Jesus, the central figure of Christianity, is believed to have rested on the Sabbath day according to biblical accounts. The Sabbath day, or Saturday, was set aside as a day of rest and worship by God in the Old Testament. As a Jew, Jesus would have observed the Sabbath. However, there is some debate over which specific Sabbath day Jesus rested on between his death and resurrection.
When did the Sabbath occur?
The Sabbath was the seventh day of the week in the Jewish calendar. According to Genesis 2:2-3, God rested on the seventh day after creating the world in six days. Later, in the Ten Commandments, God commanded the Israelites to remember the Sabbath day and keep it holy (Exodus 20:8-11). The Sabbath was established as a day of rest and focus on God. Work was prohibited on this day. Over time, Jewish religious leaders expanded on what constituted “work” that could not be done on the Sabbath, creating strict rules and regulations.
In Jesus’ day, the Sabbath was observed from sundown on Friday evening to sundown on Saturday evening. This is still the practice today in Judaism. Since the Jewish calendar follows lunar cycles, the Sabbath does not always fall on Saturday on our modern Gregorian calendar. But in general, the Sabbath corresponds to Saturday on our weekly calendar.
Jesus and the Sabbath
The Gospels record multiple instances where Jesus healed people and performed miracles on the Sabbath. This brought him into conflict with the religious leaders, who accused him of doing work and breaking Sabbath laws (e.g. John 5:1-18, Luke 13:10-17). Jesus asserted that he was the Lord of the Sabbath and that doing good deeds was lawful on this day.
While Jesus challenged the legalism and hypocrisy of the Pharisees regarding strict observance of the Sabbath, he did not discard the Sabbath commandment itself. As a Jewish rabbi, he kept the Sabbath regularly. The Gospels mention Jesus going to the synagogue multiple times on the Sabbath to teach (e.g. Luke 4:16, Mark 1:21).
The Sabbath between Jesus’ death and resurrection
According to the Gospels, Jesus was crucified on Friday, the day before the Sabbath (Mark 15:42, Luke 23:52-56, John 19:31). This is known as Good Friday by Christians today. After dying on the cross, Jesus was hastily buried before sundown because the Sabbath was approaching.
On Sunday morning, women went to Jesus’ tomb and found it empty. He had risen from the dead. This event is commemorated as Easter Sunday by modern Christians. But what happened on that Sabbath between Good Friday and Easter?
Theories on what Jesus did
The Gospels do not describe what Jesus did on the Sabbath day between his burial and resurrection. Christians have speculated for centuries about where Jesus’ spirit went and what he might have done in the period between his death and resurrection. Here are some common theories:
- Descended into hell – A passage in 1 Peter 3:19-20 refers to Jesus “preaching to the spirits in prison” after his death. Some believe this means Jesus descended into hell and preached salvation to righteous people who had died prior to his crucifixion.
- Preached to fallen angels – Another interpretation of 1 Peter 3:19-20 is that the “spirits in prison” were fallen angels or demons. So Jesus announced his victory over sin and death to these imprisoned evil spirits.
- Entered paradise – Jesus told one of the criminals crucified beside him that “today you will be with me in paradise” (Luke 23:43). Paradise refers to the abode of the righteous dead. So some think Jesus spent the Sabbath preaching in paradise.
- Rested in the grave – A simpler interpretation is that Jesus rested literally and spiritually on the Sabbath day just as God rested on the first Sabbath. His body lay in the tomb while his spirit enjoyed heavenly rest.
- Preached to the departed saints – The apostles’ creed says Jesus descended to the dead. One view is that he descended to Sheol/Hades and preached to deceased Old Testament saints, announcing his redemptive work.
While the Bible does not provide definitive details about what Jesus did on the Sabbath day between his death and resurrection, Christians agree that he fulfilled the Sabbath in a deep, mysterious way in keeping with his divine nature and finished work of salvation.
Did Jesus’ resurrection occur on Sunday?
All four Gospels consistently describe the resurrection as taking place on the first day of the week – Sunday morning:
- Matthew 28:1 – “After the Sabbath, at dawn on the first day of the week…”
- Mark 16:2 – “Very early on the first day of the week…”
- Luke 24:1 – “On the first day of the week…”
- John 20:1 – “Early on the first day of the week…”
So Scripture definitively places Jesus’ resurrection on Sunday morning. But there has been some debate about reconciling this with his prediction that he would be buried for three days.
Reconciling the three days prophecy
Some skeptics argue that a Friday crucifixion and Sunday morning resurrection does not add up to three days and nights, as Jesus predicted:
“For as Jonah was three days and three nights in the belly of a huge fish, so the Son of Man will be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth.” (Matthew 12:40)
However, ancient Hebrew reckoning of time could be inclusive. Any part of a day could be counted as a full day. So Friday afternoon to Sunday morning fits Jesus’ prophecy of three days:
- Day 1 – Friday afternoon in the tomb
- Day 2 – Saturday in the tomb
- Day 3 – Sunday resurrection before dawn
Another explanation is that Jesus was buried just before sundown on Friday, which would have been the start of the Sabbath by Jewish reckoning. So in the Jewish mind, three full days would be:
- Day 1 – Sabbath
- Day 2 – Saturday after sundown
- Day 3 – Sunday until dawn
Either way, the chronology fits with a Friday crucifixion and Sunday morning resurrection.
Sunday as the Lord’s Day
Jesus’ resurrection on Sunday established it as a pivotal day for Christians. The apostle John referred to it as the “Lord’s Day” in Revelation 1:10. Some key events related to Christ’s resurrection occurred on Sunday:
- The empty tomb was discovered by women on Sunday morning (Matthew 28:1-10)
- Jesus appeared to his disciples on two Sunday evenings after his resurrection (John 20:19, 26)
- The Holy Spirit was poured out upon the apostles on the Day of Pentecost, which always fell on a Sunday (Acts 2:1)
- The first Christians gathered for worship and communion on Sunday evenings (Acts 20:7)
Due to its significance in Christ’s resurrection, the early church began meeting and celebrating communion on Sundays. For Christians, Sunday became a celebration of the new creation and new covenant brought through Jesus’ resurrection.
The Sabbath and Lord’s Day today
The practice of Sabbath observance on Saturdays has continued into modern times in Judaism. It remains an important weekly holy day, though many of the strict Sabbath rules have been relaxed.
For Christians, Sunday became established as the primary day of communal worship rather than Saturday. The technical requirements of Sabbath observance are not binding in Christianity, though the principle of Sabbath rest remains an important spiritual practice.
Here is a comparison between Sabbath and Sunday observance:
| Sabbath (Saturday) | Lord’s Day (Sunday) |
|---|---|
| Biblical origin is Creation (Genesis 2:2-3) | Biblical origin is Resurrection (Mark 16:2) |
| Day of rest mandated by 4th Commandment (Exodus 20:8-11) | Day of worship based on Resurrection tradition |
| Emphasis is stopping work | Emphasis is gathering for worship |
| Has specific prohibited activities | No biblical prohibitions, only tradition |
| Following rules is key focus | Focus is spiritual commemoration |
| Primarily a Jewish custom | A distinctly Christian custom |
In summary, the Sabbath remains on Saturday for Jewish people as a day of spiritual rest given by God at creation. For Christians, the primary day of worship has become Sunday, the Lord’s Day, because of its connection to Jesus’ resurrection and the early church. But the principal spiritual value of resting and delighting in God remains for both faiths.
Conclusion
The Gospels do not specifically describe what Jesus did on the Sabbath day between his death and resurrection. But he certainly fulfilled the Sabbath rest in a deep spiritual way beyond what anyone else had experienced. Jesus’ resurrection on the day after the Sabbath elevated Sunday to a special day for Christians to commemorate Christ’s victory over sin and death. While technical Sabbath observance is no longer binding, the principle of honoring God by resting remains relevant. For both Jews and Christians, the Sabbath and Lord’s Day meet spiritual needs in different ways while pointing to God as Creator and Redeemer.