The Third Day He Shall Rise Again

Why did Jesus Rise on the Third Day?

New Life, Covenants, and an Aboriginal Design

by Derek Hiebert two years agone

Why did Jesus Ascent on the 3rd Mean solar day?

For centuries, the Christian church has celebrated the resurrection of Jesus Christ on a Sunday--three days after remembering his expiry on Good Friday. This timeline of three days is based on numerous references in the New Testament. Jesus predicted it many times, and the apostles include it in their announcement of the gospel (see footnote references).

Even so why did Jesus' resurrection take place three days after his death? It would seem that he could take risen ane 24-hour interval, two days, or even four days subsequently his death and the resurrection would however be historically valid co-ordinate to eyewitnesses. Is the third solar day only a random, inconsequential item tacked on to the resurrection? Or is there significance to this timeline?

The Third Day Matters

For Jesus and the apostles, the timing of his resurrection has strong theological implications. The three-day timeline matters to the biblical narrative, because it is the special 24-hour interval on which God creates new life and activates his covenant with humanity. How did the New Testament get in at this agreement? It turns out Jesus himself and the New Testament authors are drawing from a consistent "3rd solar day" design pattern from the Hebrew Scriptures. Exploring this pattern for ourselves can enrich our understanding of the Easter outcome.

The Third Solar day Pattern in the Hebrew Bible

Perhaps the well-nigh clear examples of 3rd day resurrection in the Hebrew Scriptures are establish in Jonah i:17 and Hosea 6:1-2. Jesus referenced Jonah's three days in the abdomen of the great fish as a metaphor for his resurrection. Hosea spoke of God'southward resurrecting work for Israel as occurring on the third 24-hour interval. While these are worthy texts to consider, this pattern of resurrection on the third solar day begins even earlier in the story.

At that place are three passages found earlier in the narrative of the Hebrew Bible that begin to develop a pattern of new life emerging on the third twenty-four hour period: the cosmos narrative of Genesis 1, Abraham's test in Genesis 22, and the Israelites at Sinai in Exodus 19.

The First "Resurrection"

Where do we run across the first peek into the three-day significance? Page one of the Bible. The creation account in Genesis one is written like a poem with repetitive statements and parallels. Within the rhythm of these repetitions, two events in the creation narrative stand up out as significant, each happening at three-mean solar day intervals. On the first "third day", God makes dry land appear, and causes vegetation to come up out of the earth: plants yielding seeds and trees begetting fruit (1:11-thirteen). The picture hither is of new life sprouting or rising upwards from the ground—a place of non-beingness or death.

The second "third day" event happens on the sixth day when God creates animals and human beings (1:24). Reminiscent of the get-go "third day", the passage says that the earth will bring forth living creatures (1:24-27). Afterward nosotros read that God formed humans from the dust of the basis (2:7). Again, here we see new life created out of the footing. Notice also the connection between humans and copse: both are newly created from the basis (2:7, 9), both bear seeds and fruit (1:11, 28; 3:15) and both are created in this way on the tertiary 24-hour interval. Yet ii things are unique to only humans: 1) humans are made in God's prototype; and 2) God enters into a covenant with human being beings, approving them and giving them instructions.

A Pattern Emerges

In the "3rd day" events of Genesis 1 at that place are three important aspects which become a design pattern:

1. God creates new life where there in one case was death (1:11-xiii; 26-27; 2:7)

2. God establishes his covenant with the creatures he has newly created, in this case humans (1:28-29)

3. The event takes place in Eden, which nosotros understand equally a high place from which a river flows out (2:x-14)

The importance of this imagery and pattern cannot be overstated, as it becomes the prototype for future resurrection.

Abraham'south Test on the 3rd Day

Where else does this pattern appear? In another "3rd day" result, Abraham is tested by God—ane of the well-nigh intriguing narratives in all of Scripture (Genesis 22:ane-19). When God calls Abraham to offering his merely son Isaac as a burnt offering on a mountain, the text says that on the 3rd day, Abraham saw the place from distant and proceeded to get through with the test (22:4). In this scene, God wants Abraham to learn to trust him with the covenant and blessing of offspring. Ultimately, information technology is God who provides the cede and brings virtually the purposes of his covenant.

The connection to "3rd mean solar day" theme hither resides in a powerfully bright act of atonement by God in which he substitutes a ram in the identify of Isaac (22:13-fourteen). Nosotros come to find out this human activity is wrapped up within his larger covenant projection to multiply Abraham's offspring, and through them, bless the nations (22:17-xviii). Here again, on the tertiary day nosotros see the same design:

1. God acting to bring new life, in this example to Isaac in his life being spared, and to Abraham in receiving back his son (22:11-xiv)

2. God reaffirms his covenant with Abraham, using language and themes consistent with Genesis ane:28 (22:17-eighteen)

3. This result takes identify on a mountain (22:2, 14)

Israel'south Third Day at Sinai

At a central juncture in the Bible's story, we find even so another issue happening on the 3rd twenty-four hours. Having only rescued his people from centuries-long oppression in Arab republic of egypt, Yahweh is on the cusp of entering into covenant with Israel, once more on a mountain (Exodus nineteen:2-3). Hither God makes clear that on the "third day" he will come downwards to Mount Sinai in the sight of all the people. Like Abraham, this moment is a test for Israel. They are to fix themselves to enter into covenant with God and be ready on the "3rd day" (Exodus xix:ix-16). The narrative mentions "third mean solar day" 4 times to ensure we don't miss the fact that this momentous event will take place on God's special day.

Based on what we have seen already with "third day", we should come up to expect a certain pattern, which we see yet once again:

1. God brings nearly new life for his people — in this example, new identity for Israel — just like he did at creation, and with Abraham and Isaac (19:iv-6)

2. God enters into covenant with his people, namely Israel (xix:iv-half-dozen)

3. God accomplishes all this on a mountain (19:2)

And this is what we run across in the narrative! Yet, sadly the rest of State of israel's story in the Hebrew Scriptures is marked by rebellion, unbelief and inability to sustain their stop of the covenant. Which brings us again to those passages in the prophets that mention the 3rd mean solar day: Hosea and Jonah.

Hosea'south Promise, Jonah'due south 'Resurrection'

When nosotros return to these prophets, nosotros have a greater properties for the "3rd day" and its powerful imagery of resurrection, along with its connection to God'due south covenant. Hosea calls Israel to "return to Yahweh", which is classic prophetic language for repentance toward covenant fidelity, and offers them hope using resurrection linguistic communication (Hosea 6:1-2). In keeping with our design, this return to the covenant means a renewing of life, a resurrection every bit a people into the life of Yahweh, which he will bring about on the "third day".

With Jonah, we notice one of Israel's own prophets failing to obey Yahweh, and therefore experiencing 'death' in an unlikely 'tomb'— a large fish. In many means, Jonah and his failure stand for that of Israel. Yet, God does non give up on him nor his people. He gives Jonah new life after three days by vomiting him out of the fish — the most unusual 'resurrection' in the Bible.

Jesus Predicts a Tertiary Day Resurrection

When we arrive at the Gospels, we find Jesus speaking of a tertiary twenty-four hour period resurrection when he talks about his decease with his disciples. In fact, he mentions "three days" 21 times! By now you can probably tell this emphasis was not random. Jesus was adamant virtually the 3rd day considering it represents God'south initiative in creating new life and establishing covenant with humanity. Look at how the Easter outcome — the resurrection of Jesus — maps onto our third day design pattern:

1. God resurrects new life upward from the basis (tomb), in this instance Jesus

2. God acts to bring almost the new covenant through Jesus' atoning expiry and resurrection, in this example for all who believe

3. Jesus' human activity of atonement occurs on a colina

The imagery in Genesis 1-2 of new life rising up from the ground on the third day, along with the connexion to divine covenant throughout the Hebrew Scriptures, provides a poignant picture to the theological significance of Jesus' resurrection. On the 3rd twenty-four hours, Jesus' resurrection is fabricated all the more paramount. Information technology is the climactic day of God's project of new life and covenant, beautifully pictured since creation, the finale of which volition result in the future resurrection of Jesus' followers, and the restoration of the whole universe.

And then what does this mean for united states?

When we gloat the resurrection of Jesus on Easter Dominicus, nosotros are non just following an celebrated tradition. We are engaging in a securely meaningful theology centered around the third twenty-four hour period, with all its implications of God's redemptive piece of work. The third 24-hour interval pattern pattern is a reminder — God has initiated the procedure of resurrecting people to new life, bringing them into his covenant partnership. How will nosotros accept part in that today?

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Source: https://bibleproject.com/blog/why-did-jesus-rise-on-the-third-day/