Three Days

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. Matthew 12:40

 

 Why Three Days?

 1. God’s Perfect Timing

In the Jewish Culture, a person was not considered dead unless he/she had been dead for at least 3 days, of course, being Jewish, Jesus was very aware of this. If he would have risen before “3 days”, no one would have considered it a miracle or a sign that he was the messiah. There is an amazing precision to God’s timing. If Jesus would have risen on day two, he would still have risen from the dead technically, but it would not have been accepted in his culture and time as a true resurrection from the dead. By waiting till the appropriate day and time to appear from the tomb, Jesus fulfilled his promises per the culture in which he lived. Think about this the next time you are in a dead situation, begging for a sign of life, just as Mary and I am sure his disciplines mourned and begged for Jesus to come back to life. If God answers your plea and grants you an answer before the appropriate time, you may still come out of your “tomb” alive but you will be missing out on a huge promise that he has for you. Trust God’s timing, your third day is coming even though day 2 is dark, lonely and full of death. Patience and faith in God’s promise’s and his undeniable love for us is key.

2. Death Brings Life

After Jesus stayed in the tomb the appropriate length of time and was considered “dead”, he arose new and completed his destiny and God’s promise to his people. His flesh had to die for his spirit to be alive. There is a process to death that he had to follow carefully to provide the new life we needed. Much like when you are planting flowers. You start by spraying the weed killer and pulling the weeds, then you plant the petunias and marigolds. After planting new flowers, you spread mulch around the new life to protect it. If you were in hurry, skipped a step and didn’t fully kill the weeds before planting new flowers, the weeds would grow back and choke the life out of the beautiful new flowers. Some weeds require more time to kill than others, but the time spent killing them will result in a healthier flower bed. While you are waiting for your miracle to happen, remember, that extra time may be necessary to kill the negative situation and plant your seed for the future. The weeds may be choking you and you can’t see the vibrant colors of your future, but God knows the exact amount of time that is needed to choke out the devil and deliver you your victory. Wait on the Lord, his timing is personally tailored to you and your situation.

   3. Permanence and Completeness

In Judaism, the number 3 symbolizes permanence and completeness. Surely this fact was not lost on the Pharisees when Jesus told them he would stay in the belly of the earth three nights. Jesus signified to the world that he was permanent and his salvation for the world was complete. Nothing man could do would take it away and no one could add to or take away from it. How awesome is it to know that our God’s love is permanent and complete, no matter how much we turn from him or deny him, he’s still there! His plan for our lives is complete without need of additions or subtractions. We must simply believe, and have faith that  it will be fulfilled!