And on the Seventh Day He Rose Again

Why did Jesus Ascension on the Third Day?

New Life, Covenants, and an Ancient Pattern

by Derek Hiebert 1 twelvemonth ago

Why did Jesus Rise on the Third Day?

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

Yet why did Jesus' resurrection take place 3 days after his death? Information technology would seem that he could accept risen one day, two days, or even four days afterwards his expiry and the resurrection would still exist historically valid according to eyewitnesses. Is the third twenty-four hours but a random, inconsequential detail tacked on to the resurrection? Or is there significance to this timeline?

The Third Twenty-four hours 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 arrive at this agreement? It turns out Jesus himself and the New Attestation authors are drawing from a consistent "tertiary solar day" design design from the Hebrew Scriptures. Exploring this pattern for ourselves can enrich our understanding of the Easter issue.

The Tertiary Day Design in the Hebrew Bible

Perhaps the most clear examples of third twenty-four hour period resurrection in the Hebrew Scriptures are found in Jonah 1:17 and Hosea 6:ane-two. Jesus referenced Jonah'southward three days in the belly of the great fish equally a metaphor for his resurrection. Hosea spoke of God's resurrecting work for State of israel as occurring on the third day. While these are worthy texts to consider, this design of resurrection on the third solar day begins even before in the story.

There are three passages found earlier in the narrative of the Hebrew Bible that brainstorm to develop a pattern of new life emerging on the 3rd twenty-four hour period: the creation narrative of Genesis one, Abraham's test in Genesis 22, and the Israelites at Sinai in Exodus nineteen.

The First "Resurrection"

Where do nosotros come across the commencement peek into the three-24-hour interval significance? Page one of the Bible. The cosmos business relationship in Genesis ane is written similar 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 3-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 bearing fruit (one:11-thirteen). The movie here is of new life sprouting or ascent up from the basis—a place of non-existence or expiry.

The 2nd "third day" effect happens on the sixth twenty-four hours when God creates animals and human being beings (1:24). Reminiscent of the get-go "tertiary mean solar day", the passage says that the world will bring forth living creatures (1:24-27). Afterwards we read that God formed humans from the grit of the basis (ii:7). Again, here nosotros see new life created out of the ground. Notice as well the connection betwixt humans and trees: both are newly created from the ground (ii:7, 9), both bear seeds and fruit (1:11, 28; iii:15) and both are created in this style on the third solar day. Still two things are unique to only humans: 1) humans are made in God's image; and 2) God enters into a covenant with human beings, blessing them and giving them instructions.

A Design Emerges

In the "third day" events of Genesis 1 there are 3 important aspects which become a design pattern:

1. God creates new life where there one time was death (one:xi-13; 26-27; 2:vii)

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

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

The importance of this imagery and blueprint cannot exist overstated, equally information technology becomes the epitome for future resurrection.

Abraham's Exam on the Third Mean solar day

Where else does this blueprint appear? In another "tertiary day" effect, Abraham is tested by God—ane of the nigh intriguing narratives in all of Scripture (Genesis 22:i-19). When God calls Abraham to offer his only son Isaac as a burnt offer on a mountain, the text says that on the third solar day, Abraham saw the identify from distant and proceeded to go through with the exam (22:4). In this scene, God wants Abraham to learn to trust him with the covenant and approving of offspring. Ultimately, it is God who provides the sacrifice and brings about the purposes of his covenant.

The connection to "3rd 24-hour interval" theme here resides in a powerfully vivid act of atonement by God in which he substitutes a ram in the place of Isaac (22:13-14). We come to find out this act is wrapped upwardly within his larger covenant project to multiply Abraham'southward offspring, and through them, bless the nations (22:17-18). Here once again, on the third day we see the same pattern:

1. God acting to bring new life, in this case to Isaac in his life being spared, and to Abraham in receiving back his son (22:11-14)

2. God reaffirms his covenant with Abraham, using language and themes consequent with Genesis 1:28 (22:17-xviii)

3. This outcome takes place on a mountain (22:2, 14)

Israel's 3rd Day at Sinai

At a key juncture in the Bible's story, we observe yet some other effect happening on the third day. Having only rescued his people from centuries-long oppression in Egypt, Yahweh is on the cusp of entering into covenant with State of israel, again on a mount (Exodus nineteen:two-3). Here God makes clear that on the "3rd twenty-four hours" he will come downward 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 "tertiary day" (Exodus 19:9-xvi). The narrative mentions "third day" four 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 "tertiary day", we should come to await a sure pattern, which we come across yet again:

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

2. God enters into covenant with his people, namely Israel (19:four-6)

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

And this is what we see in the narrative! Notwithstanding, sadly the balance of Israel's story in the Hebrew Scriptures is marked by rebellion, unbelief and inability to sustain their end of the covenant. Which brings us again to those passages in the prophets that mention the 3rd day: Hosea and Jonah.

Hosea's Promise, Jonah'south 'Resurrection'

When we return to these prophets, we have a greater properties for the "third day" and its powerful imagery of resurrection, along with its connection to God's covenant. Hosea calls Israel to "return to Yahweh", which is classic prophetic language for repentance toward covenant allegiance, and offers them promise using resurrection language (Hosea 6:1-2). In keeping with our pattern, this render to the covenant means a renewing of life, a resurrection as a people into the life of Yahweh, which he will bring about on the "third day".

With Jonah, we find one of Israel's own prophets declining to obey Yahweh, and therefore experiencing 'death' in an unlikely 'tomb'— a big fish. In many ways, Jonah and his failure correspond that of Israel. Yet, God does non give up on him nor his people. He gives Jonah new life afterward iii days by vomiting him out of the fish — the most unusual 'resurrection' in the Bible.

Jesus Predicts a 3rd Mean solar day Resurrection

When we make it at the Gospels, we detect Jesus speaking of a third mean solar day resurrection when he talks near his decease with his disciples. In fact, he mentions "three days" 21 times! Past now y'all can probably tell this accent was not random. Jesus was adamant about the third day because it represents God'south initiative in creating new life and establishing covenant with humanity. Await at how the Easter event — the resurrection of Jesus — maps onto our tertiary 24-hour interval blueprint pattern:

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

2. God acts to bring about the new covenant through Jesus' apologetic expiry and resurrection, in this case for all who believe

3. Jesus' human action of atonement occurs on a hill

The imagery in Genesis i-2 of new life ascent up from the ground on the third day, forth with the connectedness to divine covenant throughout the Hebrew Scriptures, provides a poignant moving picture to the theological significance of Jesus' resurrection. On the third day, Jesus' resurrection is fabricated all the more paramount. It is the climactic solar day of God'due south projection 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.

So what does this mean for us?

When we celebrate the resurrection of Jesus on Easter Dominicus, we are non simply following an celebrated tradition. We are engaging in a deeply meaningful theology centered effectually the tertiary day, with all its implications of God's redemptive work. The tertiary solar day design pattern is a reminder — God has initiated the procedure of resurrecting people to new life, bringing them into his covenant partnership. How will we have part in that today?

holmesthalonevey.blogspot.com

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

Share this post