time in the great outdoors.Her book, Hang on in There, Girl!, will be released on April 1, 2022, in bookstores and online.

Follow her on Instagram and Twitter, where she goes by the handle @CallyLogan, and on TikTok as Cally Logan.This page is a part of our broader Holy Week and Easter resource collection, which is based on the events leading up to and following the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ and includes a variety of other resources.It is our goal that these articles will assist you in understanding the significance and historical background of major Christian festivals and events, and that they will also encourage you as you take time to think on all that God has done for us through his son Jesus Christ!What is Lent, and why is it observed each year?

• What exactly is Holy Week?
• What Is the Meaning of Palm Sunday?
• What is the significance of Maundy Thursday?
• What is the significance of Good Friday?

What Is the Meaning of Easter?Easter Greetings and Prayers At Easter, the Son of God took on the sins of the world and beat the devil, death, and the grave in a single battle.Then, how come the most magnificent period in human history is surrounded by scared fisherman, loathed tax collectors, marginalized women, wimpy politicians, and disloyal friends?When you read The Characters of Easter, you’ll get to know the odd group of regular individuals who were there to witness the miracle of Christ’s death and resurrection.

As a devotional or study for both individuals and groups, this FREE audio offers a fresh perspective on the Lenten season.It is available to download now.

Thursday

Slide number four of six The Passover and the Lord’s Supper were observed in the Upper Room by Jesus and His followers, who were also there (Matthew 26:17-30; Mark 14:12-26; Luke 22:7-30; John 13:1-30).Jesus was lying at the table with the Twelve at the time of the evening meal.And he told them as they were eating that one of them would betray him: ″Truly, I tell you, one of you will betray me.″ When they realized what he was saying, they broke down and began to appeal to him, ″Surely you don’t mean me, Lord?″ ″The one who has dipped his hand into the bowl with me will betray me,″ Jesus said, referring to Judas.The Son of Man will follow in the footsteps of those who have gone before him.

However, woe betide the one who betrays the Son of Man!″It would have been better for him if he had not been born,″ says the author.When Judas, the man who would betray him, realized what he had done, he exclaimed, ″Surely you don’t mean me, Rabbi?″ ″You have stated as much,″ Jesus responded.Jesus took bread as they were eating and, after giving thanks, he broke it and handed it to his disciples, instructing them that it was ″my body,″ which they should consume.

• When he had finished thanking them, he handed the cup on to them, adding, ″Please drink from it, all of you.″ This is my blood of the covenant, which is shed for the forgiveness of sins on behalf of countless people across the world.
• ″I swear to you that from this day forward, I will not drink from this fruit of the vine until that day when I drink it for the first time with you in my Father’s kingdom.″ (Matthew 26:20-29; Mark 12:20-29; Luke 12:20-29; Luke 12:20-29) According to Luke, the disciples immediately began disputing about who among them was the greatest after they had shared the bread and wine with one another (Luke 22:31-38).
• They were debating over who was the best while Jesus was throwing His life away!
• What do you think it was like to be there?

″Even if I have to die with you, I will never disown you,″ Peter said after Jesus foretold Peter’s denial of Christ.Likewise, all of the other disciples expressed themselves (Matthew 26:31-35).Jesus, on the other hand, was aware.He was well aware that they would flee.

After supper that evening, Jesus delivered His parting address to the Followers, saying, ″By your love for one another, all mankind will know that you are my disciples″ (John 13:35).(See also Matthew 26:31-35; Mark 14:27-31; Luke 22:31-38; John 13:31-John 16:33; and John 16:33).Jesus said that he was leaving the country.The disciples were a little taken aback.″You’re not allowed to go now!″ Philip said.

1. We have no idea where you’re going, and we have no idea how to get there; on top of that, we have no idea who you are!″ ″Philip, do you still have no idea who I am?″ Jesus inquired.
2. He’s preparing to pass over control of the ministry to his lieutenants.
3. They have the ball on the one-yard line, but they are fumbling it away.
4. They don’t even know what he looks like!

He must walk to the cross while still questioning whether or not they will succeed (John 14:5-14).Before leaving the Upper Room, Jesus recited his intercessory prayer for his followers, as recorded in John 17:1.The world has moved on without me, but they have remained in the world, and I’m on my way to you.

Protect them with your name, which you have given me, so that they may become one with us as we are with them.I will say a prayer for them.I’m not praying for the entire world; instead, I’m praying for those you’ve given me.I’m not pleading with you to take them out of the world, but rather that you keep them safe from the devil’s grasp.They must be sanctified by the truth; your word is truth.″ Jesus said this in John 17:6-19, which I have paraphrased.

The Garden of Gethsemane was where Jesus led His followers to pray.The disciples were instructed to pray for Him while He was praying in anguish, pleading God to spare him the cup of sorrow.Because He was totally human (as well as entirely God), he truly need their comfort and support to function properly.

They, on the other hand, fell asleep and left Him all alone.Imagine the disappointment in his voice when he was told, ″Could you not pray for me one hour?″ You can only imagine.God sent angels to comfort Jesus when the disciples failed to do so (Matthew 26:30, 36-46; Mark 14:26, 32-42; Luke 22:39-46).Judas betrayed Jesus and was executed.

″Do you have to kiss me to betray me?″ Jesus inquired of Judas.It was a ″passionate lover’s kiss,″ according to John, who described it.Now, Judas, the man who betrayed him, was familiar with the location since Jesus had frequently met there with his followers.Then Judas arrived in the garden, leading an army of soldiers as well as several officials from the chief priests and Pharisees to confront Jesus.

They were armed with torches, lanterns, and other tools of the trade.Despite the fact that he was well aware of what was about to happen, Jesus stepped out and asked them, ″Who is it you want?″ ″Jesus of Nazareth,″ they said in response.″I am he,″ Jesus stated emphatically.(And Judas the traitor was standing right next them.) ″I am he,″ Jesus said, and his followers immediately dropped to the ground.

″Who is it that you’re looking for?″ he inquired once again.″Jesus of Nazareth,″ they identified him as.″I already informed you that I am he,″ Jesus said.″If you’re looking for me, then let these men go,″ says the author.

• This occurred in order for him to be able to fulfill the words he had spoken: ″I have not misplaced one of those you gave me.″ (See also John 18:2-9) In the early hours of Friday morning, Jesus was taken into custody and led to the house of Annas, and then to Caiaphas, the high priest.
• Photograph courtesy of Thinkstock/RomoloTavani

What Happened on Easter Saturday?

In the Gospels, a great lot of emphasis is placed on the events leading up to Jesus’ death on Thursday and Friday of Passover week, as well as on Jesus’ joyful resurrection on Sunday, known as ″Lord’s Day.″ This is not without good cause.Though Holy Saturday is occasionally referred to as ″Good Friday″ in some circles, the day between Good Friday and Easter Sunday is given little attention in the Gospels.Aside from Luke, who simply writes, ″On the Sabbath they rested according to the commandment,″ no other gospel accounts any of the activities of the disciples on the Sabbath following Jesus’ burial and prior to his resurrection, except for Luke, who writes, ″On the Sabbath they rested according to the commandment″ (Luke 23:56, ESV).This short mention of the disciples’ Sabbath relaxation, on the other hand, may have served to obscure the significant internal conflict they were most certainly suffering.

When Jesus appeared in their midst on Sunday, it seems likely that Jesus’ disciples were doing exactly what they were doing on Saturday when Jesus came in their midst on Sunday: gathering together behind closed doors out of dread of the Jewish officials.Their aspirations and desires had been dashed to pieces.The man they believed would be the Messiah had been slain as a criminal, according to their beliefs.They had not grasped the significance of Jesus’ predictions about suffering and death prior to the crucifixion (Matt.

• 16:21–23; 17:22–23; 20:17–19 and parallels), and it would not be until the following day, when Jesus appeared among them as the risen Victor and conqueror of death, that they would grasp the significance.
• Almost certainly, they were worried, if not apprehensive, and maybe even afraid, that what had happened to their leader would now happen to them.
• It is only Matthew who provides specifics on what happened behind the scenes on that day, when activity was curtailed owing to the Sabbath.
• Following Jesus’ death on Friday, the Pharisees and chief priests approached Pilate on Saturday, telling him, ″Sir, we remember how that impostor said while he was still alive, ‘After three days I will rise.’″ Pilate granted their request, saying, ″Sir, we remember how that impostor said, while he was still alive, ‘After three days I will rise.’″ To prevent his followers from taking him away and telling the people that he has risen from the dead, order the tomb to be secured until the third day (Matt.

27:63–64).Otherwise, ″the last lie will be greater than the first″ (Matt.According to the evidence, the disciples were not the only ones who were scared!One might speculate that the strange circumstances surrounding Jesus’ death—darkness around the region, an earthquake, ripping of the temple curtain—gave the Jewish authorities reason to be alarmed.

There was little doubt that the Pharisees were aware of Jesus’ prophesies concerning his resurrection, but they were not particularly inclined to believe that they would come to pass.In reality, their statements express nothing but contempt for Jesus, whom they refer to as ″that imposter″ and a ″fake,″ among other things.However, it is ironic that not only were the Jewish officials aware of Jesus’ prophesy that he would rise on the third day, but they also took action in response to it, demonstrating greater ″faith″ than Jesus’ own disciples were able to summon at the moment.It is unclear what Pilate was referring to when he said, ″You have a guard of soldiers″ (Matthew 27:65).It is possible that the Jewish leaders’ request is granted by the Roman governor, who then provides them with a contingent of Roman troops.

1. Alternatively, he may simply be advising them, with a tinge of animosity in his tone, that they should deploy their own temple police to complete the task.
2. In any instance, he grants them permission to guard the tomb, and they promptly go about their business as usual.
3. Despite the fact that the Jewish authorities did not trust Jesus’ claims any more than the disciples did, they were insistent that the body that had been deposited in the tomb should remain in that location.
4. It is important to note that these events on Holy Saturday serve as evidence that the Romans and Jewish authorities had secured Jesus’ tomb, making it unlikely that grave robbers (such as Jesus’ own disciples, Matt.

27:64) could have stolen the body or that the body could have disappeared through some sort of foul play in another way, according to Matthew’s account.Thus, Matthew sets the stage for what will take place on Easter Sunday at the crack of dawn, as he describes it in his tale.Andreas Köstenberger and Justin Taylor’s book, The Final Days of Jesus: The Most Important Week of the Most Important Person Who Ever Lived (Wheaton, IL: Crossway, 2014), pages 169–71, was the source for this article.

Please keep in mind that this blog was initially published on Blog.Vyrso.com.To find further Easter materials, visit http://www.biblicalfoundations.org/easter/.

What Did Jesus Do On Holy Saturday?

Daniel Burke contributed to this article.Religion News Service is a news service dedicated to covering religious issues (RNS) Every Christian is familiar with the story: Jesus was killed on Good Friday and resurrected on Easter Sunday, according to the Bible.But what exactly did he accomplish on Saturday night?Those are the kinds of questions that have sparked centuries of dispute, confounded theologians as erudite as St.

Augustine, and prompted some Protestants to urge for the revision of the Apostles’ Creed, one of the oldest affirmations of faith in the world.The Roman Catholic, Eastern Orthodox, and the vast majority of mainline Protestant churches believe that Jesus went into the realm of the dead on Holy Saturday in order to save virtuous souls, such as the Hebrew patriarchs, who died prior to his crucifixion and resurrection.The Catechism of the Catholic Church refers to the descent as ″the final step of Jesus’ messianic mission,″ during which he ″opened heaven’s gates for the just who had gone before him,″ according to the document.During the time when Jesus sought for Adam, ″our first father,″ as if he were a lost sheep, according to an old homily contained in the Catholic readings for Holy Saturday, the world was stilled by a ″great quiet.″ The dramatic picture of Jesus bursting down the gates of Hades, sometimes referred to as ″the harrowing of hell,″ has proven nearly seductive to artists throughout history, from the painter Hieronymus Bosch to the poet Dante to innumerable Eastern Orthodox iconographers, among others.

• Some Protestants, on the other hand, argue that there is little scriptural support for the horrific detour and that Jesus’ own words are in direct opposition to it.
• ″Today you will be with me in paradise,″ the Good Thief, according to the Gospel of Luke, was assured by Jesus on Good Friday as he was being crucified alongside him.
• In the words of John Piper, a famous evangelical author and pastor from Minnesota, ″That’s the only hint we have as to what Jesus was doing between death and resurrection.″ The criminal didn’t go to hell, and I don’t believe hell is called paradise.
• After death, the majority of first-century Jews thought that all souls were sent to Sheol, a bleak and quiet abyss where they would remain forever.

According to Robert Krieg, a theology professor at the University of Notre Dame, in order to highlight that Jesus had actually died and that his resurrection was no trick of the tomb, the apostles would have argued that he, too, had spent time in Sheol.According to Krieg, ″it helps drive home the argument that Jesus’ resurrection was not just a resuscitation.″ According to Martin Connell, a theology professor at St.John’s School of Theology-Seminary in Collegeville, Minn., belief in the descent was prevalent in the early church.The Bible, on the other hand, says very nothing about the time period between Jesus’ death and resurrection.

Churches that believe he has fallen into the realm of the dead most frequently use 1 Peter 3:18-20 as their primary source.″Christ was put to death as a human being, but he was raised to life by the Spirit,″ says the apostle Peter.In jail, he went to preach to the spirits, and it was via the Spirit that he did so.″ The souls that were imprisoned, Peter cryptically explains, were those who were ″disobedient″ during the time of Noah, the ark-maker, and were punished accordingly.Augustine, considered to be one of the most important builders of Christian theology, felt that Peter’s text is more of an allegory than a historical account.In other words, Jesus talked to the Hebrews ″in spirit″ via Noah, rather than directly to them in hell.

1. ″I am gravely disturbed,″ said Augustine, when it comes to the subject of who exactly Jesus preached to after his death, as he put it.
2. Because of the work of a fourth-century bishop called Rufinus, who wrote a commentary on the Apostles’ Creed in which he stated that Jesus went ″ad inferna,″ or ″to hell,″ the descent might not have been a doctrine.
3. After a few centuries, the term became part of the influential credo and was formally added to it.
4. However, shifting ideas of hell have only added to the complexity of the issues.

Afterlife doctrines such as limbo and purgatory were introduced throughout time.As a result, theologians such as Thomas Aquinas struggled to comprehend which place Jesus visited and whom he saved.In addition, some Christian theologians, such as Martin Luther and John Calvin, were divided on the question of whether Christ’s suffering in hell was sufficient to atone for human depravity.

In the Catholic journal First Things few years ago, the subject, which had been broached most recently by the late Swiss theologian Hans Ur von Balthasar, sparked a ferocious theological debate.Wayne Grudem, a former president of the Evangelical Theological Society, believes that by amending the Apostles’ Creed ″for and for all″ and removing the phrase concerning the descent, the misunderstanding and debates might be put to rest.″The single most persuasive reason in its favor appears to be the fact that it has been there for so long,″ says Grudem, a professor at Phoenix Seminary in Arizona, in his ″Systematic Theology,″ a popular textbook at evangelical schools and universities.″However, a mistake made years ago is still a mistake.″ When repeating the Apostles’ Creed, Grudem, like Piper, has stated that he skips over the verse regarding Jesus’ descend from the cross.Nonetheless, the horrible experience of hell continues to be an important teaching for Orthodox Christians, who set an icon showing the fall of Hell at the front of their churches as Saturday night turns into Easter Sunday.

It will remain there for 40 days, being cherished and frequently kissed.Peter Bouteneff, a theology professor at St.Vladimir’s Orthodox Theological Seminary in Crestwood, New York, explained that the empty cross and tomb are not the icons that symbolise Easter for him and his students.

″It is the descend of Christ into Hades.″ GOOD FRIDAY OBSERVATIONS FROM AROUND THE WORLD ARE CAPTURED IN PHOTOS

Holy Saturday: What Happened on Saturday To Jesus?

The Eastern Orthodox Church places a strong focus on Good Friday through Easter, with particular attention paid to what is frequently referred to as the ″harrowing of hell,″ or Christ’s fall into hell between the Cross and the Resurrection of the body.The concept is that following his death, Christ entered Hades and invaded hell in order to ransom the righteous of the Old Testament, as depicted in the Bible.This is the traditional interpretation of Holy Saturday.As a result, it is clear that the death that occurred before to Christ’s death was not final.

Is death after Christ’s death, therefore, the end of the story?I read Archbishop Hilarion Alfeyev’s pious and learned study (Christ the Conqueror of Hell: The Descent into Hades from an Orthodox Perspective), primarily because I’d always wanted to read a good piece by an Orthodox theologian on the Eastern (and traditional) sense of the phrase ″descent into Hades,″ which appears in our creed.It is possible that some New Testament verses, while still subject to debate, relate to Christ’s descend into hades; if this is the case, it would be unambiguous evidence that one form of death was not the end of the story.Matthew 12:40 says, ″It is written, ″ Because, just as Jonah spent three days and three nights in the belly of a giant fish, the Son of Man will spend three days and three nights in the center of the earth, according to the Scriptures.

• Matthew 27:51-52 (NASB) It was at that same moment when the temple curtain was split in half from top to bottom.
• The ground began to tremble, and the rocks began to crumble.
• Furthermore, tombs were uncovered, and the bodies of numerous saints who had died were resurrected from their graves.
• In Acts 2:31, David, foreseeing this, talked of the resurrection of the Christ, stating that he was not abandoned to Hades and that his body did not experience ecclesia.

1 Peter 3:18-21: Because Christ also suffered once for sins, the righteous for the unjust, to reconcile you to God, not by being put to death in the flesh but by being raised to life in the spirit, Christ also suffered once for sins to reconcile you to God.As part of it, he traveled to a jail and preached to the spirits inside, who had been disobedient long before, while God patiently waited throughout the construction of the ark during the days of Noah.Only a few individuals, or eight in total, were transported to the ark by water.As a result of the resurrection of Jesus Christ, who was exalted to the right side of the Father with angels, authorities, and powers subordinate to him, you are now saved – not by washing away bodily filth, but by promising to God that you will have a good conscience – by the power of God.

The gospel was proclaimed to those who were dead, and it was for this precise reason that they were judged in the body by human standards, so that they would be assessed spiritually by God’s standards, as stated in 1 Peter 4:6.Eph 4:9: What, therefore, is the significance of the phrase ″he ascended,″ unless it means that he also descended to the lower portions of the earth?Death and Hades were then cast into the lake of fire, according to Rev 20:14.In this case, it is the second death, which is the lake of fire.When the evidence of the New Testament is considered in its historical perspective, it is almost probable that Jesus ″did″ something between the Crucifixion and the Ascension.

1. In light of the texts that have already been cited, in particular 1 Peter 3:18-25 and Acts 2, as well as the baptism for the dead in 1 Corinthians 15 and that enigmatic text in 1 Peter 4, I believe we should be open to the possibility that Jesus gospeled the dead or announced the good news to the dead after his death and before his ascension.
2. Do these passages imply that death is a final conclusion?
3. When it was suggested that the first death is not final, but the second death is, one of the responses clarified what I meant by ″is death final?″ when I asked if death is final.
4. The question the Church has posed, and some people are shocked by this, is whether or not the second death is permanent.

Is it important to your manner of practicing theology that all of the early theologians believed in a descend into hades or that none of them did?A basic historical conclusion, which is written out in understandable detail by Alfeyev in his work, is as follows : The Christian faith in both the West and the East, as far back as the 4th Century, unambiguously asserted Christ’s journey into hell, Jesus’ victory over death, and either a partial or complete release of all humankind from the power and torment of death and hell.The following are some specifics: It is customary of Irenaeus to witness both the fall and the release of the patriarchs, prophets, and saints from the time of the Old Testament period.

Hippolytus: John the Baptist also came down to preach to people who were imprisoned in hades.Jesus Christ descended and preached to the saints as well as to the Gentiles who were outside the true religion, according to Clement of Alexandria.Hell was, in his opinion, a place of reformation.Origen is similar to Clement in that it emphasizes the importance of personal decision.The problem is determining how to describe the various phrases, because many others observed the same things.

That is, there is Abraham’s bosom, and there is hell, and there is hades, and there is a jail.Athanasius: leans toward the idea of universal salvation or liberation from death at various points throughout his life.A universal liberation of the dead by the descent is depicted poetically in the renowned work ″Christus patiens,″ which has been assigned to Gregory Nazianzen by certain scholars.

This is the line of reasoning that Cyril of Alexandria, as well as Maximus the Confessor, follow.Many people are either indifferent or categorically think that Jesus’ liberation was solely for the saints, as demonstrated by St John Chrysostom, for example.Because John Damascene emphasizes the importance of human decision by those in the realm of the dead, not everyone is emancipated.When it comes to declaring that not all are liberated, St Jerome falls into the camp of those who believe that sometimes all are released and at other times not all are liberated.

Augustine was a defining figure in this debate, particularly in the West, because he believed in both a fall and a ″second chance,″ but not necessarily in both at the same time.According to Augustine, death was final, and the only ones who were liberated from hades were those who had been predestined by God’s elective grace prior to their death.What is noteworthy, though, is that Augustine was definitely engaged in a battle with those who believed that Christ had emptied hades, death, and hell of all of its residents.The Augustinian point of view was finalized by Gregory the Great.

Alfayev underlines that the Eastern fathers did not spell things out in the same manner that the Western fathers did, which he believes is important.Dante took theology concerning the hereafter and transformed it into an epic adventure, basing his plot on Homer’s stories and Virgil’s famous The Aeneid and, in many respects, transporting them to the following millennia of history.Dante’s epic adventure is known as the Divine Comedy.As opposed to Dante’s voyage into the underworld and then back to paradise, we find poets who presented accounts of Christ’s victory over Death, the Devil, and Hell in the Eastern hemisphere.

Ephrem the Syrian and Romanos the Melodist are the two most important poets in the work.Known as some of the greatest poetry in the world, their work expresses the theology of Christ’s work between his death and resurrection/ascension in language that can be understood by everybody.Do you believe in Jesus’ ascension into hades (after his death) and his subsequent descend into hell?What is the reason for this or why is it not?

• I’m curious about what role you think this theology of the fathers has in your interpretation of the descent.
• As I began to delve into the Eastern theology poetry through Alfayev’s writing, I was astonished by how personified, mythic, and epic everything had become.
• The following are the major themes: Christ, the protagonist, destroys the gates and bars of Hades, defeats Satan and his servants, and ends their opposition to his will and authority.
• Christ then illuminates Sheol with his light, annihilates Death, and makes room for the resurrection of the dead.

We witness in Eastern poetry a victory over death and hades and hell and Satan that is nearly universal, if not universally celebrated by the poets.This is on the verge of becoming a form of universalism.Alfayev summarizes his research by identifying four perspectives on the consequences of Christ’s descent: 1.Everyone has been freed from hell and death (Orthodox liturgical emphasis).2.

The saints of the Old Testament have been emancipated (Eastern patristic tradition emphasis; West after Augustine).3.Those who adhered to Christ were set free (Augustine).4.

Those who lived their lives in faith and piety were set free (West; after Augustine).Alfayev believes that Scripture is the most authoritative source of information, with liturgical texts coming in second.There are councils accompanying the liturgical texts, which are reactions to certain concerns at various times.

1. Then there are the opinions of the dads.
2. As a result, Alfayev’s fall is based on theory, but the number of those who attain salvation is based on personal opinion.
3. According to what I’ve read of Jesus, the most widely held belief is that only those who believe are saved.
4. A portion of CT’s Blog Forum is devoted to the Jesus Creed.
5. Contribute to the work of CT.

Subscribe today and receive a free year of service.The opinions expressed by the blogger do not necessarily reflect the views of Christianity Today or its staff.

What did Jesus do on Holy Saturday?

(RNS) Every Christian is familiar with the story: Jesus was killed on Good Friday and resurrected on Easter Sunday, according to the Bible.But what exactly did he accomplish on Saturday night?″La discesa di Cristo al Limbo″ (The Descent of Christ into Limbo) by Agnolo Bronzino, painted in Florence in 1552, is an example of Renaissance art.Those are the kinds of questions that have sparked centuries of dispute, confounded theologians as erudite as St.

Augustine, and prompted some Protestants to urge for the revision of the Apostles’ Creed, one of the oldest affirmations of faith in the world.The Roman Catholic, Eastern Orthodox, and the vast majority of mainline Protestant churches believe that Jesus went into the realm of the dead on Holy Saturday in order to save virtuous souls, such as the Hebrew patriarchs, who died prior to his crucifixion and resurrection.It is described as ″the last step of Jesus’ messianic mission″ in the Catechism of the Catholic Church, during which he ″opened heaven’s gates for the just who had gone before him.″ During the time when Jesus sought for Adam, ″our first father,″ as if he were a lost sheep, according to an old homily contained in the Catholic readings for Holy Saturday, the world was stilled by a ″great quiet.″ The dramatic picture of Jesus bursting down the gates of Hades, sometimes referred to as ″the harrowing of hell,″ has proven nearly seductive to artists throughout history, from the painter Hieronymus Bosch to the poet Dante to innumerable Eastern Orthodox iconographers, among others.Some Protestants, on the other hand, argue that there is little scriptural support for the horrific detour and that Jesus’ own words are in direct opposition to it.

• ″Today you will be with me in paradise,″ the Good Thief, according to the Gospel of Luke, was assured by Jesus on Good Friday as he was being crucified alongside him.
• In the words of John Piper, a famous evangelical author and pastor from Minnesota, ″That’s the only hint we have as to what Jesus was doing between death and resurrection.″ The criminal didn’t go to hell, and I don’t believe hell is called paradise.
• At All Souls College Chapel in Oxford, England, a reredos on the altar shows Jesus releasing the Jewish Patriarchs from the depths of hell.
• After death, the majority of first-century Jews thought that all souls were sent to Sheol, a bleak and quiet abyss where they would remain forever.

According to Robert Krieg, a theology professor at the University of Notre Dame, in order to highlight that Jesus had actually died and that his resurrection was no trick of the tomb, the apostles would have argued that he, too, had spent time in Sheol.According to Krieg, ″it helps drive home the argument that Jesus’ resurrection was not just a resuscitation.″ According to Martin Connell, a theology professor at the College of Saint Benedict/St.John’s University in Minnesota, belief in the descent of Adam and Eve was popular in early Christianity.The Bible, on the other hand, says very nothing about the time period between Jesus’ death and resurrection.

Churches that believe he has fallen into the realm of the dead most frequently use 1 Peter 3:18-20 as their primary source.″Christ was put to death as a human being, but he was raised to life by the Spirit,″ says the apostle Peter.In jail, he went to preach to the spirits, and it was via the Spirit that he did so.″ The souls that were imprisoned, Peter cryptically explains, were those who were ″disobedient″ during the time of Noah, the ark-maker, and were punished accordingly.Augustine, considered to be one of the most important builders of Christian theology, felt that Peter’s text is more of an allegory than a historical account.In other words, Jesus talked to the Hebrews ″in spirit″ via Noah, rather than directly to them in hell.

1. ″I am gravely disturbed,″ said Augustine, when it comes to the subject of who exactly Jesus preached to after his death, as he put it.
2. A fourth-century bishop called Rufinus, who wrote a commentary on the Apostles’ Creed in which he stated that Jesus had gone ″ad inferna″ – to hell – may have prevented the descent from becoming established dogma.
3. After a few centuries, the term became part of the influential credo and was formally added to it.
4. However, shifting ideas of hell have only added to the complexity of the issues.

Afterlife doctrines such as limbo and purgatory were introduced throughout time.As a result, theologians such as Thomas Aquinas struggled to comprehend which place Jesus visited and whom he saved.In addition, some Christian theologians, such as Martin Luther and John Calvin, were divided on the question of whether Christ’s suffering in hell was sufficient to atone for human depravity.

In the Catholic journal First Things few years ago, the subject, which had been broached most recently by the late Swiss theologian Hans Ur von Balthasar, sparked a ferocious theological debate.It was built in 1340, and it represents Jesus (on the left) releasing lost souls from hell at the St.Leonhard Church in Lavanttal, Austria (around 1340).(right) Wayne Grudem, a former president of the Evangelical Theological Society, believes that by removing the passage concerning the descent from the Apostles’ Creed, the misunderstanding and debates might be put to rest ″once and for all.″ ″The single most persuasive reason in its favor appears to be the fact that it has been there for so long,″ says Grudem, a professor at Phoenix Seminary in Arizona, in his ″Systematic Theology,″ a popular textbook at evangelical schools and universities.″However, a mistake made years ago is still a mistake.″ When repeating the Apostles’ Creed, Grudem, like Piper, has stated that he skips over the verse regarding Jesus’ descend from the cross.

Nonetheless, the horrible experience of hell continues to be an important teaching for Orthodox Christians, who set an icon showing the fall of Hell at the front of their churches as Saturday night turns into Easter Sunday.It will remain there for 40 days, being cherished and frequently kissed.Peter Bouteneff, a theology professor at St.

Vladimir’s Orthodox Theological Seminary in Crestwood, New York, explained that the empty cross and tomb are not the icons that symbolise Easter for him and his students.″It is the descend of Christ into Hades.″

What did Jesus do on Holy Saturday?

Every Christian is familiar with the story: Jesus was killed on Good Friday and resurrected on Easter Sunday, according to the Bible.But what exactly did he accomplish on Saturday night?Those are the kinds of questions that have sparked centuries of dispute, confounded theologians as erudite as St.Augustine, and prompted some Protestants to urge for the revision of the Apostles’ Creed, one of the oldest affirmations of faith in the world.

The Roman Catholic, Eastern Orthodox, and the vast majority of mainline Protestant churches believe that Jesus went into the realm of the dead on Holy Saturday in order to save virtuous souls, such as the Hebrew patriarchs, who died prior to his crucifixion and resurrection.The Catechism of the Catholic Church refers to the descent as ″the final step of Jesus’ messianic mission,″ during which he ″opened heaven’s gates for the just who had gone before him,″ according to the document.During the time when Jesus sought for Adam, ″our first father,″ as if he were a lost sheep, according to an old homily contained in the Catholic readings for Holy Saturday, the world was stilled by a ″great quiet.″ The dramatic picture of Jesus bursting down the gates of Hades, sometimes referred to as ″the harrowing of hell,″ has proven nearly seductive to artists throughout history, from the painter Hieronymus Bosch to the poet Dante to innumerable Eastern Orthodox iconographers, among others.Some Protestants, on the other hand, argue that there is little scriptural support for the horrific detour and that Jesus’ own words are in direct opposition to it.

• ″Today you will be with me in paradise,″ the Good Thief, according to the Gospel of Luke, was assured by Jesus on Good Friday as he was being crucified alongside him.
• In the words of John Piper, a famous evangelical author and pastor from Minnesota, ″That’s the only hint we have as to what Jesus was doing between death and resurrection.″ The criminal didn’t go to hell, and I don’t believe hell is called paradise.
• After death, the majority of first-century Jews thought that all souls were sent to Sheol, a bleak and quiet abyss where they would remain forever.
• According to Robert Krieg, a theology professor at the University of Notre Dame, in order to highlight that Jesus had actually died and that his resurrection was no trick of the tomb, the apostles would have argued that he, too, had spent time in Sheol.

According to Krieg, ″it helps drive home the argument that Jesus’ resurrection was not just a resuscitation.″ According to Martin Connell, a theology professor at St.John’s School of Theology-Seminary in Collegeville, Minn., belief in the descent was prevalent in the early church.The Bible, on the other hand, says very nothing about the time period between Jesus’ death and resurrection.Churches that believe he has fallen into the realm of the dead most frequently use 1 Peter 3:18-20 as their primary source.

″Christ was put to death as a human being, but he was raised to life by the Spirit,″ says the apostle Peter.In jail, he went to preach to the spirits, and it was via the Spirit that he did so.″ The souls that were imprisoned, Peter cryptically explains, were those who were ″disobedient″ during the time of Noah, the ark-maker, and were punished accordingly.Augustine, considered to be one of the most important builders of Christian theology, felt that Peter’s text is more of an allegory than a historical account.In other words, Jesus talked to the Hebrews ″in spirit″ via Noah, rather than directly to them in hell.″I am gravely disturbed,″ said Augustine, when it comes to the subject of who exactly Jesus preached to after his death, as he put it.

1. If it hadn’t been for a fourth-century bishop called Rufinus, who wrote a commentary on the Apostles’ Creed in which he stated that Jesus had gone ″ad inferna,″ or ″to hell,″ the descent may not have been a doctrine.
2. After a few centuries, the term became part of the influential credo and was formally added to it.
3. However, shifting ideas of hell have only added to the complexity of the issues.
4. Afterlife doctrines such as limbo and purgatory were introduced throughout time.

As a result, theologians such as Thomas Aquinas struggled to comprehend which place Jesus visited and whom he saved.In addition, some Christian theologians, such as Martin Luther and John Calvin, were divided on the question of whether Christ’s suffering in hell was sufficient to atone for human depravity.In the Catholic journal First Things few years ago, the subject, which had been broached most recently by the late Swiss theologian Hans Ur von Balthasar, sparked a ferocious theological debate.

Wayne Grudem, a former president of the Evangelical Theological Society, believes that by amending the Apostles’ Creed ″for and for all″ and removing the phrase concerning the descent, the misunderstanding and debates might be put to rest.According to Grudem, a professor at Phoenix Seminary in Arizona, ″the only argument in its favor appears to be the fact that it has been there for so long.″ Grudem’s Systematic Theology, a popular textbook at evangelical universities, explains why.″However, a mistake made years ago is still a mistake.″ When repeating the Apostles’ Creed, Grudem, like Piper, has stated that he skips over the verse regarding Jesus’ descend from the cross.Nonetheless, the horrible experience of hell continues to be an important teaching for Orthodox Christians, who set an icon showing the fall of Hell at the front of their churches as Saturday night turns into Easter Sunday.It will remain there for 40 days, being cherished and frequently kissed.

Peter Bouteneff, a theology professor at St.Vladimir’s Orthodox Theological Seminary in Crestwood, New York, explained that the empty cross and tomb are not the icons that symbolise Easter for him and his students.″It is the descend of Christ into Hades.″

What did Jesus do on Holy Saturday?

Every Christian is familiar with the story: Jesus was killed on Good Friday and resurrected on Easter Sunday, according to the Bible.But what exactly did he accomplish on Saturday night?Those are the kinds of questions that have sparked centuries of dispute, confounded theologians as erudite as St.Augustine, and prompted some Protestants to urge for the revision of the Apostles’ Creed, one of the oldest affirmations of faith in the world.

The Roman Catholic, Eastern Orthodox, and the vast majority of mainline Protestant churches believe that Jesus went into the realm of the dead on Holy Saturday in order to save virtuous souls, such as the Hebrew patriarchs, who died prior to his crucifixion and resurrection.The Catechism of the Catholic Church refers to the descent as ″the final step of Jesus’ messianic mission,″ during which he ″opened heaven’s gates for the just who had gone before him,″ according to the document.During the time when Jesus sought for Adam, ″our first father,″ as if he were a lost sheep, according to an old homily contained in the Catholic readings for Holy Saturday, the world was stilled by a ″great quiet.″ The dramatic picture of Jesus bursting down the gates of Hades, sometimes referred to as ″the harrowing of hell,″ has proven nearly seductive to artists throughout history, from the painter Hieronymus Bosch to the poet Dante to innumerable Eastern Orthodox iconographers, among others.Some Protestants, on the other hand, argue that there is little scriptural support for the horrific detour and that Jesus’ own words are in direct opposition to it.

• ″Today you will be with me in paradise,″ the Good Thief, according to the Gospel of Luke, was assured by Jesus on Good Friday as he was being crucified alongside him.
• In the words of John Piper, a famous evangelical author and pastor from Minnesota, ″That’s the only hint we have as to what Jesus was doing between death and resurrection.″ The criminal didn’t go to hell, and I don’t believe hell is called paradise.
• After death, the majority of first-century Jews thought that all souls were sent to Sheol, a bleak and quiet abyss where they would remain forever.
• According to Robert Krieg, a theology professor at the University of Notre Dame, in order to highlight that Jesus had actually died and that his resurrection was no trick of the tomb, the apostles would have argued that he, too, had spent time in Sheol.

According to Krieg, ″it helps drive home the argument that Jesus’ resurrection was not just a resuscitation.″ According to Martin Connell, a theology professor at St.John’s School of Theology-Seminary in Collegeville, Minn., belief in the descent was prevalent in the early church.The Bible, on the other hand, says very nothing about the time period between Jesus’ death and resurrection.Churches that believe he has fallen into the realm of the dead most frequently use 1 Peter 3:18-20 as their primary source.

″Christ was put to death as a human being, but he was raised to life by the Spirit,″ says the apostle Peter.In jail, he went to preach to the spirits, and it was via the Spirit that he did so.″ The souls that were imprisoned, Peter cryptically explains, were those who were ″disobedient″ during the time of Noah, the ark-maker, and were punished accordingly.Augustine, considered to be one of the most important builders of Christian theology, felt that Peter’s text is more of an allegory than a historical account.In other words, Jesus talked to the Hebrews ″in spirit″ via Noah, rather than directly to them in hell.″I am gravely disturbed,″ said Augustine, when it comes to the subject of who exactly Jesus preached to after his death, as he put it.

1. Because to the work of a fourth-century bishop called Rufinus, who wrote a gloss on the Apostles’ Creed in which he stated that Jesus descended ″ad inferna,″ or ″to hell,″ the descent may not have been a Christian dogma.
2. After a few centuries, the term became part of the influential credo and was formally added to it.
3. However, shifting ideas of hell have only added to the complexity of the issues.
4. Afterlife doctrines such as limbo and purgatory were introduced throughout time.

As a result, theologians such as Thomas Aquinas struggled to comprehend which place Jesus visited and whom he saved.In addition, some Christian theologians, such as Martin Luther and John Calvin, were divided on the question of whether Christ’s suffering in hell was sufficient to atone for human depravity.In the Catholic journal First Things few years ago, the subject, which had been broached most recently by the late Swiss theologian Hans Ur von Balthasar, sparked a ferocious theological debate.

Wayne Grudem, a former president of the Evangelical Theological Society, believes that by amending the Apostles’ Creed ″for and for all″ and removing the phrase concerning the descent, the misunderstanding and debates might be put to rest.″The single most persuasive reason in its favor appears to be the fact that it has been there for so long,″ says Grudem, a professor at Phoenix Seminary in Arizona, in his ″Systematic Theology,″ a popular textbook at evangelical schools and universities.″However, a mistake made years ago is still a mistake.″ When repeating the Apostles’ Creed, Grudem, like Piper, has stated that he skips over the verse regarding Jesus’ descend from the cross.Nonetheless, the horrible experience of hell continues to be an important teaching for Orthodox Christians, who set an icon showing the fall of Hell at the front of their churches as Saturday night turns into Easter Sunday.It will remain there for 40 days, being cherished and frequently kissed.

Peter Bouteneff, a theology professor at St.Vladimir’s Orthodox Theological Seminary in Crestwood, New York, explained that the empty cross and tomb are not the icons that symbolise Easter for him and his students.″It is the descend of Christ into Hades.″ Copyright: If you have any questions about copyright, you should contact the item’s distributor, Universal Uclick, directly.

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Holy Saturday

Historically, Holy Saturday marks the day when Jesus Christ was laid in the tomb following his death, as recorded in the Christian Bible. On this day, the day after Good Friday and the day before Easter Sunday, Easter Eve, Easter Even, Black Saturday, and the Saturday before Easter are all terms used to refer to this day.

What Do People Do?

Holy Saturday is observed by many Christians across the world as a commemoration of the day when Jesus was laid in his tomb.It is a day of pain and excitement for Christians across the world, regardless of their cultural background.Easter vigil (watch) services are held in a large number of churches.During these services, participants engage in discussions on the significance of the rituals, prayers, and symbols that are all a part of the Easter vigil.

On this day, several churches also organize huge baptism services, which may be quite popular.People in Mexico commemorate Judas Day by burning effigies of the apostle Judas Iscariot, who betrayed Jesus for 30 pieces of silver, on the Saturday before Easter.The effigies, which differ in height and are designed to make Judas seem as unattractive as possible, are sold by street sellers.For Halloween, residents decorate their patios with candy-filled effigies known as piatas, which are intended for use by youngsters.

• A variety of other effigies can be found on the streets or hanged from lampposts.
• Many of these effigies are equipped with firecrackers, which are lit as soon as the Mass of Glory is over.
• After the effigies explode, children hurry to get their hands on the candy that has been hidden within.
• On White Saturday, a Czech tradition is to rattle keys and burn out Judas by igniting the rest of the holy oil before the church entrance, according to the legend.

In Poland, Holy Saturday is marked with the blessing of food and the distribution of Easter baskets.In many countries, children spend the Saturday before Easter Sunday preparing for the holiday by decorating and coloring eggs.

Public Life

• In many parts of Australia (where it is known as Easter Saturday), as well as in countries such as (but not limited to): Belize, Chile, El Salvador, Hong Kong, Macau, Nicaragua, Panama, Papua New Guinea, Samoa, Seychelles, Solomon Islands, Zambia, and Zimbabwe, Holy Saturday is observed as a national public holiday.

Several nations, including Canada, the United Kingdom, and the United States, do not observe Holy Saturday as a national public holiday.

Background

Holy Saturday is the final day of Holy Week and the conclusion of the Lenten season.It is sometimes referred to as the Easter Vigil or the Easter Vigil.Days like this are generally reserved for introspection and waiting.The tradition of keeping vigil dates back to when Jesus’ supporters waited for him on this day following his crucifixion on Good Friday.

Equally known as the day when Roman ruler Pontius Pilate ordered guards to be put at the tomb in order to prevent Jesus’ supporters from removing the body and claiming that he had risen from the dead, this day is also significant.In addition to Holy Saturday, it was also referred to as Great or Grand Saturday and the Angelic Night.In the early days of the Christian church, fasting was only authorized on Saturdays, and this was the only day on which it was permitted.During the first century CE, according to some sources, fasting happened throughout the day or continued for 40 hours before the daybreak of Easter Sunday.

• Baptisms took place on this day in the early church on a large scale.
• Baptism services are still held in significant numbers on Holy Saturday in many churches.
• Some individuals refer to Holy Saturday as Easter Saturday, although this is a misnomer because Holy Saturday is the final day of Lent and the eve of Easter, but Easter Saturday is the day after Easter.
• Easter Saturday, sometimes referred to as Bright Saturday, is the Saturday after Easter Sunday.

The fact that Holy Saturday is sometimes referred to as Easter Saturday by various official sources in nations such as Australia is crucial to remember.

Symbols

People are led out of the darkness into the celebration of the Easter vigil by a Paschal candle, which is made of white wax and represents the light of Christ.A cross, an alpha, and an omega are etched onto the candle’s wick (the first and last letters of the Greek alphabet).According to Christian doctrine, this represents the fact that Jesus Christ has always been, and will continue to be, with mankind, and that he is currently with humanity.