FAITH and reason
Thoughts on the resurrection of Jesus
Saturday in the calendar. (This happens often By Steve Nelson with Christmas and Independence Day, for exAre you ready to believe God’s Word more ample.) John 19:31 points out “for that Sabbath powerfully? Millions already know this, howday was an high day.” It’s that simple. Jesus ever billions of people don’t. Which group clearly died the day before the Sabbath as the would you like to be part of – those who have Bible records. In this instance the “Sabbath” accurate knowledge (millions) or those who rely was a non-Saturday. on misinformation from tradition (billions)? 2. When did Jesus actually die? The new The topic at issue: which days in the week day in Judean culture began at sunset. Theredid Jesus die and get resurrected? People are fore, in order to die before the high Sabbath, sometimes mocked when trying to justify that which would begin at sunset of WEDNESDAY Jesus died on Friday supposedly, then was raised of the week of Jesus’s death, Jesus died before from the dead on Sunday. I was taught this sunset on Wednesday. That’s exactly what traditional timing of events as a child; weren’t happened. It was “about the ninth hour” (of you also? Yet even as a boy I wondered how it prayer, approximately 3 p.m.). was possible since the Bible clearly says “three 3. When exactly was Jesus raised from days AND three nights” (Jonah 1:17, Matthew Steve Nelson the dead? Sunday morning is given credit 12:40), yet from Friday afternoon to Sunday for the resurrection only because that is the morning you cannot squeeze in all the days and nights. first time humans noticed the tomb was empty. However, that Christians who believe this Friday to Sunday narrative are doesn’t mean he was raised from the dead just five minutes left suggesting the typical religious excuse of “faith” that a before the women showed up at the tomb, right? piece of a day is reckoned as a full day in counting, although Summary: Let’s calculate the math to easily figure this the total time suggested by this does not even span two full out. Joseph of Arimathea first buried the body before sunset days. Hmmm. Such reasoning defies not only math but ScripWednesday. Count forward three full days and that time is beture too, since that particular phrase is emphatic and truly fore sunset on SATURDAY evening. (Interesting insight: mayincludes three FULL days, 72 hours. be now we know why Saturday night is the time for the biggest God created numbers AND is the one who designed the celebrations in the world.) That’s precisely when Jesus Christ 7-day week AND is the Author of the Word. God’s Word must was actually raised from the dead by God Almighty. Then his make sense somehow; it just needs to be understood. What followers became aware the following morning, called “Easter” simple pieces of information are we missing? Decades ago or “Resurrection Sunday”. How awesome to piece it together someone taught me with profound simplicity how to solve this and to know our Easter morning is just hours after! Hooray, intriguing dilemma. Now I will share it with you today. we can count days of the week and track 72 hours like normal 1. What day of the week is the Sabbath? Most people human beings, not in different ways merely as Christians. And think the word Sabbath only refers to the weekly Saturday. we don’t need to change our holidays either. However, it is a word that also refers to a holy day, also known A final thought about the word “Easter”. It only occurs one as “high Sabbath” when the holy day does not land on a time in some older Bible versions (Acts 12:4), from the Greek
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28 March / April 2021 | Christian Living
www.christianlivingmag.com
