Three Days Later
We just commemorated the death of our Lord nearly 2000 years ago. It was by His death that redemption was made possible. But it was by His resurrection that we know He was indeed the Christ! In fact it seems that even His disciples needed to see His resurrection before they could be sure He was the Christ.
(John 20:24-29 NIV) Now Thomas (called Didymus), one of the
Twelve, was not with the disciples when Jesus came. {25} So the other disciples
told him, "We have seen the Lord!" But he said to them, "Unless
I see the nail marks in his hands and put my finger where the nails were, and
put my hand into his side, I will not believe it." {26} A week later his
disciples were in the house again, and Thomas was with them. Though the doors
were locked, Jesus came and stood among them and said, "Peace be with
you!" {27} Then he said to Thomas, "Put your finger here; see my
hands. Reach out your hand and put it into my side. Stop doubting and
believe." {28} Thomas said to him, "My Lord and my God!" {29}
Then Jesus told him, "Because you have seen me, you have believed; blessed
are those who have not seen and yet have believed."
Today is the 14th day of the first month of the Hebrew or Jewish calendar. That’s Passover day, the day Jesus gave His life for us that we might gain our lives back. However, today is Saturday and Saturday is definitely not the day of the week that He died on. We know this because He was risen by Sunday morning.
(Mat 28:1-7 NIV) After the Sabbath, at dawn on the first day
of the week, Mary Magdalene and the other Mary went to look at the tomb. {2}
There was a violent earthquake, for an angel of the Lord came down from heaven
and, going to the tomb, rolled back the stone and sat on it. {3} His appearance
was like lightning, and his clothes were white as snow. {4} The guards were so
afraid of him that they shook and became like dead men. {5} The angel said to
the women, "Do not be afraid, for I know that you are looking for Jesus,
who was crucified. {6} He is not here; he has risen, just as he said. Come and
see the place where he lay. {7} Then go quickly and tell his disciples: 'He has
risen from the dead and is going ahead of you into Galilee. There you will see
him.' Now I have told you."
Now since He was in the grave three days and three nights, that is to say 72 hours, we can do a little counting backwards to find the day of the week of His death.
(Mat 12:40 NIV) For as Jonah was three days and three nights
in the belly of a huge fish, so the Son of Man will be three days and three
nights in the heart of the earth.
(John 11:9-10 KJV) Jesus answered, Are there not twelve
hours in the day? If any man walk in the day, he stumbleth not, because he
seeth the light of this world. {10} But if a man walk in the night, he
stumbleth, because there is no light in him.
Jesus died late in the afternoon so He rose late in the afternoon. That is why on Sunday morning He was already gone from the tomb. Somewhat obviously He must have come from the grave on the previous afternoon. That would be Saturday, Sabbath, afternoon.
Now let’s count days backwards. Saturday to Friday, one day. Friday to Thursday, two days. Thursday to Wednesday makes the third day and tells us He died late on Wednesday afternoon. Is this really important we might ask? The answer is yes, it is. Scripture tells us He would be cut-off in mid-week.
(Dan 9:27 KJV) And he shall confirm the covenant with many
for one week: and in the midst of the week he shall cause the sacrifice
and the oblation to cease, and for the overspreading of abominations he shall
make it desolate, even until the consummation, and that determined shall be
poured upon the desolate.
So having died on Wednesday, mid-week, we have another proof of scripture and identifier that Jesus is Lord.
It’s at this point that I must point out that the first two people to carry the good news of the resurrection were women, the two Mary’s. Is that important? Maybe yes and maybe no, but nevertheless, it’s a fact. It’s also a fact that these two women were the first to see Jesus after His resurrection. And please note they did not have to see the nail holes.
OK, now we jump ahead a little.
(Mat 28:16-20 NIV) Then the eleven disciples went to Galilee,
to the mountain where Jesus had told them to go. {17} When they saw him, they
worshiped him; but some doubted. {18} Then Jesus came to them and said,
"All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. {19} Therefore
go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father
and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, {20} and teaching them to obey
everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very
end of the age."
But, it was actually the women that carried the message about the meeting in Galilee.
Later we learn that Jesus remained among them for a total of forty days after He was resurrected. Then He returned to His Father in Heaven. And then shortly thereafter He sent the promised comforter, even the Holy Spirit. It was at this point that the church began to function as a church and to carry out what is often called the Great Commission. With a little more math we can say with some certainty what day of what month that day was.
(Acts 2:1-4 NIV) When the day of Pentecost came, they were
all together in one place. {2} Suddenly a sound like the blowing of a violent
wind came from heaven and filled the whole house where they were sitting. {3}
They saw what seemed to be tongues of fire that separated and came to rest on
each of them. {4} All of them were filled with the Holy Spirit and began to
speak in other tongues as the Spirit enabled them.
Now the day of Pentecost is actually the Feast of Weeks from the Old Testament.
(Lev 23:15-16 KJV) And ye shall count unto you from the morrow
after the sabbath, from the day that ye brought the sheaf of the wave
offering; seven sabbaths shall be complete: {16} Even unto the morrow after
the seventh sabbath shall ye number fifty days; and ye shall offer a new
meat offering unto the LORD.
Wednesday was the 14th day of the first month. The weekly Sabbath fell on the 17th of the first month. Now simply go to the morrow after the seventh Sabbath, a Sunday, and you have the day that might be considered the birthday of the church. That day was Sivan 8 as can be seen on the calendar below. It was on this day, the day of Pentecost, that the Apostles received the Holy Spirit and from that day forward set out in power to fulfill their destiny. Let us use the power of that same Holy Spirit to fulfill our destiny.
April 2006 »
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1 3rd
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2 4th
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3 5th
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4 6th
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5 7th
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6 8th
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7 9th
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8 10th
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9 11th
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10 12th
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11 13th
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Died 14th
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13 15th
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14 16th
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Risen 17th
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16 18th
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17 19th
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18 20th
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19 21st
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20 22nd
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21 23rd
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1st 24th
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23 25th
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25 27th
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26 28th
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27 29th
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28 30th
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2nd 1st
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30 2nd
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1 3rd
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2 4th
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3 5th
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4 6th
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5 7th
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3rd 8th
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7 9th
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8 10th
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9 11th
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10 12th
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11 13th
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12 14th
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4th 15th
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14 16th
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15 17th
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16 18th
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17 19th
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18 20th
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19 21st
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5th 22nd
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21 23rd
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22 24th
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23 25th
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24 26th
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25 27th
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26 28th
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6th 29th
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28 1st
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29 2nd
of Sivan, 5766 |
30 3rd
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31 4th
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7th 7th
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Pentecost 8th
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5 9th
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6 10th
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8 12th
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9 13th
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10 14th
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11 15th
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12 16th
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13 17th
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14 18th
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15 19th
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16 20th
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17 21st
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18 22nd
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20 24th
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21 25th
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22 26th
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23 27th
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24 28th
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25 29th
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26 30th
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27 1st
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28 2nd
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29 3rd
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30 4th
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