Only Quiet On Earth: A Silent Saturday Meditation

Nick Minerva • Apr 17, 2022

It’s Saturday. Jesus is dead and has been buried. Traditionally, it is called Silent Saturday, because there isn’t much happening. The only gospel to mention any activity on this day is Matthew’s. 


Matthew 27:62-66

The next day, which followed the preparation day, the chief priests and the Pharisees gathered before Pilate and said, “Sir, we remember that while this deceiver was still alive he said, ‘After three days I will rise again.’ So give orders that the tomb be made secure until the third day. Otherwise, his disciples may come, steal him, and tell the people, ‘He has been raised from the dead,’ and the last deception will be worse than the first.”

“Take guards,” Pilate told them. “Go and make it as secure as you know how.” They went and secured the tomb by setting a seal on the stone and placing the guards. 


Making the tomb secure comes across as ironic and almost humorous given what we know happens tomorrow morning. But on this first “Silent Saturday” nobody was laughing. For the followers of Jesus, their whole world just came crashing down. Emotions still would have been raw as the events of yesterday began to sink in. It was all real. Jesus was really crucified. That week would have been an emotional roller coaster. They experienced triumphant gladness, confusion, grief, sorrow, and some, even guilt. And yet despite the fact that Jesus had told them multiple times (Mark 8:31, Matthew 17:22-23, Luke 9:22) he would be crucified and come back to life three days later, the hope of a political overthrow and then the shock of him literally being crucified was too much to process. But while Saturday seemed silent from an earthly perspective, it was anything but. 


In the Old Testament when a person died their soul went to the place called Sheol. To be clear the Old Testament is a bit vague on the topic of Sheol. But it seems to be the place the souls of both the righteous and the unrighteous go. (Genesis 37:35, Psalm 31:17). We also know that is under the ground. (Numbers 16:30-31) It’s a city with gates. (Isaiah 38:10) We know no one praise, God, there. (Psalm 6:5) In Luke 16:19-31 (while in the New Testament portion of the Bible, it’s still technically under the Old Covenant) we are given a bit of a fuller picture. 


Sheol is split into two places that are separated by a large chasm. It seems the souls of the unrighteous go to Hades, which is a place of fiery torment; while the souls of the righteous, who died prior to Christ, go to Abraham’s bosom. While this is not heaven, it is a place of comfort and rest. Hebrews tells us that the Old Testament saints didn’t receive the full promise of Heaven when they died, despite the fact that they had faith because God was waiting for us under the New Covenant. (Hebrews 11:16, 39-40) 


When Jesus died on the cross he experienced death as we do. His body and spirit were separated. And his Spirit went to Sheol. Given that Jesus told the thief on the cross “today you will be with me in paradise” it’s safe to say Jesus went to Abraham’s bosom. But I also think he crossed the great divide. In Peter’s sermon at Pentecost, he quotes Psalm 16 to tell us that he wasn’t abandoned in Hades. (Acts 2:31-32) I believe he crossed the great divide between Abraham’s bosom and Hades and proclaimed victory over death and hell! Peter tells us while Jesus was dead in body, but alive by the Spirit, he went to the unrighteous dead and proclaimed victory over them. (1 Peter 3:18-22, see also Colossians 2:15) In Revelation 1:17-18 Jesus says “I am the First and the Last, and the Living One. I was dead, but look—I am alive forever and ever, and I hold the keys of death and Hades.” As Peter preached in Acts 2, Jesus went there, but he was not abandoned there. (Psalm 16:10) He rose from the grave, leaving Sheol, and his spirit is reunited with his now-glorified body. After his resurrection, Jesus led all those in Abraham’s bosom, who have been waiting for the promise, up to heaven. (Ephesians 4:8-9, Psalm 68:18, John 20:17) 


Now that we are on this side of the resurrection when we die our souls go into the presence of the Lord. No more waiting in Abraham’s bosom. But those who are not in Christ still go to Hades while they await the final judgment when both death and hades are cast into the lake of fire. (Revelation 20:14-15) So we remember today as “Silent Saturday” because Jesus really did endure death. For three days his body lie dead in a tomb while his spirit was in Sheol. But unlike the Old Testament saint, he wasn’t abandoned there to wait. (Psalm 16:10) He declared victory over death and hell and lead those waiting saints out and ascended on high! And because of this reality, we as believers live with unshakeable hope. 

A Creed To Remind The Gathered Church Of Its New Life In Christ

By Nick Minerva • 14 Jul, 2023
When I was pastoring I wanted to read a blessing over the church that would remind all of us of our new life in Christ. So I wrote this new life creed and every week I would read it and remind us of what Christ had done for us. We gather together as believers professing our great need We acknowledge that we have fallen short We confess that we are rebels who have gone our own way Apart from Christ, we stand condemned, guilty, and unable to save ourselves But what we are incapable of doing, God did In his infinite love, God made a way of salvation for all who would believe Jesus willingly laid down his life and received the just punishment we deserve So that could walk in new life So yes, we confess our great need We humbly recognize that apart from Christ we are incapable of any good thing But we also proclaim that because of the finished work of the cross we will never be apart from Christ We are forever secure in the love of the Father We have been sealed by the Holy Spirit All because of the sacrifice of the Son, Jesus Christ. We are no longer in bondage to sin We are no longer facing righteous wrath We have been declared holy by our King And nothing on heaven or earth will change that reality This gathering is a testimony to our redeemed state We pursue holy living to be an authentic demonstration of the love we have for Christ We believe that we have been empowered by grace to meet our every need And we gladly anticipate the complete fulfillment of our adaption and the remaking of this world at the coming of our Lord To Christ be glory forever and ever Amen

A Praying Church: A Book Review

By Nick Minerva • 23 May, 2023
Prayer is one of those topics that always seems to convict me. I have never heard a sermon or read a book on prayer and not been challenged. Even as I am writing this review there is a bit of imposter syndrome because I know I should pray more. In A Praying Church , Paul Miller writes about how to become a people of hope in a discouraging world through prayer. And he does so in a way that was very authentic and accessible. While I was consistently challenged, I was also consistently encouraged. Throughout the book, he takes you on his journey of developing a personal prayer life plus countless stories of ministries that developed communal prayer as a vital component of their life together. One thing that struck home with me throughout these stories was the reality that prayer always grows out of desperation for God. There were several things that I found very helpful in this book. One of them was the connection between a life yielded to the Holy Spirit and a vibrant prayer life. The power to do anything of eternal importance comes from the Holy Spirit and the Spirit moves in response to prayer. Paul shows us a biblical pattern we see throughout the New Testament. Prayer-Spirit-Jesus-power. However, this is not a simple formula to get God to do what you want. Another thing I appreciated about this book is Paul tells us time and again that the Spirit often moves in ways we don’t expect and that almost always includes difficulties. The Spirit enables us to look more like Jesus and that means joining him in the fellowship of his suffering. So this is not a “how to turn God into your personal genie” scheme, like many books on prayer. God often answers in ways we don’t expect and in places we don’t anticipate. This book is also full of practical help. I’ve already mentioned the stories he tells, but Paul also offers several helpful charts, strategies, and ideas to help put into place what he writes about (and lives by.) At the end of each chapter, he has a section called “A Word To Pastors” with a few paragraphs of wisdom to help them become a person of prayer and then lead their congregation to become a church of prayer. This book also made me thankful that I am a part of a church that has sought to grow in corporate prayer over the last few years. This would be a great book for any ministry leader who is burdened with the prayer life of his or her church. But it’s also a great read for any believer seeking to develop their own prayer life. Crossway was kind to send me a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. You can get a copy of it at the affiliate link below.

Non-Toxic Masculinity: A Book Review

By Nick Minerva • 28 Apr, 2023
Let me start this review by saying everyone should read this book. If you've grown up in Evangelicalism, you‘ve no doubt heard of purity culture. For the last several years we have seen the harm that has come as a result of this sub-group of Christianity. In Non-Toxic Masculinity, Zachary Wagner does an excellent job unpacking its teaching and the damage that has come as a result. He explains so well the angst I've been feeling with the movement and how often the Church falls short and winds up doing more damage. But unlike many critiques, this one also points a way forward. We know what toxic male sexuality looks like. We see it in the news and unfortunately, in the Church. But what does healthy male sexuality look like? What does it look like for me? What will it look like for my boys? In my heart, I know what I want it to look like, but so often I struggle to find the right words to express it. Non-Toxic Masculinity paints a healthy picture that is (re)humanizing and ultimately looks like Jesus, who, like all of us, had a sexual body. Zach is also very transparent in this book and God used his transparency to encourage, challenge, and convict me. As you read his story you will no doubt find yourself resonating with him on some level. Every man should read this book for themselves first and foremost. But if you have sons, nephews, grandsons, or young boys in your life, reading it is a must. Non-Toxic Masculinity is a breath of fresh air that will prove to be a tremendous resource for generations. Thank you Zach for writing it and sharing your story to serve us.
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