Great and Holy Saturday
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Upon His death, Christ descended into the regions of Hades/Sheol, the place for the souls of the just who had died until then. A verse of Psalm 119 sung during the Matins of Holy Saturday says, "Wishing to save Adam You came down to the earth; not finding him on earth, O Master, You descended to Hades seeking him." The hymns of Holy Saturday commemorate His presence in Hades and the chanting of Ps. 119 and its verses marvel at His condescension. The fact that Christ appears in Hades is a wonder, " O Life, how can You die?" (Verse on Ps 119.)
It is also a confrontation between He who is Life, and death itself, the last enemy (1Cor 15: 26).The theme of Christ's death is always interwoven with His Resurrection, and this message pervades all our Church services, especially, those of Holy Friday and Saturday. So the icon of Christ's death is that of victory. Acts 2:24 says that it was impossible for Him to be held by Hades' power. He appears not as a captive but as the Victor. In the icons Jesus appears in luminous golden robes in the middle of a halo, the symbol of glory, with rays of light issuing from Him. The icon shows "that Hell was embittered" when it met Christ. Often this is symbolized by two angels binding Satan. The verses of "Lord I Call" for Holy Saturday all speak vividly of this: "Today Hades cries out groaning" and "Hades shuddered when it beheld You."
Jesus holds in his left hand either a scroll with the message of the resurrection, or the cross, now the symbol of Victory. With His right hand He raises Adam from the grave and with His left hand He lifts up Eve. Behind them are all those who await His coming: Kings David and Solomon, John the Forerunner, Moses and the prophets. "Hades has been captured and Adam recalled, the curse has been annulled and Eve set free." (Theotokion-Vigil for the Resurrection). Christ's descent into Hades is the final step in His self-emptying. He takes on all of our human nature so that it can be saved, and not only saved but glorified as well. By descending to the dead, He has opened for Adam, and us, the "path to the Resurrection. We sing in Ode 1 of the Paschal Canon,". . . for from death to life and from earth to heaven has Christ our God led us." But the Resurrection is not the end of His saving work, for in His Ascension, He took our nature with Him into Heaven.
Just before midnight (or immediately before the celebration of Paschal Matins), the Midnight Office of Holy Saturday may be celebrated. This short service repeats the Canon of Holy Saturday, during which the shroud is transferred from the tomb to the holy table. It is sometimes called the service "at the tomb."