What was Jesus doing on Easter Saturday?

Easter is here. It is such a great time, not just to learn about the cross and the resurrection but to feel the cross and the resurrection of Jesus. But how do you treat Holy Saturday? And more, how do you help your children understand and feel it?

What was actually going on as the tomb was sealed from Friday night to Sunday morning? The day was important enough for the Apostles’ Creed to say that Jesus ‘descended to the dead’ or, in older versions, ‘descended into hell’. There are some things we can be certain of when we consider what this phrase means. It doesn’t mean that Jesus needed to continue paying for sins. When he cried out on the cross, ‘it is finished’ (John 19:30), we can be sure that he had already borne the punishment for sin. We can also be sure that, as a human, he really was dead. He experienced death for us.

Holy Saturday is a day for quiet and reflection. To feel the solemnity of the day; to sit in the tomb with Jesus as he tasted death

There are discussions about what was going on. Some suggest he was announcing to those who had died or to Satan that God had won. Others suggest that he was giving those who had died a second chance, but this seems to go against what Scripture says elsewhere (Heb. 9:27).

What we can know is that his body lay dead in the tomb, while his soul was in the place of the dead. The Old Testament calls this Sheol, a shadowy place of the dead. Perhaps a good picture for a child is Daniel in the den of lions. Imagine being in that pit, surrounded by ferocious beasts. These are powerful beasts that could tear a person to pieces. Yet God does not let that happen. Like Jesus, we too will face death, but it will not devour us.

This will not be easy with children, but perhaps it is worth having a quieter day, if we can, or at least for as long as possible

Holy Saturday is a day for quiet and reflection. To feel the solemnity of the day; to sit in the tomb with Jesus as he tasted death. This will not be easy with children, but perhaps it is worth having a quieter day, if we can, or at least for as long as possible. If we can help our children feel Holy Saturday, they will begin to understand it.

There are some mistakes we can make as parents when talking to our children:

1. To go about our business as if it were an ordinary Saturday. This day is different. The church has set apart this weekend for centuries, and there is something good in marking it. If, like me, you come from a non-liturgical church tradition, there is still something good in experiencing these days each year.
2. To rush to quickly to Easter Sunday. The resurrection will come, and it will be brighter if we wait. There is an old proverb that says, ‘It’s always darkest before the dawn’. The dawn of new life is Sunday morning, and to really feel its brightness, we may need to hold back the celebrations. We must not force the issue; it will depend on age and personality. But perhaps a short time of quiet, reading Scriptures like Daniel 6 or Psalm 31, and listening to quiet music may help.
3. To overdo the mournfulness. I don’t think we need to insist that a child must spend the whole day wearing black and weeping. Perhaps we could read the sections of the gospels, stop at Jesus’ burial, and ask, ‘I wonder how Jesus’ best friends were feeling?’ or ‘What would you have done on that Saturday if you had been Jesus’ friend then?’ Some younger children will need to know that Sunday is coming. It will be a matter of wisdom to decide how much we stay on Saturday and how much we point to Sunday coming.

Read more:

Why do we celebrate with chocolate eggs and bunnies if Easter is about Jesus?

Making Holy Week unforgettable: Creative Easter traditions for families

There is no good parenting without Good Friday

This is a great moment to help our children understand the seriousness of what Jesus did: he tasted death for us. Death was not something Jesus simply cruised through as if it were nothing. He did not just die; he remained dead until the third day. This can give a child a sense of peace. Children can be fascinated by death and also incredibly afraid. To understand that their best friend lies in the place of the dead can give them peace. We can sing with Jesus,

Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death,

I will fear no evil,

For you are with me;

Your rod and your staff,

They comfort me. (Psalm 23:4)