Tuesday, July 18, 2006
THREE DAYS
Vv39-40. But He answered and said to them, "An evil and adulterous generation craves for a sign; and yet no sign shall be given to it but the sign of Jonah the prophet; 40. for just as Jonah was three days and three nights in the belly of the sea monster, so shall the Son of Man be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth.
The matter of three days and three nights often causes confusion about Jesus being buried on Friday and returning on Sunday. This does not have to be a literal 72 hours but a generalization. We similarly state that, “I spent all day with a friend;” this does not imply that the initial “hello” came at exactly midnight or the departure occurred precisely at dusk. Jews understood that a part day would constitute a whole period of day and night.
The sign requested by the scribes and Pharisees was something far less miraculous than the sign that Jesus gave to them; they refused to believe even after One rose from the dead. Luke 16:31 "But he said to him, `If they do not listen to Moses and the Prophets, neither will they be persuaded if someone rises from the dead.'" It is a matter of fact that these very people paid the Roman soldiers to spread a false testimony about His resurrection: Matt. 28:11-15 Now while they were on their way, behold, some of the guard came into the city and reported to the chief priests all that had happened. 12. And when they had assembled with the elders and counseled together, they gave a large sum of money to the soldiers, 13. and said, "You are to say, `His disciples came by night and stole Him away while we were asleep.' 14. "And if this should come to the governor's ears, we will win him over and keep you out of trouble." 15. And they took the money and did as they had been instructed; and this story was widely spread among the Jews, and is to this day.
The matter of three days and three nights often causes confusion about Jesus being buried on Friday and returning on Sunday. This does not have to be a literal 72 hours but a generalization. We similarly state that, “I spent all day with a friend;” this does not imply that the initial “hello” came at exactly midnight or the departure occurred precisely at dusk. Jews understood that a part day would constitute a whole period of day and night.
The sign requested by the scribes and Pharisees was something far less miraculous than the sign that Jesus gave to them; they refused to believe even after One rose from the dead. Luke 16:31 "But he said to him, `If they do not listen to Moses and the Prophets, neither will they be persuaded if someone rises from the dead.'" It is a matter of fact that these very people paid the Roman soldiers to spread a false testimony about His resurrection: Matt. 28:11-15 Now while they were on their way, behold, some of the guard came into the city and reported to the chief priests all that had happened. 12. And when they had assembled with the elders and counseled together, they gave a large sum of money to the soldiers, 13. and said, "You are to say, `His disciples came by night and stole Him away while we were asleep.' 14. "And if this should come to the governor's ears, we will win him over and keep you out of trouble." 15. And they took the money and did as they had been instructed; and this story was widely spread among the Jews, and is to this day.
# posted by Castusfumus : 7:15 PM
