basis of this verse assume, and do not attempt to prove, that “ three days and three nights” must mean a seventy- two hour period, and can’t possibly mean any shorter period of time. Unless we assume that Jesus contradicted Himself, we must assume that to Jesus and His hearers the expres sion “ three days and three nights” was synonymous with the other expressions that He used in speaking of the same period. We also have an example in I Samuel 30: 12, 13 of “ three days and three nights” used synonymous ly with “ three days agone.” When we attempt to reconcile these various expres sions, and determine just how long a time is meant, we are forced to make one of two assumptions concerning the meaning of the phrase, “three days and three nights.” We may assume that Jesus’ hearers were accustomed to think mathematically exactly the same as we do, and that to them the phrase referred to a seventy-two hour period and nothing less—twelve hours for each of three days and twelve hours for each of three nights. Having made this assumption, we would conclude that “ three days” and “ the third day” also refer to a seventy-two hour period, since they are used synonymously by our Lord Himself. This is the assumption made by those who argue for a Wednesday crucifixion—an assumption for which no proof is offered, and which completely ignores the evidence already cited that “ three days” and “ the third day” refer to a shorter period. On the other hand, we may assume that Jesus’ hearers did not think mathematically, and that the expression “ three days and three nights” was- simply a common idiom, commonly used, possibly for emphasis, in speak ing of a period which they also spoke of by the phrases “ three days” and “ the third day.” Having made this assumption, we determine the actual length of the period, not by mathematical analysis of the phrase, “ three days and three nights,” but by other evidence, such as that given above, which leads us to conclude that the time was what we would call two days. There is no proof that the phrase “ three days and three nights” was not such a common idiom, used by Jesus with a meaning that was perfectly clear to His immediate hearers. Since we must make our choice between two assump tions, neither of which can be proved or disproved direct ly, why not choose the assumption that fits all the known facts and does not ignore any of the evidence— the as sumption that the phrase used in Matthew 12:40 was a common idiom, and that the length of time involved should be determined by other evidence, not by mathe matical analysis of that phrase? The remaining passage is Luke 24:21, where the two travelers to Emmaus say, “ To day is the third day since these things were done.” It is assumed, without proof, that the phrase “ the third day since” indicates that they started to count from the day after the previous event— that Sunday could not possibly be the third day since Friday. The expression in the Greek which is translated “ since” literally means “ from which.” Sunday could certainly be the third day from Friday, counting both ends as we have seen that they were accustomed to do. But there is no way of counting by which Sunday could be the “ third day since” Wednesday, so that this verse is really evidence against the idea of a Wednesday cruci fixion. The Bible does not contradict itself. When rightly understood, the various passages all point to Friday, the preparation day, the day before the sabbath, as the day on which “ Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures, and rose again the third day (the first day of the week) according to the scriptures.” I Corinthians 15: 3, 4. END
WHEN DID JESUS DIE? (concluded) cross, had said, “ I shall die today, and lie in the grave tomorrow, and the third day I shall rise again.” Would not every one of His hearers have understood Him to mean that He would rise the day after tomorrow? But that is exactly what He did say, except that He did not mention lying in the grave. Not on the way to the cross but on several previous occasions—and we have it re corded ten times in the Gospels -—He stated that He would rise the third day. Certainly every one of His hearers understood Him to mean that He would rise two days (as we count time) after His death, for to them “ the third day” meant the day after tomorrow. In Acts 10 we have the events of four successive days clearly separated. In verses 3 to 8 we read of Cornelius’ vision and the sending of three men to Joppa. For con venience, we will refer to this first day as Monday. The next day, Tuesday, we have the events recorded in verses 9 to 23a, Peter’s vision and the arrival of the messengers in Joppa. The latter part of verse 23 is the record of Wednesday, the beginning of the journey back to Caesarea. Verses 24 to 48 record the events of Thursday, the arrival, Cornelius’ welcome, Peter’s sermon, the con version of the Gentiles, etc. Each of the days indicated above is introduced by the phrase “ on the morrow” or “ the morrow after.” Now look at verse 30. In answer to Peter’s question why he was sent for, Cornelius replied, “ Four days ago I was fasting until this hour.” How long is it from three o’clock Monday afternoon (“ the ninth hour,” verse 3) to three o’clock Thursday afternoon? We would say it was three days, but Cornelius called it four days. Speak ing on Thursday of what happened on Monday, we would say “ three days ago,” but Cornelius said “ four days ago.” Surely this is convincing proof that the people of that day, when they counted a time interval by days, always counted both ends. Now let us apply this method of counting time to the time Jesus was in the grave. Those who deny that He died on Friday say that He was crucified on Wednesday and was buried about sunset, and rose on Saturday about sunset. From Wednesday to Saturday is exactly the same length of time as the period mentioned in Acts 10, which for convenience we called from Monday to Thursday. If that length of time was “ four days” in Acts, it would have been four days in the Gospels. He was not seen alive until Sunday, and from Wednesday to Sunday would be counted as five days. But the time that Jesus was in the grave was never referred to as four days or five days. The conclusion is inevitable that Jesus was not in the grave from Wednesday to Saturday or Sunday, in the light of first-century mathematics, the thirteen passages which tell of three days in the grave all demand that if the resurrection was on Sunday, as stated in Mark 16:9, the crucifixion and burial must have been on Friday. We should not overlook the fact that the Bible empha sizes, in Acts 2:25-31, quoting Psalm 16, that the body of Christ was not to see corruption. But the Jews clearly understood that corruption began the fourth day in the grave (John 11:39). When we put these two facts to gether, we see how unscriptural it is to argue that the body of Jesus was actually in the grave for a period which the Jews would have counted as four days or five days. Now let us look briefly at the two passages which bear the principal weight of the argument for an earlier cruci fixion. The first and most important of these is Matthew 12:40, which reads: “ For as Jonas was three days and three nights in the whale’s belly; so shall the Son of Man be three days and three night in the heart of the earth.” Those who argue for a Wednesday crucifixion on the
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THE KING'S BUSINESS
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