Are You Sure About Those Three Days and Three Nights?
“The traditional Easter holiday is this Sunday—which means Friday was Good Friday, the traditional time of the crucifixion of Jesus Christ. While our secular world has submerged much of the solemnity attached to this weekend, there remains faint echoes of what once was the main religious occasion on the Church calendar.
The death and resurrection of Jesus Christ is the central feature of the New Testament story. Jesus said the sole sign He was the Messiah, the Son of God, was He would be in the grave for three days and three nights. He said it would be a sign and He referenced the Old Testament story of Jonah—who spent three days and nights in the belly of a great fish. To the question put to Him by the scribes and Pharisees, seeking a sign, He replied: “An evil and adulterous generation seeks after a sign, and no sign will be given to it except the sign of the prophet Jonah. For as Jonah was three days and three nights in the belly of the great fish, so will the Son of Man be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth” (Matthew 12:38-40).
If this is the key sign Jesus gave to prove who He was, then ask yourself a simple question: how do you get three days and three nights between Friday afternoon and Sunday morning? You can’t! Despite all the explanations, justifications and technical exceptions, some still make strange attempts to fit it into the tradition. But it does not work! You cannot use the explanation that Jesus meant “parts” of three days and three nights. That does not work either when you understand what Scripture is saying.
However, when you properly understand what happened the week of Jesus’ death, it makes complete sense and you don’t have to invent an explanation to fit the Good Friday, Easter Sunday tradition. The truth of the events of that week verify the biblical record and offer convincing proof Jesus of Nazareth was the Son of God, sent as our Savior and a fulfillment of Scripture concerning the Passover Lamb.
But don’t take my word for it. Look at this chart which combines all the relevant scriptures about the crucifixion and resurrection. Study these verses with your Bible and you’ll see the truth revealed. Jesus was killed on a Wednesday, put into a grave, and after three days and three nights was resurrected by the power of God on Saturday evening. That is the truth your Bible reveals.
This truth matters in your personal relationship with Jesus Christ. He died for your sins—that you might be justified before the Father and made free from the law of sin and death. This is not abstract theological talk with no relevance to your life. It can mean the difference between a sound mind and a troubled mind. It can make the difference between a successful life and one that struggles to understand meaning and purpose in daily existence. It can mean the difference in your eternal life.
Beyond Today’s mission is to help you understand God’s purpose for your life. Take the time now to examine this truth about Jesus Christ—against whatever you have thought or been taught about His life and death.”
Until next time, Darris McNeely Beyond Today.TV
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What difference does it make whether you observe the Days of Unleavened Bread or Easter? Don't both honor Christ?
“Is it a big deal to keep both?
“What difference does it make whether you observe the Days of Unleavened Bread or Easter? Don't both honor Christ?
The simple answer is that there is a huge difference between these two observances. One is a biblically sanctioned festival of God; the other is a man-made festival without biblical authorization. One teaches us how to live godly lives; the other masks this important truth.
The Days of Unleavened Bread, commanded by God (Leviticus 23:6) and observed by the early Christians (1 Corinthians 5:6-8), teach us to put sin (represented by leavened items such as bread and cake) out of our lives. This festival teaches us that we must overcome sin with the help of God's Spirit and live righteously.
Easter, in contrast to the Days of Unleavened Bread, not only lacks biblical authorization but was instituted by men who deliberately replaced God's commanded festival with one derived from paganism to make Christianity more accommodating to converts who wanted to hold on to pagan traditions. In doing so, they imposed on this festival a Christian meaning—to celebrate Christ's resurrection.
As wonderful as Christ's resurrection is, the Bible specifically tells us to annually commemorate His death, which we do in the annual Passover observance (Luke 22:19; 1 Corinthians 11:24-25), but it does not give the same instruction about His resurrection. We do essentially commemorate Jesus' resurrection, though, in the commanded festival of God during which it happened—the Days of Unleavened Bread. His resurrection is crucial to the plan of God and the process of leading us out of sin. Indeed, we must progress beyond the fact that Jesus was raised to following our living Lord in the way we live our lives.
By the way, where do you read about using rabbits and Easter eggs to remember Christ's resurrection in the Bible? Answer: Nowhere.
Given the history of Easter, it is quite understandable why so many people today think of Christianity as only a celebration of what Christ has done for us instead of the honorable quest to live godly lives. If you want all the facts, read our free Bible Study aid booklet Holidays or Holy Days: Does It Matter Which Days We Observe?
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Is the Beef Industry Lying?
“Is beef necessary for babies? Is it essential for athletes? The beef industry wants you to think so. On a new episode of The Exam Room, Lee Crosby, RD, and Neal Barnard, MD, join "The Weight Loss Champion" Chuck Carroll to fact check surprising nutrition claims made on the Cattlemen's Beef Board and National Cattlemen's Beef Association's website. Follow along as we review and fact check these nutrition claims: https://www.beefitswhatsfordinner.com... “ YouTube: https://youtu.be/pmjL-bwovUI
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