07 Apr April 5th Weekly Devotional
For I delivered to you first of all that which I also received: that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, and that He was buried, and that He rose again the third day according to the Scriptures, and that He was seen by Cephus, then by the twelve. 1 Cor. 15:3-5
We often say, “three days later” Jesus rose again. The more accurate term is “He rose again the third day”.
Mark 15:25 says, Now it was the third hour, and they crucified Him. This is on Friday, at 9AM as they started their days, then, at 6AM.
Verse 33 says, Now when the sixth hour had come, there was darkness over the whole land until the ninth hour. At the sixth hour, noon, darkness over the land sets in and lasts until the ninth hour, 3PM.
John 19:14 has Jesus still on trial at the sixth hour, but at any rate, both accounts agree that Jesus was crucified during the day on Friday, and before the day is over, He was placed in the tomb upon His death.
Staying in John’s account, chapter 19:30, So when Jesus had received the sour wine, He said, “It is finished!” And bowing His head, He gave up His spirit.
Verses 31 through 37 tell us that since it was Preparation Day, the bodies were not to hang on the cross until the next day (Sabbath) and the Jews asked Pilate to have the legs broken on those being crucified. (The reason for this was so the ones being crucified would go ahead and die more quickly as they would not be able to raise themselves up and take a breath. Crucifixion eventually killed its victims by suffocation.)
But when they went to break Jesus’ legs, they found that He was already dead.
Verses 38-42 tells us then that the tomb where they would bury Jesus was nearby. They had to get Him there before the next day.
So Jesus dies on Friday. This is the first day. He is in the tomb on Saturday, Sabbath. The Sabbath day is the only 24 hour day that Jesus lay in the tomb.
Then on the Third Day, Sunday, the First Day of the Week, the tomb was empty because Jesus had risen from the dead.
Mark’s account in chapter 16 tells us the three women went very early in the morning now that Sabbath was passed to anoint Jesus’ body. They wondered among themselves as they were nearing the tomb, who would role the stone away because it was so large, but that problem solved itself, for verse 4 says, But when they looked up, they saw that the stone had been rolled away for it was very large. And entering the tomb, they saw a young man clothed in a long white robe sitting on the right side; and they were alarmed. But he said to them, “Do not be alarmed. You seek Jesus of Nazareth, who was crucified. He is risen! He is not here. See the place where they laid Him.
The gospels agree that He revealed Himself to the women including Mary Magdalene, and Paul continues in 1 Cor. 15:5, and that He was seen by Cephus, then by the twelve. After that He was seen by over five hundred brethren at once, of whom the great part remain to the present, but some have fallen asleep. After that He was seen by James, then by all the apostles. The last of all He was seen by me also, as by one born out of due time.
And you and Me see Him every time we open our Bibles, for He is the Word, and He was part of our Father’s plan since before time began, to save us from our sins and what a wonderful Gospel it is.
So during a busy week, will you think of our Saviour laying in the tomb, and know that on the Third Day, Sunday morning, He walked out.
