On the 7th Day He Rose Again

Why did Jesus Ascension on the Third Twenty-four hour period?

New Life, Covenants, and an Ancient Pattern

by Derek Hiebert 1 year ago

Why did Jesus Rise on the Third Twenty-four hours?

For centuries, the Christian church has historic the resurrection of Jesus Christ on a Sun--three days after remembering his death on Adept Fri. This timeline of three days is based on numerous references in the New Testament. Jesus predicted information technology many times, and the apostles include it in their announcement of the gospel (see footnote references).

Yet why did Jesus' resurrection have place three days afterwards his expiry? It would seem that he could have risen i day, two days, or fifty-fifty 4 days after his death and the resurrection would nonetheless be historically valid according to eyewitnesses. Is the third twenty-four hours merely 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 stiff theological implications. The 3-24-hour interval timeline matters to the biblical narrative, because information technology is the special day on which God creates new life and activates his covenant with humanity. How did the New Testament go far at this understanding? It turns out Jesus himself and the New Testament authors are drawing from a consistent "tertiary 24-hour interval" design blueprint from the Hebrew Scriptures. Exploring this pattern for ourselves tin can enrich our agreement of the Easter event.

The Third Twenty-four hours Pattern in the Hebrew Bible

Perchance the almost clear examples of third mean solar day resurrection in the Hebrew Scriptures are plant in Jonah ane:17 and Hosea six:1-ii. Jesus referenced Jonah's 3 days in the belly of the great fish as a metaphor for his resurrection. Hosea spoke of God's resurrecting work for Israel every bit occurring on the third day. While these are worthy texts to consider, this design of resurrection on the third day begins fifty-fifty earlier in the story.

In that location 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 hours: the creation narrative of Genesis 1, Abraham's test in Genesis 22, and the Israelites at Sinai in Exodus nineteen.

The First "Resurrection"

Where do we see the first peek into the 3-day significance? Folio one of the Bible. The cosmos account in Genesis one is written like a verse form with repetitive statements and parallels. Within the rhythm of these repetitions, two events in the creation narrative stand out as significant, each happening at three-mean solar day intervals. On the showtime "3rd day", God makes dry out land appear, and causes vegetation to come up upwardly out of the world: plants yielding seeds and trees begetting fruit (1:xi-13). The picture here is of new life sprouting or ascent upwards from the basis—a place of non-existence or expiry.

The second "3rd day" effect happens on the sixth day when God creates animals and human being beings (1:24). Reminiscent of the first "third day", the passage says that the globe volition bring forth living creatures (1:24-27). Later on nosotros read that God formed humans from the dust of the basis (2:seven). Again, here we run across new life created out of the ground. Notice also the connection between humans and trees: both are newly created from the ground (2:7, 9), both acquit seeds and fruit (1:xi, 28; 3:fifteen) and both are created in this way on the third day. Yet two things are unique to only humans: 1) humans are made in God's paradigm; and two) God enters into a covenant with human beings, approval them and giving them instructions.

A Pattern Emerges

In the "third solar day" events of Genesis one in that location 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:seven)

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

3. The effect takes place in Eden, which we sympathise every bit a loftier place from which a river flows out (2:10-xiv)

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

Abraham's Test on the Third Day

Where else does this pattern appear? In some other "third day" event, Abraham is tested past God—i of the most intriguing narratives in all of Scripture (Genesis 22:1-nineteen). When God calls Abraham to offer his only son Isaac as a burnt offering on a mountain, the text says that on the tertiary day, Abraham saw the identify from distant and proceeded to go 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, it is God who provides the sacrifice and brings almost the purposes of his covenant.

The connexion to "third day" theme here resides in a powerfully brilliant human action of atonement past God in which he substitutes a ram in the identify of Isaac (22:13-14). Nosotros come up to find out this act is wrapped upward inside his larger covenant projection to multiply Abraham's offspring, and through them, bless the nations (22:17-18). Here again, on the 3rd twenty-four hours we see the aforementioned pattern:

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

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

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

Israel'due south Third Twenty-four hours at Sinai

At a key juncture in the Bible'southward story, we notice notwithstanding another upshot happening on the third day. Having simply rescued his people from centuries-long oppression in Egypt, Yahweh is on the cusp of entering into covenant with Israel, over again on a mountain (Exodus 19:ii-iii). Here God makes clear that on the "3rd day" he will come downward to Mount Sinai in the sight of all the people. Like Abraham, this moment is a exam for Israel. They are to gear up themselves to enter into covenant with God and be set on the "third 24-hour interval" (Exodus 19:nine-sixteen). The narrative mentions "3rd day" four times to ensure we don't miss the fact that this momentous event will take place on God'southward special day.

Based on what we accept seen already with "third day", we should come to wait a certain pattern, which we see yet again:

1. God brings about new life for his people — in this case, new identity for State of israel — simply like he did at creation, and with Abraham and Isaac (19:4-6)

2. God enters into covenant with his people, namely Israel (19:4-vi)

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

And this is what we meet in the narrative! Nevertheless, sadly the rest of State of israel'due south story in the Hebrew Scriptures is marked past rebellion, unbelief and inability to sustain their finish of the covenant. Which brings us over again to those passages in the prophets that mention the third day: Hosea and Jonah.

Hosea's Hope, Jonah's 'Resurrection'

When we render to these prophets, we have a greater properties for the "3rd 24-hour interval" and its powerful imagery of resurrection, along with its connexion to God'southward covenant. Hosea calls Israel to "render to Yahweh", which is classic prophetic language for repentance toward covenant fidelity, and offers them promise using resurrection linguistic communication (Hosea 6:1-2). In keeping with our pattern, this return 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 twenty-four hour period".

With Jonah, we find one of State of israel's own prophets failing to obey Yahweh, and therefore experiencing 'expiry' in an unlikely 'tomb'— a big fish. In many ways, Jonah and his failure represent that of Israel. All the same, God does not give up on him nor his people. He gives Jonah new life after iii days past vomiting him out of the fish — the most unusual 'resurrection' in the Bible.

Jesus Predicts a Third Twenty-four hour period Resurrection

When we arrive at the Gospels, we find Jesus speaking of a third day resurrection when he talks about his death with his disciples. In fact, he mentions "three days" 21 times! Past now you can probably tell this emphasis was not random. Jesus was adamant nigh the third mean solar day because information technology represents God'due south initiative in creating new life and establishing covenant with humanity. Await at how the Easter event — the resurrection of Jesus — maps onto our third solar day pattern pattern:

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

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

3. Jesus' act of atonement occurs on a hill

The imagery in Genesis 1-2 of new life rising upwards from the footing on the third day, forth with the connexion to divine covenant throughout the Hebrew Scriptures, provides a poignant film to the theological significance of Jesus' resurrection. On the third day, Jesus' resurrection is made all the more paramount. It is the climactic day of God'southward project of new life and covenant, beautifully pictured since creation, the finale of which will issue in the time to come 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 Sunday, we are not just following an historic 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 work. The 3rd 24-hour interval pattern blueprint is a reminder — God has initiated the process 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/