Dr. Barclay with Something to Think About - THREE DAYS

THREE DAYS

Many people are familiar with the story of Christ’s betrayal and crucifixion. We have heard abut His agony on the cross and read His words as He gave up His spirit

It is finished! 

(John 19:30)

There were a number of happenings that occurred after the death of Jesus that are also recorded and of which most people are aware; at least those who know the story at all. At the time of His death:

…the veil the temple was torn in two from top to bottom;

and the earth quaked, 

and the rocks split,

and the graves were opened;

and many bodies of the saints who had fallen asleep were raised… 

(Matthew 27:51-52)

Now, there are many aspects of these events which could be mentioned but it is the next line of the message that most people don’t notice.

and coming out of the graves after His resurrection, 

they went into the holy city and appeared to many. 

(Matthew 27:53)

According to this passage, three days elapsed between the opening of the graves at the time of the crucifixion and the going into the city by those who were raised. Why did those who were raised wait for three days before leaving the tombs? Although some have questioned as to whether or not Matthew 27:53 was a later edition to the text, there is apparently no real evidence to support this.

The answer may be found in another part of the Scripture. The day after Passover was the Feast of First Fruits.

…say to them [the children of Israel]: 

“…you shall bring a sheaf of firstfruits of your harvest to the priest.

He shall wave the sheaf before the Lord… 

on the day after the Sabbath the priest shall wave it.

(Leviticus 23:10-11)

The very first part of the harvest was to be included in this feast and it is stated elsewhere that:

 

…now Christ is risen from the dead, 

and has become the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep. 

(1 Corinthians 15:20)

If those who had been raised at the time of the crucifixion had immediately come out of the tombs they would have preceded the resurrection of Christ and that was not the way it was to be. Jesus was to be the first truly resurrected [not just resuscitated] and so no other could precede Him. 

The concept of one being awaken from “sleep” was also well known to the Jewish people. For example:

…I will open your graves and cause you to come up from your graves, 

and bring you into the land of Israel.

Then you shall know that I am the Lord, 

when I have opened your graves…

and brought you up from your graves. 

(Ezekiel 37:12-13)

And many of those who sleep in the dust of the earth shall awake,

Some to everlasting life,

Some to shame and everlasting contempt. 

(Daniel 12:2)

So, the concept of God awakening those who sleep was not unknown to the Jewish people and it was evidently planned by God that Jesus would be the firstfruits of those awakened.

It’s a small section of the story surrounding that time in history but it shows one how important those three days between the crucifixion and the resurrection were and gives us one more thing to think about.