by Neibert David
I recently saw a question regarding the timeline of the Lord Jesus Christ’s death, burial, and resurrection. The question posed reflected a disbelieve in the biblical narrative. The question was generally: how can the account of the Lord Jesus Christ dying on Friday and resurrecting on Sunday be considered equal to the sign of Jonah being three days in the belly of the fish?
It is a good question that Christians, or Believers, or followers of “The Way”, should be prepared to answer. Therefore, let us discuss.
Luke 23:44 – 46 says: “44 It was now about noon, and darkness came over the whole land until three in the afternoon, 45 for the sun stopped shining. And the curtain of the temple was torn in two. 46 Jesus called out with a loud voice, “Father, into your hands I commit my spirit.” When he had said this, he breathed his last.”
The Lord died around 3 p.m. on Friday, according to this Scripture. And Genesis 1:5 says: “5 God called the light “day,” and the darkness he called “night.” And there was evening, and there was morning—the first day.”
Therefore, the day the Lord died would have been the first day which would have started Thursday evening at 6 p.m. or sundown. Even to this current day the Jews observe their Sabbath from about 6 p.m. or sundown on Fridays to 6 p.m. or sundown on Saturdays – the evening and the morning – their Sabbath day. Following this timeline, the first day of the Lord’s death would have started Thursday evening and gone into Friday around 6 p.m. or sundown.
John 19:31 says: “31 Now it was the day of Preparation, and the next day was to be a special Sabbath. Because the Jewish leaders did not want the bodies left on the crosses during the Sabbath, they asked Pilate to have the legs broken and the bodies taken down.”
The next day was the Sabbath. The second day of the Lord’s death would have started Friday evening 6 p.m. or sundown into Saturday about 6 p.m. or sundown.
Hence, following this reasoning and timeline the third day of the Lord’s death would have begun Saturday evening around 6 p.m. or sundown into Sunday around 6 p.m. or sundown.
Luke 23:55-56 says: “55 The women who had come with Jesus from Galilee followed Joseph and saw the tomb and how his body was laid in it. 56 Then they went home and prepared spices and perfumes. But they rested on the Sabbath in obedience to the commandment.”
The Scriptures here shows the women rested on the Sabbath day, which traditionally falls on a Saturday. It proves that the Sabbath day was observed the day after the Lord died on the cross of Calvary. He died on a Friday and rose on Sunday, the day after the Sabbath, because the evening and the morning completes the day.
After resting the Sabbath day, the next day – Sunday – the women went to the grave where the Lord was buried. This day was the third day. Luke 24:1-3 – “1 On the first day of the week, very early in the morning, the women took the spices they had prepared and went to the tomb. 2 They found the stone rolled away from the tomb, 3 but when they entered, they did not find the body of the Lord Jesus.”
The Lord was no longer in the tomb. He had risen! Because the Lord rose from the dead, people believe His life, suffering, death, burial, resurrection, and ascension. He is the Only Begotten Son of God, and His was victorious when He rose from the dead. The victory was celebrated on April 9th, 2023, which is known as Resurrection Sunday. This day is also called Easter Sunday!
He is Risen! The grave could not hold this sinless being called Christ! And Scriptures record that He made an open spectacle of the invisible powers of darkness when He died on the cross of Calvary. These are the same invisible powers of darkness that control most people today.
Colossians 2:13-15 says:
“13 When you were dead in your sins and in the uncircumcision of your flesh, God made you alive with Christ. He forgave us all our sins, 14 having canceled the charge of our legal indebtedness, which stood against us and condemned us; he has taken it away, nailing it to the cross. 15 And having disarmed the powers and authorities, he made a public spectacle of them, triumphing over them by the cross.”
When He died on the cross of Calvary on the first day, stayed in the grave on the second day, and raised from the grave on the third day, the Lord Jesus Christ purchased salvation, redemption, and reconciliation with God for ALL people. The original peaceful relationship with God was lost when Adam and Eve sinned. Their sin plunged all human beings into sin, and sin separated them from their integrated relationship with God. Therefore, it was necessary for the Lord to come and die on behalf of all people to reconcile them back into relationship with God.
God wants a relationship with ALL people, but unfortunately, only those who will receive the Lord’s free gift of salvation will receive what has been done for them already. What has the Lord has already done? He paid the price for all people to be reconciled to God when He died on the cross.
Christ did NOT die for Christians. Christ died for ALL people. The key is the FINISHED work on Christ on the cross! He said: “It is finished!” (John 19:30) The debts of ALL people were fully paid! Why would anyone attempt to pay their debt again?
These Scriptures help us to understand that the Lord’s death did represent the sign of Jonah, who was in the belly of the fish three days. I pray that the Lord gives us eyes to see, ears to hear, and hearts to perceive and receive truth, in the Name and by the blood of Yeshua Hamashiach, otherwise known as the Lord Jesus Christ. Amen!
