Luke 23:56 Meaning: When the Women Rested

They returned and prepared spices and ointments. On the Sabbath they rested according to the commandment.

Meaning in one sentence

Why did the women rest on the Sabbath after preparing spices? This devotional explores their obedient rest in the face of death and waiting.

Luke New Testament Greek

Context

The Gospel of Luke has been walking us through the final hours of Jesus’ life. Joseph of Arimathea, a good and just man, has taken Jesus’ body down from the cross, wrapped it in linen, and laid it in a new tomb. The women who had followed Jesus from Galilee watched where he was placed. Now they turn back toward the city. The sun is setting. The Sabbath is about to begin. They hurry to prepare spices and ointments, the kind used for embalming. Then, in the middle of their grief and urgency, they stop. They rest. Not because they have finished the work, but because the commandment says to rest. This is the silence before the dawn. Everything they have loved is dead, and yet they obey the old law as though it still holds.

Key Words

The Greek word for rested, hēsuchazō, carries a sense of being quiet, keeping still, ceasing from labor. It is the same word used for leading a peaceful, settled life. These women did not just pause. They became still. Their hands stopped working. Their feet stopped rushing. They let silence fall.

The word for commandment, entolē, points directly to the law given at Sinai. The women were not taking a casual break. They were obeying a holy order: the fourth commandment to keep the Sabbath day. For them, this was not a suggestion. It was a way of life, even when life had just been torn apart.

There is also the verb hetoimazō, to prepare. They did not simply buy the spices. They made them ready with care and intention. They were doing what they could, as much as they could, right up until the moment they could do no more. Then they trusted the rest to God.

How Christians Read This Verse

Christians have read this verse in different ways. Some, like Adam Clarke, see the women’s actions as proof they did not expect Jesus to rise. They prepared spices because they believed death was the end. Their rest, then, was a quiet obedience in the face of hopelessness.

Others emphasize their devotion to the law. Matthew Henry points out that even in the depth of sorrow, they honored the Sabbath. They rested according to the commandment, not knowing yet that the commandment pointed to a greater rest to come.

Both readings share something: the women did what they knew to do. They grieved, they prepared, and then they stopped and trusted the rhythm God had given them. In that, they show us what faithfulness looks like when the future is hidden.

A common misunderstanding

Some think the women wasted their time preparing spices for a dead man who would not stay dead. In fact, they did not know he would rise. They were doing the only loving thing they could: honoring his body. And they did it with care, then stopped to obey God’s command even when it felt pointless. That is not wasted time. That is trust in the dark.

Living This Out

This week, you may find yourself in a waiting room. A diagnosis. A broken relationship. A job that hangs in the balance. You have done what you could. Now comes the hard part: stopping. Not because you have given up, but because you trust the One who commands rest. Try this: choose one evening or one whole day. Put down the work. Set aside the worry. Let the quiet settle. You are not being passive. You are obeying a commandment that has held God’s people for centuries. Rest is not emptiness. It is trust made visible.

Main takeaway: Even when hope is buried, obedience to God’s command becomes a quiet act of trust in the midst of waiting.

For Families

For ages 5, 8

The women who loved Jesus were very sad. But they stopped working when it was the Sabbath, because God said to rest. Even when we are sad, we can still obey God.

For ages 9, 12

These women had just watched Jesus die. They bought spices to put on his body, but then they stopped everything when the Sabbath began. It must have been hard to wait. But they trusted God’s command. Sometimes the bravest thing you can do is stop trying to fix everything and just rest in what God has said.

Questions People Ask

Why did the women prepare spices if Jesus was already dead?

They wanted to finish the burial properly. Joseph of Arimathea had wrapped the body quickly because the Sabbath was near. The women planned to anoint Jesus’ body with spices and perfumes, a common sign of love and respect for the dead in their culture.

Why did they rest on the Sabbath instead of finishing the anointing?

The fourth commandment forbids work on the Sabbath. Even a task as urgent as preparing a body for burial was not allowed. The women chose to obey God's law rather than rush to finish their own plan.

Does this verse mean the women didn’t believe Jesus would rise from the dead?

Most likely they did not expect a resurrection. They had heard Jesus speak of it, but they did not understand what he meant. Their actions show they were preparing for a normal burial, the kind any loved one would receive.

What does the word ‘rested’ mean in the original Greek?

The Greek word is hēsuchazō. It means to keep quiet, to be still, to cease from labor. It paints a picture of intentional calm and silence, not just a break from activity.

How is this verse connected to what happens next in the Gospel?

This verse is the bridge between Jesus’ burial and his resurrection. The women rest on the Sabbath, and then Luke 24 begins with them going to the tomb and finding it empty. Their obedient rest sets the stage for the greatest surprise of all.

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