Day 3 – Thursday, Nisan 15 – The High Sabbath – Tomb Sealed, God’s Rest Begins

Matthew 12:40 For as Jonah was three days and three nights in the belly of the great fish, so will the Son of Man be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth.

Welcome back, BAC Fellowship family.

We have now reached Day 3 of Passion Week, Thursday, Nisan 15. This is the High Sabbath that begins at sundown on Wednesday (the day Jesus was crucified and buried). On this day, while the religious leaders try to secure the tomb, Jesus rests in the grave as the second of the three nights begins.

This quiet day is often overlooked, but it is a vital part of God’s perfect plan. It shows us the precision of His timing and gives us a picture of the Sabbath rest that Jesus provides for His people.

1. The High Sabbath Begins (Nisan 15)

Thursday is not an ordinary Sabbath. It is the first day of the Feast of Unleavened Bread, a High Sabbath (Leviticus 23:6-7). No regular work is done. The women who followed Jesus rest on this day after preparing spices on Friday (we will look at that in Day 4).

Jesus’ body lies quietly in Joseph of Arimathea’s new tomb. The Passover Lamb has been slain. Now He rests.

2. The Tomb is Secured (Thursday Morning, Nisan 15)

Matthew 27:62-66

“On the next day, which followed the Day of Preparation, the chief priests and Pharisees gathered together to Pilate, saying, ‘Sir, we remember that deceiver said, “After three days I will rise.” Therefore command that the tomb be made secure until the third day, lest His disciples come by night and steal Him away, and say to the people, “He has risen from the dead.” So the last deception will be worse than the first. ’Pilate said to them, ‘You have a guard; go your way, make it as secure as you know how.’ So they went and made the tomb secure, sealing the stone and setting the guard.”

Key points from this passage:

• “The next day” after the Day of Preparation (Wednesday, Nisan 14) is Thursday, Nisan 15.
• The chief priests and Pharisees are worried. They remember Jesus’ words about rising after three days.
• They ask Pilate for a Roman guard and to seal the stone (probably with a cord and official wax seal so any tampering would be obvious).
• Pilate tells them to use the guard they already have and make the tomb as secure as they can.

This action is full of irony. The very people who crucified Jesus are now afraid of His prediction coming true.

By sealing the tomb and posting guards, they actually help prove later that the resurrection was real; no one could have stolen the body without breaking the seal and overpowering trained Roman soldiers.

3. What This Day Means for Us

On this High Sabbath:

• Jesus rests in the tomb, the second night of the three nights has begun.
• The religious leaders think they have finished with Jesus and are trying to make sure He stays dead.
• The disciples are still in hiding, filled with fear and confusion.
• The women rest, preparing their hearts and spices for Sunday morning.

Yet God is still working. While everything looks silent and finished on the surface, the grave is holding the One who will conquer death.

This day reminds us that God’s plan does not stop when things appear quiet. Jesus is fulfilling every detail of the sign of Jonah. The tomb is sealed by man, but it will soon be opened by God.

Looking Ahead

Tomorrow (in Day 4) we will see Friday, the day the women buy and prepare spices, and Saturday, the regular weekly Sabbath.

We will watch how the third day and third night draw to a close, leading us to the glorious resurrection morning.