As we wait for Easter Sunday, we take a few moments to consider Holy Saturday. There is no direct biblical example of what happened on Holy Saturday, but in many traditions, this is the day when Jesus “Harrows Hell.” In some versions of the Creed, it says He “descended to the dead” or “descended to hell.” We’ll look at several biblical passages to unpack a little of what that could mean.

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Today is Saturday.

Not just any Saturday—but Holy Saturday. It’s the in-between. The day after the cross, but before the empty tomb. The day when the disciples didn’t yet know what Sunday morning would bring. It’s the day of silence, of waiting, of grief hanging heavy in the air.

And for most of us, it’s a day we hardly think about.

Holy Saturday isn’t typically filled with services or pageantry. It doesn’t have the visible power of Good Friday or the joy of Easter morning. But for centuries—especially in the Eastern Orthodox tradition—Holy Saturday has been considered deeply significant. It’s known as the Harrowing of Hell.

That phrase may sound odd or unfamiliar. But if you’ve ever recited the Apostle’s Creed in its older form, you’ve said the words: “He descended into hell.” What does that mean? What was Jesus doing in the grave? Scripture gives us some fascinating glimpses.

In Revelation 1:17–18, Jesus says:

“Do not be afraid. I am the First and the Last, and the Living One. I was dead, and see, I am alive forever and ever; and I have the keys of Death and Hades.”

Christ holds the keys. He has authority not only over life and heaven, but over death and hell itself.

Ephesians 4 speaks of Christ descending to “the lower parts of the earth,” and 1 Peter 3 describes Him proclaiming to “the spirits in prison.” In 1 Peter 4:6, we read that “the gospel was proclaimed even to the dead.” These mysterious and powerful verses point to something we can’t fully grasp: that in the waiting, in the dark, Jesus was still at work.

The cross, as we know, was where sin was atoned for. The resurrection is where death was defeated. But in between—on this Saturday—Jesus storms the gates of hell itself. He descends to the dead and declares the victory that’s coming. He goes to the lowest of places, to proclaim the greatest of truths.

Even hell cannot escape His reach.

Holy Saturday is a reminder that even when we can’t see what God is doing, He is still at work.

It’s the day when all hope seems lost—but redemption is already in motion.

And if Jesus has conquered sin, death, and even hell itself—then what is there left to fear?

Let that sink in:
The worst thing we could imagine—death—is now under His authority.
The darkest place we can conceive—hell—is no longer sovereign.
The enemy has been defeated.
The grave is not the end.

We all live through Holy Saturday seasons—those long, quiet stretches between heartbreak and healing, between loss and resurrection. Seasons when the prayers have been prayed, the tears have been cried, and there’s nothing left to do but wait.

If that’s where you are today, hear this:
God is not absent in the silence.
He is not still in the stillness.
He is working—even now.

The harrowing of hell reminds us that Christ goes where we cannot. He enters the depths to redeem what we thought was lost forever. Even in death, He does not stop pursuing us.

So today, let your soul be still. Sit in the quiet. Rest in the truth that Jesus has already gone ahead of you—even into death—and come back with the keys.

He is Lord of all.
And because of that, even our waiting is not wasted.

Tomorrow, the tomb will be empty.
But today, we wait.

This is Holy Saturday.