Holy Week Journey: The Sabbath

Christ taken down from the cross, detail of mosaic at the Stone of Anointing in the Church of the Holy Sepulchre in Jerusalem © 2010 Rachel Ricci/seetheholyland.net, used under a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike license: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/ 

Jesus is dead  

In Jewish tradition the Sabbath day begins on Friday evening and ends on Saturday evening.   Jewish law mandated the dead body of Jesus be removed from the cross before the Sabbath day began ...   

Christ laid out for anointing, detail of mosaic at Stone of Anointing in the Church of the Holy Sepulchre in Jerusalem
© 2010 seetheholyland.net, used under a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike license: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/ 

Jesus is dead  

A rich man named Joseph of Arimathea took his body, anointed and prepared it with spices, and laid it in his own private tomb ... 

Christ carried to tomb, detail of mosaic at Stone of Anointing in the Church of the Holy Sepulchre in Jerusalem
© 2010 Rachel Ricci/seetheholyland.net, used under a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike license: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/

Jesus is dead

Remember the Sabbath day, and keep it holy ... Amen.  

(Exodus 20:8)

Jesus died on the first day, 


Jesus rests in peace today, the second day which is the Jewish Sabbath

   (early church tradition says Jesus descended into Sheol to proclaim the gospel 

but the Gospels are silent on this issue ... It's a mystery :)

Jesus will rise on the third day


If music is a pathway to God for you and you have a rock and roll soul, I invite you to take this link to Shalom Aleichem ... which means Peace unto you ... by Dean Staker of Shabbat Resouled who performs original Jewish rock music :) on certain Friday nights at a Progressive Synagogue in the UK.   I find both the song and the images quite beautiful and soul-touching.   


One of the things we do when we lose someone is to remember them ... watch the montage of Jesus images and remember how Jesus has touched your life with grace and peace and love.  If Jesus has not yet touched you with healing grace, I pray that you will open your heart and welcome him to come and make a home within you.  The words that are being sung are not in English, so don't struggle to understand, just rest and keep the Jewish Sabbath holy.  

Shalom Aleichem, Yeshua.

Peace unto You, Jesus.  Amen.