Jesus was laid in a tomb

JESUS WAS LAID IN A TOMB
EDITED BY GLENN PEASE
The Tomb Of Jesus
“Come, see the place where the Lord lay.”
Matthew 28:6
EVERY circumstance connectedwith the life of Christ is deeply interesting to
the Christian mind. Whereverwe behold our Savior, He is well worthy of our
notice–
“His Cross, His mangerand His crown,
Are big with glories yet unknown.”
All His weary pilgrimage, from Bethlehem’s manger to Calvary’s Cross, is in
my eyes, pavedwith glory. Eachspot upon which He trod is to our souls
consecratedatonce, simply because there the foot of earth’s Saviorand our
own Redeemeronce was placed. When He comes to Calvary the interest
thickens–thenour best thoughts are centeredon Him in the agonies of
crucifixion.
Nor does our deep affection permit us to leave Him, even when, the struggle
being over, He yields up the ghost. His body, when it is taken down from the
tree, still is lovely in our eyes–wefondly linger around the motionless clay. By
faith we discern Josephof Arimathea and the timid Nicodemus, assistedby
those holy women, drawing out the nails and taking down the mangled body.
We behold them wrapping Him in cleanwhite linen, hastily girding Him
round with belts of spices, then putting Him in His tomb and departing for the
Sabbath rest.
We shall on this occasiongo where Mary went on the morning of the first day
of the week, whenwaking from her couch before the dawn, she aroused

herself to be early at the sepulcher of Jesus. We will try, if it is possible, by the
help of God’s Spirit, to go as she did–not in body, but in soul–we will stand at
that tomb. We will examine it and we trust we shall hear some truth-speaking
voice coming from its hollow bosomwhich will comfortand instruct us, so
that we may say of the grave of Jesus when we go away, “It was none other
than the gate of Heaven”–a sacredplace, deeplysolemn and sanctifiedby the
slain body of our precious Savior.
AN INVITATION GIVEN. I shall commence my remarks this morning by
inviting all Christians to come with me to the tomb of Jesus. “Come, seethe
place where the Lord lay.” We will labor to render the place attractive. We
will gently take your hand to guide you to it and may it please our Masterto
make our hearts burn within us while we talk by the way. Away, you profane–
you souls whose life is laughter, folly and mirth! Away, you sordid and carnal
minds who have no taste for the spiritual, no delight in the celestial. We ask
not your company. We speak to God’s Beloved, to the heirs of Heaven, to the
sanctified.
We speak to the redeemed, the pure in heart–andwe sayto them–“Come, see
the place where the Lord lay.” Surely you need no argument to move your feet
in the direction of the holy sepulcher. But still we will use the utmost power to
draw your spirit there. Come then, for ‘tis the shrine of greatness, 'tis the
resting place of the Man, the Restorerofour race, the Conqueror of death
and Hell. Men will travel hundreds of miles to behold the place where a poet
first breathed the air of earth. They will journey to the ancient tombs of
mighty heroes, orthe graves of men renowned by fame.
But where shall the Christian go to find the grave of one so famous as was
Jesus? Ask me the greatestman who ever lived–I tell you the Man Christ
Jesus was “anointedwith the oil of gladness above His fellows.” If you seek a
chamber honored as the resting place of genius, turn in here. If you would
worship at the grave of holiness, come here. If you would see the hallowed
spot where the choicestbones that ever were fashionedlay for awhile, come
with me, Christian, to that quiet garden, hard by the walls of Jerusalem.

Come with me, moreover, because it is the tomb of your bestFriend. The Jews
said of Mary, “She goes unto His grave to weepthere.” You have lost your
Friends, some of you–you have planted flowers upon their graves–yougo and
sit at eventide upon the green sward, bedewing the grass with your tears, for
there your mother lies and there your father, or your wife. Oh, in pensive
sorrow come with me to this dark garden of our Savior’s burial. Come to the
grave of your bestFriend–your Brother–yes, one who “sticks closerthan a
brother.”
Come, then, to the grave of your dearestrelative, O Christian, for Jesus is
your Husband, “your Makeris your Husband, the Lord of Hosts is His
name.” Does not affectiondraw you? Do not the sweetlips of love woo you? Is
not the place sanctified where one so well-belovedslept, although but for a
moment? Surely you need no eloquence. If it were needed I have none. I have
but the power in simple, but earnestaccents,to repeat the words, “Come, see
the place where the Lord lay.” On this Eastermorning pay a visit to His
grave, for it is the grave of your best Friend.
Yes, more, I will further urge you to this pious pilgrimage. Come, for angels
bid you. Angels said, “Come, see the place where the Lord lay.” The Syrian
version reads, “Come, see the place where our Lord lay.” Yes, angels put
themselves with those poor women and used one common pronoun–our. Jesus
is the Lord of angels as well as of men. You feeble women–youhave called
Him Lord, you have washedHis feet, you have provided for His wants, you
have hung upon His lips to catchHis honeyed sentences,you have sat
entranced beneath His mighty eloquence.
You call Him Masterand Lord and you do well. “But,” saidthe seraph, “He is
my Lord, too.” Bowing his head, he sweetlysaid, “Come, see the place where
our Lord lay.” Do not fear, then, Christian, to step into that tomb. Do not
dread to enter there, when the angel points with his finger and says, “Come,
we will go together–angelsandmen–and see the royal bedchamber.” You
know that angels did go into His tomb, for they sat one at His head and the
other at His foot in holy meditation.

I picture to myself those bright cherubs sitting there talking to one another.
One of them said, “It was there His feetlay.” And the other replied, “And
there His hands and there His head.” And in celestiallanguage did they talk
concerning the deep things of God. Then they stoopedand kissedthe rocky
floor, made sacredto the angels themselves, not because there they were
redeemed, but because there their Masterand their Monarch, whose high
behests they were obeying, did for awhile become the slave of death and the
captive of destruction.
Come, then, Christian, for angels are the porters to unbar the door. Come, for
a cherub is your messengerto usher you to the death-place of death himself.
No, start not from the entrance. Let not the darkness frighten you–the vault is
not damp with the vapors of death, nor does the air contain anything of
contagion. Come, for it is a pure and healthy place. Fearnot to enter that
tomb. I will admit that catacombs are not the places where we, who are full of
joy, would love to go. There is something gloomy and noisome about a vault.
There are noxious smells of corruption. Oftentimes pestilence is born where a
dead body has lain. But fear it not, Christian, for Christ was not left in Hell–in
Hades–neitherdid His body see corruption.
Come, there is no scent–yes, rathera perfume. Step in here and, if you did
ever breathe the gales of Ceylon, or winds from the groves of Araby, you shall
find them far excelledby that sweetholy fragrance left by the blessedbody of
Jesus, that alabastervase whichonce held divinity and was rendered sweet
and precious thereby. Think not you shall find anything obnoxious to your
senses.Jesus neversaw corruption. No worms ever devoured His flesh. No
rottenness everentered into His bones.
He saw no corruption. Three days He slumbered, but not long enoughto
putrefy. He soonarose, perfectas when He entered. Uninjured as when His
limbs were composedfor their slumber. Come then, Christian, summon up
your thoughts, gatherall your powers–hereis a sweetinvitation–let me press
it again. Let me lead you by the hand of meditation, my Brothers and Sisters.
Let me take you by the arm of your fancy and let me againsay to you, “Come,
see the place where the Lord lay.”

There is yet one reasonmore why I would have you visit this Royalsepulcher–
because it is a quiet spot. Oh, I have longed for rest, for I have heard this
world’s rumors in my ears so long, that I have beggedfor–
“A lodge in some vast wilderness,
Some boundless contiguity of shade”
where I might hide myself forever. I am sick of this tiring and trying life. My
frame is weary, my soul is mad to repose herselfawhile. I would I could lie
myself down a little by the edge of some pebbly brook, with no companion
save the fair flowers or the nodding willows.
I would I could recline in stillness, where the air brings balm to the tormented
brain, where there is no murmur save the hum of the summer bee–no whisper
exceptthat of the zephyrs and no song except the caroling of the lark. I wish I
could be at ease fora moment. I have become a man of the world–my brain is
racked, my soul is tired. Oh, would you be quiet, Christian? Merchant, would
you restfrom your toils? Would you be calm for once, then come here.
It is in a pleasantgarden, far from the hum of Jerusalem. The noise and din of
business will not reach you here. “Come, see the place where the Lord lay.” It
is a sweetresting spot, a withdrawing room for your soulwhere you may
brush your garments from dust of earth and muse awhile in peace.
II. ATTENTION REQUESTED.Thus I have pressedthe invitation–now we
will enter the tomb. Let us examine it with deep attention, noticing every
circumstance connectedwith it.
And first, mark that it is a costlytomb. It is no common grave. It is not an
excavationdug out by the spade for a pauper in which to hide the last remains
of his miserable and over-weariedbones. It is a princely tomb. It was made of
marble, cut in the side of a hill. Stand here, Believerand ask why Jesus had
such a costlysepulcher. He had no elegantgarments. He wore a coatwithout
seam, wovenfrom the top throughout, without an atom of embroidery. He
owned no sumptuous palace, forHe had not where to lay His head. His
sandals were not rich with gold, or studded with brilliants. He was poor.

Why, then, does He lie in a noble grave? We answer, for this reason–Christ
was unhonored till He had finished His sufferings. Christ’s body suffered
contumely, shame, spitting, buffeting and reproachuntil He had completed
His greatwork. He was trampled under foot, He was “despisedand rejected
of men. A Man of Sand acquainted with grief.” But the moment He had
finished His undertaking, Godsaid, “No more shall that Body be disgraced. If
it is to sleep, let it slumber in an honorable grave. If it is to rest, let nobles
bury it. Let Joseph, the councilor and Nicodemus, the man of Sanhedrim, be
present at the funeral.
“Let the Body be embalmed with precious spices, letit have honor. It has had
enough of contumely, shame, reproachand buffeting. Let it now be treated
with respect.” Christian, do you discern the meaning? Jesus, afterHe had
finished His work, sleptin a costlygrave–fornow His Father loved and
honored Him, since His work was done.
But though it is a costlygrave, it is a borrowed one. I see overthe top of it,
“Sacredto the memory of the family of Josephof Arimathea.” Yet Jesus slept
there. Yes, He was buried in another’s sepulcher. He who had no house of His
own and restedin the habitation of other men. He who had no table, but lived
upon the hospitality of His disciples. He who borrowed boats in which to
preach and had not anything in the wide world, was obligedto have a tomb
from charity. Oh, should not the poor take courage?Theydread to be buried
at the expense of their neighbors. But if their poverty is unavoidable, why
should they blush, since Jesus ChristHimself was interred in another’s grave?
Ah, I wish I might have had Joseph’s grave, to let Jesus be buried in it. Good
Josephthought he had cut it out for himself. He thought that he should lay his
bones there. He had it excavatedas a family vault and lo, the Son of David
makes it one of the tombs of the kings. But he did not lose it by lending it to
the Lord–rather, he had it back with precious interest. He only lent it three
days–then Christ resignedit–He had not injured but perfumed and sanctified
it and made it far more holy. So that it would be an honor in future to be
buried there. It was a borrowed tomb–and why? I take it not to dishonor
Christ, but in order to show that as His sins were borrowed sins so His burial
was in a borrowedgrave.

Christ had no transgressions ofHis own. He took ours upon His head. He
never committed a wrong but He took all my sin–andall yours–if you are
Believers. Concerning allHis people, it is true, He bore their griefs and
carried their sorrows in His own body on the tree. Therefore, as they were
others' sins so He rested in another’s grave. As they were sins imputed, so that
grave was only imputably His. It was not His sepulcher–itwas the tomb of
Joseph.
Let us not wearyin this pious investigation, but with fixed attention observe
everything connectedwith this holy spot. The grave, we observe, was cutin a
rock. Why was this? The Rock of Ages was buried in a rock–a Rock within a
rock. But why? Mostpersons suggestthat it was so ordained that it might be
clearthat there was no covert wayby which the disciples or others could enter
and stealthe body away. Very possibly it was the reason, but oh, my Soul, can
you not find a spiritual reason? Christ’s sepulcher was cut in a rock. It was
not cut in mold that might be worn awayby water, or might crumble and fall
into decay.
The sepulcherstands, I believe, entire to this day. If it does not naturally, it
does spiritually. The same sepulcher which took the sins of Paul shall take my
iniquities into its bosom. Forif I ever lose my guilt, it must roll off my
shoulders into the sepulcher. It was cut in a rock so that if a sinner were saved
a thousand years ago, I, too, canbe delivered, for it is a rockysepulcherwhere
sin was buried. It was a rocky sepulcherof marble where my crimes were laid
forever–buried never to have a resurrection.
You will mark, moreover, that tomb was one wherein no other man had ever
lain. Christopher Ness says,“WhenChrist was born He lay in a virgin’s
womb and when He died He was placed in a virgin tomb. He slept where
never man had slept before.” The reasonwas that none might say that
another person rose, for there never had been any other body there, thus a
mistake of persons was impossible. Nor could it be said that some old Prophet
was interred in the place and that Christ rose because He had touched his
bones. You remember when Elisha was buried and as they were burying a
man, behold he touched the Prophet’s bones and arose. Christtouched no

Prophet’s bones, for none had ever slept there. It was a new chamber, where
the Monarchof the earth did take His rest for three days and three nights.
We have learneda little, then, with attention. But let us stoopdown once more
before we leave the grave and notice something else. We see the grave, but do
you notice the grave-clothes, allfolded neatly and laid in their places, the
napkin being folded up by itself? Why are the grave-clothes folded? The Jews
said robbers had abstractedthe body. But if so, surely they would have stolen
the clothes. Theywould never have thought of folding them up and laying
them down so carefully–theywould be too much in haste to think of it. Why
was it then? To manifest to us that Christ did not come out in a hurried
manner.
He slept till the lastmoment. Then He awoke–He came notin haste. They
shall not come out in haste–neitherby flight–but at the appointed moment
shall His people come to Him. So at the precise hour, the decreedinstant,
Jesus Christ leisurely awoke,took offHis cerements, left them all behind Him
and came forth in His pure and nakedinnocence, perhaps to show us that as
clothes are the offspring of sin–when sin was atoned for by Christ, He left all
raiment behind Him–for garments are the badges of guilt. If we had not been
guilty we should never have neededthem.
Then, the napkin, mark you, was laid by itself. The grave-clothes were left
behind for every departed Christian to wear. The bed of death is well sheeted
with the garments of Jesus, but the napkin was laid by itself, because the
Christian, when He dies, does not need that. It is used by the mourners and
the mourners only. We shall all weargrave-clothes but we shall not need the
napkin. When our Friends die, the napkin is laid aside for us to use, but do
our ascendedBrothers and Sisters use it? No, the Lord God has wiped away
all tears from their eyes.
We stand and view the corpses ofthe dear departed, we moisten their faces
with our tears, letting whole showers ofgrief fall on their heads, but do they
weep? Oh, no. Could they speak to us from the upper spheres, they would say,
“weepnot for me, for I am glorified. Sorrow not for me. I have left a bad
world behind me and have entered into a far better.” They have no napkin–

they weepnot. Strange it is that those who endure death weepnot. But those
who see them die are weepers. Whenthe child is born it weeps whenothers
smile (say the Arabs) and when it dies it smiles while others weep.
It is so with the Christian. O blessedthing! The napkin is laid by itself,
because Christians will never want to use it when they die.
III. EMOTION EXCITED, We have thus surveyed the grave with deep
attention, and, I hope, with some profit to ourselves. Butthat is not all. I love a
religion which consists, in a greatmeasure, of emotion. Now, if I had power,
like a masterI would touch the strings of your hearts and fetch a glorious tune
of solemn music from them! Forthis is a deeply solemn place, into which I
have conducted you.
First, I would bid you stand and see the place where the Lord lay with
emotions of deep sorrow. O come, my beloved Brothers and Sisters, your
Jesus once lay there. He was a murdered man, my Soul, and you the
murderer–
“Ah, you, my sins, my cruel sins,
His chief tormentors were,
Eachof my crimes became a nail,
And unbelief the spear.
Alas, and did my Saviorbleed?
And did my Sovereigndie?”
I slew Him–this right hand struck the daggerto His heart. My deeds slew
Christ. Alas, I slew my best Beloved. I killed Him who loved me with an
everlasting love.
You eyes, why do you refuse to weepwhen you see Jesus'body mangled and
torn? Oh, give rent to your sorrow, Christians, for you have goodreasonto do
so. I believe in what Hart says, that there was a time in his experience when he
could so sympathize with Christ that he felt more grief at the death of Christ
than he did joy. It seemedso sad a thing that Christ should have to die and to

me it often appears too greata price for Jesus Christ to purchase worms with
His own blood. Methinks I love Him so much that if I had seenHim about to
suffer, I should have been as bad as Peterand have said, “That be far from
You, Lord.” But then He would have said to me, “Getyou behind me, Satan.”
For He does not approve of that love which would stopHim from dying. “The
cup which My Fatherhas given Me, shall I not drink it?” But I think had I
seenHim going up to His Cross, I would gladly have pressedHim back and
said, “Oh, Jesus, You shall not die. I cannothave it. Will You purchase my life
with a price so dear?” It seems too costlyfor Him who is the Prince of Life
and glory to let His fair limbs be tortured in agony. That the hands which
carried mercies should be piercedwith accursednails. That the temples that
were always clothedwith love should have cruel thorns driven through them.
It appears too much. Oh, weep, Christian and let your sorrow rise! Is not the
price all but too great, that your Belovedshould for you resign Himself? Oh, I
should think if a person were savedfrom death by another, he would always
feel deep grief if his deliverer lost his life in the attempt. I had a Friend, who,
standing by the side of a piece of frozen watersaw a young lad in it and
sprang upon the ice in order to save him. After clutching the boy he held him
in his hands and cried out, “Here he is! Here he is! I have savedhim.” But just
as they caught hold of the boy, he sank himself and his body was not found for
some time afterwards.
Oh, it is so with Jesus. Mysoul was drowning. From Heaven’s high portals He
saw me sinking in the depths of Hell. He plunged in–
“He SANK beneath His heavy woes,
To raise me to a crown;
There’s never a gift His hand bestows,
But costHis heart a groan.”
Ah, we may indeed regret our sin, since it slew Jesus.
Now, Christian, change your note a moment. “Come, see the place where the
Lord lay,” with joy and gladness. He does not lie there now. Weep, when you

see the tomb of Christ, but rejoice because it is empty. Your sin slew Him, but
His divinity raisedHim up. Your guilt has murdered Him, but His
righteousness has restoredHim. Oh, He has burst the bonds of death. He has
ungirt the cerements of the tomb and has come out more than conqueror,
crushing death beneath His feet. Rejoice, O Christian, for He is not there–He
is risen. “Come, see the place where the Lord lay.”
One more thought and then I will speak a little concerning the doctrines we
may learn from this grave. “Come, see the place where the Lord lay” with
solemn awe, for you and I will have to lay there, too–
“Hark! from the tomb a doleful sound,
My ears, attend the cry.
You living men, come view the ground,
Where you must shortly lie.
Princes, this clay must be your bed,
In spite of all your powers.
The tall, the wise, the reverend head,
Must lie as low as ours.”
It is a fact we do not often think of–that we shall all be dead in a little while. I
know that I am made of dust and not of iron. My bones are not brass, nor my
sinews steel–ina little while my body must crumble back to its native
elements. But do you ever try to picture yourself the moment of your
dissolution? My Friends, there are some of you who seldom realize how old
you are, how near you are to death. One way of remembering our age is to see
how much remains. Think how old eighty is and then see how few years there
are before you will get there. We should remember our frailty.
Sometimes I have tried to think of the time of my departure. I do not know
whether I shall die a violent death or not but I would to God that I might die
suddenly, for sudden death is sudden glory. I would I might have such a
blessedexit as DoctorBeaumontand die in my pulpit laying down my body

with my charge and ceasing atonce to work and live. But it is not mine to
choose. Suppose Ilie lingering for weeks in the midst of pains and griefs and
agonies?When that moment comes, that moment which is too solemn for my
lips to speak of, when the spirit leaves the clay–letthe physician put it off for
weeks oryears, as we say he does, though he does not–whenthat moment
comes, oh, you lips, be dumb and profane not its solemnity.
When death comes, how is the strong man boweddown! How does the mighty
man fall! They may saythey will not die, but there is no hope for them–they
must yield–the arrow has gone home. I knew a man who was a wickedwretch
and I remember seeing him pace the floor of his bedroom, saying, “O God, I
will not die, I will not die.” When I beggedhim to lie on his bed for he was
dying, he said he could not die while he could walk and he would walk till he
did die. Ah, he expired in the utmost torments, always shrieking, “O God, I
will not die.”
Oh, that moment, that lastmoment! See how clammy is the sweatupon the
brow, how dry the tongue, how parched the lips are? The man shuts his eyes
and slumbers, then opens them again. And if he is a Christian, I canfancy he
will say–
“Hark! they whisper–angelssay
Sisterspirit, come away.
What is this absorbs me quite–
Steals my senses–shuts my sight–
Drowns my spirit–draws my breath?
Tell me, my Soul, can this be death?”
We know not when one will die. One gentle sighand the spirit breaks away.
We canscarcelysay, “He is gone,” before the ransomedspirit takes its
mansion near the Throne. Come to Christ’s tomb then, for the silent vault
must soonbe your habitation. Come to Christ’s grave, for you must slumber
there. And even you, you Sinners, for one moment I will ask you to come also
because you must die as wellas the rest of us. Your sins cannot keepyou from

the jaws of death. I say, Sinner, I want you to look at Christ’s sepulcher too–
for when you die it may have done you greatgoodto think of it.
You have heard of Queen Elizabeth crying out that she would give an empire
for a single hour. Or, have you read the despairing cry of the gentleman on
board the “Arctic,” when it was going down, who shouted to the boat, “Come
back!I will give you £30.000if you will come and take me in.” Ah, poor man.
It were but little if he had thirty thousand worlds, if he could thereby prolong
his life! “Skin for skin. Yes, all that a man has will he give for his life.”
Some of you who laugh this morning, who came to spend a merry hour in this
hall, will be dying and then you will pray and crave for life and shriek for
another Sabbath-Day. Oh, how the Sabbaths you have wastedwill walk like
ghosts before you! Oh, how they will shake their snakyhair in your eyes!How
will you be made to sorrow and weepbecause youwastedprecious hours,
which, when they are gone, are gone too far ever to be recalled. MayGod save
you from the pangs of remorse.
IV. INSTRUCTION IMPARTED. And now, Christian Brethren, “Come, see
the place where the Lord lay,” to learn a doctrine or two. What did you see
when you visited “the place where the Lord lay?” “He is not here–for He is
risen!” The first thing you perceive, if you stand by His empty tomb, is His
Divinity. The dead in Christ shall rise first at the resurrection, but He who
rose first–their Leader, rose in a different fashion. They rise by imparted
power. He rose by His own. He could not slumber in the grave because He was
God. Deathhad no dominion over Him.
There is no better proof of Christ’s divinity than that startling resurrectionof
His, when He rose from the grave, by the glory of the Father. O Christian,
your Jesus is GOD. His broad shoulders that hold you up are indeed Divine.
And here you have the best proof of it–because He rose from the grave.
A seconddoctrine here taught well may charm you, if the Holy Spirit applies
it with power. Behold this empty tomb, O true Believer–itis a sign of your
acquittal and your full discharge. If Jesus had not paid the debt, He would
never had risen from the grave. He would have lain there till this moment if

He had not cancelledthe entire debt by satisfying eternal vengeance. Oh,
Beloved, is not that an overwhelming thought?–
“It is finished! It is finished!
Hear the rising Savior cry.”
The heavenly turnkey came. A bright angel stepped from Heavenand rolled
awaythe stone–buthe would not have done so if Christ had not done all. He
would have kept Him there. He would have said, “No, no, you are the sinner
now. You have the sins of all your electupon your shoulder and I will not let
you go free till you have paid the uttermost farthing.” In His going free I see
my owndischarge–
“My Jesus'blood’s my full discharge”
As a justified man, I have not a sin againstme in God’s book. If I were to turn
over God’s eternal book I should see everydebt of mine receiptedand
cancelled–
“Here’s pardon for transgressionspast,
It matters not how black their cast,
And O my Soul with wonderview,
For sins to come here’s pardon, too.
While through Your blood absolvedI am
From sin’s tremendous curse and blame.”
One more doctrine we learn and with that we will conclude–the doctrine of
the resurrection. Jesus rose andas the Lord our Saviorrose, so all His
followers must rise. Die I must–this body must be a carnival for worms, it
must be eaten by those tiny cannibals–perhaps it shall be scatteredfrom one
portion of the earth to another. The constituent particles of this my frame will
enter into plants, from plants pass into animals and thus be carried into far
distant realms. But at the blast of the archangel’s trumpet every separate
atom of my body shall find its fellow–like the bones lying in the valley of

vision, though separatedfrom one another–the moment God shall speak, the
bone will creepto its bone, then the flesh shall come upon it. The four winds of
Heaven shall blow and the breath shall return!
So, let me die, let beasts devour me, let fire turn this body into gas and vapor–
all its particles shall yet again be restored!This very selfsame actualbody
shall start up from its grave, glorified and made like Christ’s body, yet still
the same body, for God has saidit. Christ’s same body rose–so shallmine. O
my Soul, do you now dread to die? You will lose your partner body a little
while, but you will be married again in Heaven, soul and body shall againbe
united before the Throne of God. The grave–whatis it? It is the bath in which
the Christian puts the clothes of his body to have them washedand cleansed.
Death–whatis it? It is the waiting room where we robe ourselves for
immortality. It is the place where the body, like Esther, bathes itself in spices,
that it may be fit for the embrace of its Lord. Deathis the gate of life. I will
not fearto die, then, but will say–
“Shudder not to pass the stream
Venture all your care on Him–Him,
Whose dying love and power
Stilled its tossing, hushed its roar.;
Safe is the expanded wave,
Gentle as a summer’s eve–
Not one object of His care
Ever suffered shipwreck there.,”
Come, view the place, then, with all-hallowedmeditation, where the Lord lay.
Spend this afternoon, my beloved Brethren, in meditating upon it and very
often go to Christ’s grave both to weepand to rejoice. You timid ones–do not
be afraid to approach, for ‘tis no vain thing to remember that timidity buried
Christ. Faith would not have given Him a funeral at all. Faith would have

kept Him above ground and would never have let Him be buried, for it would
have said it would be useless to bury Christ if He were to rise.
Fearburied Him. Nicodemus, the night disciple and Josephof Arimathea,
secretly, for fear of the Jews, wentand buried Him. Therefore, you timid ones,
you may go, too. Ready-to-Halt, poor Fearing and you Mrs. Despondency, and
Much-afraid, go often there–it is your favorite haunt. There build a
tabernacle, there abide. And often say to your heart, when you are in distress
and sorrow, “Come, seethe place where the Lord lay.”
18 Bible Verses aboutJesus Tomb
MostRelevantVerses
John 20:1
Verse Concepts
Now on the first day of the week Mary Magdalene came earlyto the tomb,
while it was still dark, and saw the stone already takenawayfrom the tomb.
John 20:11
Verse Concepts
But Mary was standing outside the tomb weeping; and so, as she wept, she
stoopedand lookedinto the tomb;
Mark 16:2
Verse Concepts
Very early on the first day of the week, theycame to the tomb when the sun
had risen.
John 20:3

So Peter and the other disciple went forth, and they were going to the tomb.
Isaiah53:9
Verse Concepts
His grave was assignedwith wickedmen, Yet He was with a rich man in His
death, BecauseHe had done no violence, Norwas there any deceitin His
mouth.
Matthew 27:60
Verse Concepts
and laid it in his own new tomb, which he had hewn out in the rock; and he
rolled a large stone againstthe entrance of the tomb and went away.
Mark 15:46
Verse Concepts
Josephbought a linen cloth, took Him down, wrapped Him in the linen cloth
and laid Him in a tomb which had been hewn out in the rock;and he rolled a
stone againstthe entrance of the tomb.
Luke 23:53
Verse Concepts
And he took it down and wrapped it in a linen cloth, and laid Him in a tomb
cut into the rock, where no one had ever lain.
Acts 13:29
Verse Concepts
"When they had carried out all that was written concerning Him, they took
Him down from the cross and laid Him in a tomb.
Matthew 28:1

Verse Concepts
Now after the Sabbath, as it beganto dawn towardthe first day of the week,
Mary Magdalene and the other Mary came to look at the grave.
Luke 24:1
Verse Concepts
But on the first day of the week, atearly dawn, they came to the tomb
bringing the spices which they had prepared.
Luke 24:22
Verse Concepts
"But also some women among us amazed us. When they were at the tomb
early in the morning,
Luke 24:12
Verse Concepts
But Petergotup and ran to the tomb; stooping and looking in, he saw the
linen wrappings only; and he went awayto his home, marveling at what had
happened.
Luke 24:24
Verse Concepts
"Some of those who were with us went to the tomb and found it just exactly as
the womenalso had said; but Him they did not see."
Matthew 27:61
Verse Concepts
And Mary Magdalene was there, and the other Mary, sitting opposite the
grave.
Mark 16:5

Verse Concepts
Entering the tomb, they saw a young man sitting at the right, wearing a white
robe; and they were amazed. https://bible.knowing-jesus.com/topics/Jesus-
Tomb
7 Quick Facts about the Tomb of Jesus
By Andrew Dragos -
November 6, 2016
1
seregalsv/ Thinkstock
Last week, the shrine that houses the traditional site of Jesus’burial was
workedon for conservationefforts, and his allegedtomb site opened for the
first time in centuries.
—
Yupi666 / English Wikipedia
1. The Church of Holy Sepulcher(or “Church of the Resurrection”)in
Jerusalem, which is sharedprimarily by three groups—Greek Orthodox,
Armenian Orthodox and Roman Catholic—is believedby many to contain the
tomb of Jesus and the mount of Calvary (the Coptic, Ethiopian Orthodox, and
Syriac communities also have access). The original church itself was built by
the Emperor Constantine around 335 AD, though it has undergone many
reconstructions due to fire damage and political conquests, including entire
devastationat the hands of the Fatimids in 1009.

2. The 4th century church historian Eusebius writes that the site where
Constantine built the first church originally housed a temple built by the
Roman emperor Hadrian some 200 years earlier, which was purposefully set
there as a polemical actagainstthe Christian holy site (Book III, Chapter
XXVI).
3. Only one other site has laid serious claim to the tomb of Jesus—the Garden
Tomb. It is regarded as authentic by virtually no scholars, and its claim to
historicity goes back less thantwo hundred years (source). It is probably an
8th-7th century BC burial site, and its claim to be Jesus’tomb is likely
motivated by denominational-religious reasons, since Protestants do not have
access to the tomb at the Church of the Holy Sepulcher.
4. Jewishlaw required that a person be crucified and buried outside of the
city’s walls (Leviticus 24:14;Hebrews 13:12), which the traditional site fits.
King Agrippa I expanded the city walls sometime between41-44 AD, which
puts the tomb within Jerusalem’s “oldcity” walls, but originally it would have
been outside of the city since Jesus was buried around 30 AD.
5. Since at least1555, if not earlier, the tomb inside the Church of Holy
Sepulcher was sealedwith heavy marble in order to prevent pilgrims from
removing bits from the burial space as relics. The small shrine that houses the
tomb is called the Edicule.
6. Archaeologists have discoveredovera thousand tombs around Jerusalem
that are similar to the one that the wealthy man Josephof Arimathea donated
for Jesus’burial (Matthew 27:57;Mark 15:43;Luke 23:50–56;John 19:39-
40).
7. This year on Wednesday, October26, a team of scientists, a photographer,
and a handful of clerics saw inside the tomb for the first time since possibly
1555. The projectis a conservationeffort to restore its condition, and the
tomb was only open for 60 hours
https://www.seedbed.com/7-quick-facts-about-the-tomb-of-jesus/

A BorrowedManageratHis Birth...A borrowedTomb 3 Days before His
Resurrection!
Luke 2:7
7 And she gave birth to her firstborn sonand wrapped him in swaddling
cloths and laid him in a manger, because there was no place for them in the
inn.
Jesus came into this dark unwelcoming world, not to set up permenant
residence in the place where He was born. Indeed, for the Place where Mary
laid Him after she gave birth to Him, was in a Manger, where animals and
sheepeat in the trough and lap up waterwith their tongues to drink, in
troughs in a Manger. Forthere was no room in the Inn, and the Mangerwas
borrowedfor Jesus, afterbeing born and wrapped in swaddling cloths and
laid in that place--Jesuswas notgoing to take up permenancy in that dark,
cold unwelcoming place for an infant being born, nor in the dark
unwelcoming world where there was no room for Him, for He came in an
unwelcoming place not to take residence, a place where the Sonof Godand
His presence was rejected, But He violently invaded this cold dark world, only
to take, quicken and make our dead, cold unwelcoming heart alive by the
Holy Spirit to take permenant residence in us; unto God the Father Eternally
Welcoming us in His Kingdom, as He Transfers us from this dark, cold,
unwelcoming world and brings us into the Joy of His welcoming presence of
the Kingdom of His Son whom He Loves!
For He was passing through the borrowed Mangerat His Birth, for His infant
Body was full of Eternal Life at His Birth, for He was passing through that
place of the Mangeronly to travel the way of the Via Della Rosa, the way of
Suffering at the cross, forthe infant Body of His was atfull maturity and
perfect obedience to be brokenat the Cross to give the Bread of His
Righteousness, the Breadof Eternal life, That filled His infant Body at Birth.

And at His Death, Jesus had no need to procure a Tomb for His Body!
The only unoccupied Tomb from all the greats gone by, is Jesus'borrowed
tomb, for it was borrowed by Josephof Armethia, for after Jesus breathed
His lastdieing Breathafter His battle cry of Victory, " It is Finished" they
took Jesus downfrom the cross and wrapped Him in grave cloths and laid
Him in the Tomb. Jesus did not need to take ownershipof a permenant Tomb,
in a purchase, for His Body was not going to take up permanent residence in
that Tomb, for the Tomb was going to be empty on the Third day of His
Resurrection, neverto Die ever again! He was passing through the borrowed
tomb in His Resurrection!
Hence, my grave, coffin and Deathwill be emptied by The grave Robber,
Even Jesus Christ, for Like a thief in the night He will stealmy body out of
the grave, indeed!
Matthew 27:57-61
57Whenit was evening, there came a rich man from Arimathea, named
Joseph, who also was a disciple of Jesus. 58He wentto Pilate and askedfor the
body of Jesus. ThenPilate ordered it to be given to him. 59And Josephtook
the body and wrapped it in a cleanlinen shroud 60andlaid it in his own new
tomb, which he had cut in the rock. And he rolled a greatstone to the
entrance of the tomb and went away. 61MaryMagdalene andthe other Mary
were there, sitting opposite the tomb.
Isaiah53:9
9His grave was assignedwith wickedmen, Yet He was with a rich man in His
death, https://jsvalent.blogspot.com/2014/12/a-borrowed-manger-at-his-
birtha.html

What Happened in the Tomb of Jesus
By Cydney Renee
What Really Happened in the Tomb?
After the death of Jesus on the cross, and before the resurrection, there is
nothing known of recordas to what activities happened in Joseph’s new tomb
where they laid Jesus’body to rest. The Urantia Book reveals, in part, one of
the most mysterious secrets aboutour beloved Jesus and what transpired on
that one Sunday morning, April 9, 30 A.D. at 2:45am.
As Jesus lay in the tomb, his body wrapped in bandages and coveredwith a
burial cloth, sevenParadise personalities from the Paradise incarnation
commissiondescendedfrom on high and deployed themselves about the tomb.
Within minutes, strange morontia activities and intense vibrations were
emitting from the interior of the tomb. What this means, we do not know.
At 3:02am, this amazing Sunday morning, Jesus resurrectedin his morontia
form and the personality of Jesus was releasedfrom the bonds of his torn,
bruised, and badly abusedmaterial body. The celestialobservers were greatly
relieved when they saw the resurrectedJesus suddenly appear above the tomb
immediately at the side of Gabriel, the Bright and Morning Star of Nebadon.
As suddenly did they appear, the sevenParadise personalities, departedthe
scene atthe tomb.
189.1.1“Attwo forty-five Sunday morning, the Paradise incarnation
commission, consisting ofseven unidentified Paradise personalities,arrived on
the scene and immediately deployed themselves about the tomb. At ten
minutes before three, intense vibrations of commingled material and morontia
activities began to issue from Joseph’s new tomb, and at two minutes past
three o’clock, this Sunday morning, April 9, A.D. 30, the resurrectedmorontia
form and personality of Jesus ofNazareth came forth from the tomb.“

Just as any CreatorSon, Jesus “laid down his life of his own free will, he also
had powerto take it up againin accordance withhis own determination.”
These words of Gabriel to the concernedand watchful celestialhosts are all
we know about what possibly happened in the tomb that one historical
morning.
189:1.5 “We know that no creature of the localuniverse participated in this
morontia awakening. We perceivedthe seven personalities ofParadise
surround the tomb, but we did not see them do anything in connectionwith
the Master’s awakening.”
Morontia is a term used in The Urantia Book that describes the substance
betweenthe material life and the spirit life. When we die our natural death,
we progress onto the morontia worlds where our physical bodies become
slightly more spiritual in nature at eachsuccessive transition. In each570
morontia lifespans, our bodies become more and more spirit-like substance,
and less material substance. “Matteris the skeletonof morontia, and that
both are the reflectedshadow of enduring spirit reality.”
Jesus’material body and bandages lay undisturbed in the tomb. The huge
rock rolled in front of the entrance stoodundisturbed, and the guards heard
nothing from within the tomb during that profound resurrectionmoment.
Michaelof Nebadonwas finally free of his mortal bestowalas Jesus of
Nazareth, Son of God and Sonof Man.
https://truthbook.com/blog/religious-news/what-happened-in-the-tomb-of-
jesus
Why did Jesus Foldthe Napkin?
Bible, Easter, Jesus Christ, Love, Men of the Bible, Resurrection, Sin,
Theology, Womenof the Bible by Steve PattersonApril 2, 2019

Why did Jesus Foldthe Napkin? – FoldedNapkin in the tomb of Jesus brings
people to wonder why did Jesus fold the napkin? why did Jesus fold the burial
cloth? on His Resurrection?
I am sure you seenthis story going around on the internet. With Easter
coming up and the resurrectionof Jesus I figured i would share this story. I
saw this on Facebook.I am going to share with you the story and some
researchthat I have done on this story. This story has been around since 2007
(maybe longer). I am also sure that some of this story has changedin some
ways over those years too. There might be some differences or variations of
this story.
This is a popular story that usually you hear about a lot during Easter,
ResurrectionSunday. Eastercancall as early as March and as late as April.
This story you can sayis a Spring time story. But, I believe this is notable
anytime of the year to learn about this story and if it has any significant
meaning to it.
This story basedoff John 20:7 – … and the handkerchiefthat had been
around His head, not lying with the linen cloths, but folded togetherin a place
by itself.
Why did Jesus Foldthe Napkin? Why did Jesus Fold the Burial Cloth?
Why did Jesus fold the napkin or known as the linen burial cloth after His
resurrection? I never noticedthis….
The Gospelof John (John 20:7) tells us that the napkin, or knownas the
burial cloth, placed over the face of Jesus, was not just thrown aside like the
grave-clothes.
The Bible takes an entire verse to tell us that the napkin was neatly folded,
and placedat the head of that stony coffin.

Early Sunday morning, while it was still dark, Mary Magdalene came to the
tomb and found that the stone rolled awayfrom the entrance.
Image from Trail to the Empty Tomb.
She ran and found Simon Peterand the other disciple, the one whom Jesus
loved. She said, ‘They have takenthe Lord’s body out of the tomb, and I don’t
know where they have put him!’
Peterand the other disciple ran to the tomb to see. The other disciple out ran
Peterand got there first. He stopped and lookedin and saw the linen cloth
lying there, but he didn’t go in.
Then Simon Peterarrived and went inside. He also noticed the linen
wrappings lying there, while the cloth that had coveredJesus’head was folded
up and lying to the side.
Was that important? Absolutely!
Is it really significant? Yes!
In order to understand the significance of the folded napkin, you have to
understand a little bit about Hebrew tradition of that day.
The folded napkin had to do with the Masterand Servant, and every
Jewishboy knew this tradition.
When the servant setthe dinner table for the master, he made sure that it was
exactly the way the masterwanted it.
The table was furnished perfectly, and then the servant would wait, just out of
sight, until the master had finished eating, and the servant would not dare
touch that table, until the master was finished..

Now if the masterwere done eating, he would rise from the table, wipe his
fingers, his mouth, and cleanhis beard, and would wad up that napkin and
toss it onto the table.
The servant would then know to clear the table. For in those days, the wadded
napkin meant, “I’m finished..”
But if the master got up from the table, and folded his napkin, and laid it
beside his plate, the servant would not dare touch the table, because …
The folded napkin meant, “I’m coming back!”
Researchon this story
Some versions of the Bible show napkin while others show burial cloth.
According to GotQuestions.com
It has been rumored that folding the napkin at the table is a Jewishcustom
that means the person folding the napkin intends to return. Numerous Bible
study sources have been checked, but there is nothing about this alleged
Jewishcustomof the folded napkins. The only references to this story seemto
be from internet postings and emails that appearto have originated in 2007.
According to FactorFiction.com
Additionally we talkedwith a Jewishrabbi friend of TruthOrFiction.com’s
who has been a life-long Orthodox Jew, a Jewishscholar, andlives in
Jerusalem, Israel, and he said he’d never heard of it
According to GraceThruFaith.com
John didn’t explain the meaning of the folded napkin in his gospel(John 20:7)
PersonallyI believe the Lord folded the napkin to show that His departure
was an orderly and voluntary act. It was proof that the tomb had not been
robbed and His body had not been stolen, as some later claimed.
According to Propheticrevaltion.net

Back in the days of Jesus, the Jews, the Persians, the Greeks and the Romans
did not sit on upright chairs around the dining table with their legs
underneath the table to dine as is portrayed by Leonardo Da Vinci’s famous
painting, “The Last Supper”. Much like the Japanese people would sit on the
floor around a low table to dine or they would recline on couches or cushions
around a low table to dine. They would usually recline on one side while
eating with one hand. There were no forks, no spoons and no knives on the
table and certainly there was no table napkin.
Final thoughts
So this story is just something possibly someone made up. We may not know
the true reasonwhy right now, but in due time when we are in heavenwe may
know the reasonwhy. The searchI found there is nothing about folded napkin
as a Jewishtradition.
If you check out BibleGateway, youcan see the various versions of that Verse
John 20:7. (Just click on parallel). I seenit sayburial cloth, cloth, napkin, face
cloth, wrapping, handkerchief, and grave cloth. It also said in some versions it
was wrapped, folded, and rolled.
Also doing searchfor “JewishFoldedNapkin” never came up with anything.
So this I would saywas never a custom of the Jewishfaith. If you know
different, feelfree to share and your resource to that please.
But never the less, there is No Bones About It! Jesus is Alive! He died to save
us from our sins and over came death and arose from the dead. I used an
image of the 2012’s Trail to Empty Tomb from New MarketBaptist Church
instead of a burial cloth. Yes, Jesus is coming back!He will return! But the
folded napkin back then may not have any significance. Like I said, God may
revealthat purpose one day to us on the true meaning. Not just speculations.
My pastorhas said a different meaning. It was used by carpenters to mean the
job it done and I will return to settle. We know Jesus was a carpenterand
Jesus knew Peterwould know. It was fold a specialwaythat only carpenters
would fold it.

Readmore: https://www.courageouschristianfather.com/why-did-jesus-fold-
the-napkin/#ixzz683aDBLhU
How Long Was Jesus in the Tomb?
By Fred R. Coulter
Order FREE BookletHERE
Downloaddigital E-Book HERE
INTRODUCTION
A chief tenant of mainstream Christianity is that Jesus was killed on “Good
Friday” afternoonand resurrectedon “EasterSunday” morning—a period
that includes parts of two days, one full day, and two full nights. Christian
apologists zealouslydefendthis scenario in spite of Jesus’clearstatementthat
He would remain in the grave for three days and three nights (Matt. 12:38-
40).
How do Christian scholars and teachers arrive at this inane conclusion? How
do they reconcile the missing third night? How long was Jesus reallyin the
tomb?
The most popular explanation is that Matthew (the only Gospelwriter to note
the three da ys and three nights) was using a common Jewishframe of
reference whereineven a portion of a day counted as a whole day. Thus,
Jesus’claim of three days and three nights is saidto be idiomatic, not literal.

They reasonthat part of Friday, all of Saturday, and part of Sunday counts as
three days.
Let us suppose for a moment that this is true. Where is the third night? One
cannot add Sunday ni ght or it would mean Jesus was raisedfrom the dead on
Monday morning. When pushed for an answer, some add Thur sday night—
claiming it was included as part of Friday. But according to that scenario,
Jesus would be in the tomb before He was even dead!
Why all the confusion?
There is no question that Hebrew and Aramaic are largely idiomatic
languages, andthere are biblical passagesdealing with time that are
admittedly enigmatic. But what is at stake here is the only sign that Jesus gave
to prove He was the Messiah!Jesus intentionally referencedJonah’s three
days and three nights in the belly of a whale. In both Jonahand Matthew,
there is no difficulty with the translation—and there is no hidden meaning or
cultural idiom. Jesus was giving a very precise sign : three days meant three
full days ; three nights meant three full nights .
Either this is true or we have no proof that Jesus of Nazarethis the Messiah!
Another way mainstream Christianity gets off track is by assuming that the
Sabbath immediately following Jesus’crucifixion was a weeklySabbath
(Mark 15:42). This fits in nicely with their “GoodFriday-Easter” scenario.
But as this bookletwill demonstrate, that Sabbath was an annual High Day
(John 19:31) —which fell that year on Thursd ay. As you will see, Jesus was in
the tomb the entire High Day (Wednesdaynight and all of Thursday), all of
Thursday night and Friday, and Friday night and all of Saturday, the weekly
Sabbath. This makes a full three days and three nights . His death occurred
late on Wednesdayafternoon, and His resurrectiontook place Saturday
evening.
With the help of this booklet, you canprove these things for yourself. Just
believe what your Bible actually says—notwhatreligious tradition w ould
have you believe!

JESUS’THREE DAYS AND THREE NIGHTS OF ENTOMBMENT AND
THE RESURRECTION
THE EXACT LENGTH OF TIME THAT JESUS WAS IN THE TOMB
Many prophecies in the Old Testamentforetoldthe death and resurrectionof
Jesus the Christ. The prophet Danielforesaw that His life would be taken
(Dan. 9: 26), and both David and Isaiah describedthe suffering and hum
iliation that He would endure before His death (Psa. 22, Isa. 53). Other
prophecies pointed to His resurrectionto immortality (Psa. 16:10-11, Dan.
7:13-14, Isa. 9:6-7). However, there is no scri pture in the Old Testamentthat
foretold the length of time that the Messiahwouldbe in the tomb before He
was resurrectedfrom the dead. This prophecy is found only in the Gospel
accounts, spokenby Jesus Himself: “Then some of the scribes and Pharisees
answered, saying, ‘Master, we desire to see a sign from You.’ And He
answeredand said to them, ‘ A wickedand adulterous generationseeks after
a sign, but no signshall be given to it except the sign of Jonah the prophet. For
just as Jonahwas in the belly of the whale three days and three nights, in like
manner the Son of man shall be in the heart of the earth three days and three
nights ’ ” (Matt. 12:38-40).
Jesus spoke these words becausethe scribes and Pharisees did not believe in
Him, nor did they believe that His works of healing were done by the power of
God. When they challengedHim to perform a miraculous sign in thei r
presence, Jesus did not do so. Instead, the only signHe gave them was the sign
of Jonah the prophet. The fulfillment of this sign was a testimony not only to
that generationbut to all future genera tions that He was the Messiah.
The vast majority of Christians today believe that Jesus was crucified and laid
in the tomb on a Friday, and He was resurrectedon Sunday morning. Thus,
He was not in the tomb for three days and three nights, as He had prophesied,
but for two nights and one full day. This traditional interpretation of Jesus’
death and resurrectionis completely cont rary to the Gospelaccounts.
Nearly all churches within Ch ristendom have misinterpreted or rejectedthe
scriptural record. In its place, they have adopted an ancientBabylonian
religious tradition that predates the ministry, death and resurrectionof Jesus

the Christ by thousands of years. * Various theories have been advanced in an
attempt to reconcile this ancient religious tradition with the scriptural
accounts, but the error is clearly exposedby examining the accounts that have
been accuratelyrecordedand faithfully preservedin the Gospels ofMatthew,
Mark, Luke and John.
The Gospelaccounts do not support the traditional belief in a Good Friday
crucifixion and an EasterSunday resurrection. The facts that are recorded by
the Gospelwriters reveala profoundly different time frame for the death
and resurrectionof Jesus the Christ.
The Scriptural Definition of a Day
Some have claimed that Jesus was using an idiomatic expression when He
declaredthat He would remain in the tomb for three days and three nights.
They teachthat His words should be interpreted as referring to parts of days
rather than to whole days. But when the scriptural use of the term “day” is
examined one finds that it is very specific. The Scriptures of the Old
Testamentshow that a day consists of an evening and a morning (Gen. 1). An
entire day has two portions: the night portion, which begins at evening, or
sunset; and the day portion, which begins at sunrise, or morning. These two
consecutive periods are identified as one complete day, reckonedfrom sunset
to sunset, or evening to evening (Lev. 23:32).
According to Scripture, eachday has an average oftwelve hours in the night
portion and tw elve hours in the day portion, making a complete day of tw
enty-four hours. Jesus Himself verified that the day portion is about twelve
hours long when He said, “Are there not twelve hours in the day?” (John
11:9.) Jesus also spokeofthe three watches ofthe night, which extended from
sunsetto sunrise and were eachfour hours long, making a total of twelve
hours (Luke 12:36-38). There is no question that Jesus included a full twelve
hours of da ylight and a full twelve hours of night in reckoning the length of
eachcalendarday. This scriptural method of reckoning time had been used by
the Hebrews for centuries. Moreover, it is clear that Jesus and His disciples
observedthe Passoverand the holy days of Godeachyear according to the

determination of the Hebrew Cale ndar, as God had ordained. This is a key
fact in understanding the exact length of time that Jesus was in the tomb.
When the four Gospelaccounts are examined, it is clearthat the Gospel
writers used the scri ptural method of reckoning eachday from sunsetto
sunset, or evening to evening. Beginning six days before Jesus’lastPassover
until the day after His resurrection, the Gospelwriters accuratelyrecordedall
the events day by day. They took carefulnote of the mo rnings and evenings,
making it possible to determine the beginning and end of eachday. The fact
that they meticulously noted the mornings and evenings demonstrates that
these days were whole days composedoftwenty-four hours. Nowhere do the
scriptural records leave room for an interpretation of par tial days or partial
nights.
An Analysis of the Phrase “Three Days and Three Nights” in the Book of
Jonah
Jesus’prophecy that He would be in the grave for three days and three nights
is a direct refe rence to Jonah1:17, which speaks ofJonah’s symbolic
entombment in the belly of a great fish: “And the L ORD had prepared a
greatfish to swallow up Jonah. And Jonahwas in the belly of the fish three
days and three nights.”
The word “days” in this verse is translatedfrom the Hebrew yom , and the
word “night” is translated from the Hebrew lailah . Both of these words are
precededby the cardinal number “three,” which is translated from the
Hebrew shalosh. This cardinal number is used as an adjectiv e before the
nouns “days” and “nights” to express a specific period of time. Other
scriptural references confirm the use of cardinal numbers to recordthe
exactduration of a condition or event:
Gen. 7:4
“sevendays”
Gen. 7:12

“forty days and forty nights”
Ex. 10:23
“three days”
Ex. 24:18
Lev. 12:4
“thirty-three days”
I Sam. 30:12
“three days and three nights”
I Kings 19:8
See PDF (Print icon on top of page)for CHART
The use of a cardinal number with the terms “days” and “nights” shows that
these terms are being used in a very specific sense. The presence ofthe
Hebrew waw (the conjunction “and”)between“days” and “nights” makes the
meaning of the text even more emphatic, limiting the duration of time to the
exactnumber of days and nights that are specified. By the Scriptural method
of reckoning time, it takes an “evening” and a “morning” to complete one full
day (Gen. 1:5). Just as “the evening and the morning” in Genesis 1 denote a
whole day of twenty-four hours, so the term “a day and a night” denotes a full
day of twenty-four hours. In the same way also, the expression“three days
and three nights” denotes three whole days of twenty-four hours each.
The Hebrew text leaves no room to interpret the expression“three days and
three nights” in Jonah 1:17 in a broad or generalsense. The use of this same
He brew expressionin I Samuel 30:12 demonstrates that it is a literal pe riod
of three 24-hour days: “... for he had eatenno bread nor dr unk waterfor

three days and three nights.” The following verse in I Samuel 30 uses the
expression“three days agone” in reference to the period of three days and
three nights. These were the words of an Egyptian who was accustomedto
reckoning days from sunrise to sunrise. The use of the expression“three days
agone” by the Egyptian confirms that he had completed a full three da ys and
three nights of fasting from sunrise on the first day until sunrise on the fourth
day. The literal meaning of “three days” in I Samuel 30:13 is confirmed by the
use of the same Hebrew e xpression in II Samuel 24:13 to describe a specific
duration of time: “three days’ pestilence.”
The constructionof the Hebrew text does not allow the expression“three days
and three nights” in Jonah1:17 to be interpreted in any manner exceptthe
literal sense of three 24-hour days. The Hebrew terminology cannot be
interpreted as an idiomatic expressionthat is describing incomplete units of
time, such as part of a day and part of a night. To denote incomplete units of
time, the Hebrew text uses a word that means “to divide.” This word is not
found in the expression“three days and three nights,” either in Jonah 1:17 or
in I Samuel 30:12. However, this word is found in reference to a duration of
time in Daniel 12:7: “... a time, times, and a half a time .” The word “half” is
translated from the Hebrew word meaning “to divide.” Since this word is not
used to describe the duration of time in Jonah 1:17 and I Samuel30:12, it is
evident that the Hebrew text is describing complete units of time—three 12-
hour days and three 12-hour nights. By testifying that Jonahwas in the be lly
of the fish “three days and three nights,” the Scriptures revealthat a full 72
hours had elapsedbefore Jonah was castout on the shore.
The New Testamentreveals that Jesus the Christ was the Lord God of the Old
Testamentbefore He became a man. He was the one Who causedthe great
fish to swallow Jonahand descendto the bottom of the sea for a period of time
before swimming to the shore and depositing Jonahon the land. As the Lord
God, He knew exactly how long Jonahhad re mained in the belly of the fish,
and He inspired Jonah to record this duration of time, which was a foretelling
of His futu re burial. There is no question concerning the length of time that
passedas Jonahlay in the belly of the fish, because this factis preserved in the
Scriptures of the Old Testament. Since the Hebrew te xt cannotbe interpreted
in an idiomatic sense, but must be interpreted literally, it is clearthat three

whole days and three whol e nights passedwhile Jonahlay in the fish’s belly.
Jesus was fully aware of this fact of Scripture when He declared to the Jews,
“... in like manner the Son of man shall be in the heart of the earth three days
and three nights ” (Matt. 12:40).
Jesus SaidThat He Would Rise Three Days After His Death
The Gospelwriters record that Jesus made specific statements to His disciples
concerning the lengt h of time that He would be in the tomb and when He
would be resurrected:“And He beganto teach them that it was necessaryfor
the Sonof man to suffer many things, and to be rejectedby the elders and
chief priests and scribes, and to be killed, but after three days to rise from the
dead ” (Mark 8:31; see also Matt. 16:21 and Mark 9:31). Jesus proclaimedto
His disciples that He would not rise from the dead until three days after He
had been killed . Jesus’statementthat He would rise three days after He had
died is most significant. According to Jewishlaw, to be declaredlegally dead,
a person had to be dead for more than three full days. If someone who
appearedto be dead revived and came back to life prior to three full days, he
or she was not lega lly deemed to have been dead. Therefore, if Jesus had risen
from the dead before 3 PM on the afternoonof Nisan17, a weeklySa bbath,
He would not have been consideredlegallydead. As a result, His return to life
would not have been considereda true resurrectionfrom the dead.
Knowing this fact, one can understand why Jesus delayedgoing to Lazarus in
the accountin John 11. Jesus knew that Lazarus was sick unto death, but He
deliberately remained where He was for two more days (John 11:6). He knew
that Lazarus would not be consideredlegally dead until he had been dead for
four days. When Lazarus was legallydead, Jesus wentto resurrecthim from
the grave:“Jesus said, ‘ Take awaythe stone.’Martha, the sisterof him who
had died, said to Him, ‘Lord, he already stinks, for it has been four days .’
Jesus saidto her, ‘Did I not say to you that if you will believe, you shall see the
glory of God?’ Then they removed the stone from the tomb where the dead
man had been laid. And Jesus lifted His eyes upward and said, ‘Father, I
thank You that You have heard Me. And I know that You hear Me always;
but because ofthe people who stand around I saythis , so that they may
believe that You did send Me.’And after He had spokenthese thi ngs, He

cried with a loud voice, ‘Lazarus, come forth.’ And he who had been dead
came forth, his feet and hands bound with grave clothes, and his face bound
up with a napkin . Jesus said to them, ‘Loose him and let him go’” (John
11:39-44).
Like Lazarus, Jesus had to remain dead for a minimum of three full days in
order to be declaredofficially dead. If He had been crucified on a Friday and
re stored to life on Sunday morning at sunrise, His death would not have been
“valid” since only two nights and one day would have pa ssedbetweenFriday
sunsetand Sunday morning. In order for His death to be publicly recognized
and acknowledged, it was necessaryfor Jesus to remain in the grave for three
nights and three da ys before He was raisedfrom the dead. The Scriptures
revealthat Jesus died at the ninth hour, or 3 PM, on the Passoverday, Nisan
14, which fell on Wednesday, April 5, in 30 AD (Matt. 27:46 and Mark 15:34),
and He was placed in the tomb just before sunsetat approximately 6 PM. The
Gospelof Matthew describes Hi s burial by Josephof Arimathea: “And when
evening was coming on , a rich man of Arimathea came, named Joseph, who
was himsel f a disciple of Jesus. After going to Pilate, he beggedto have the
body of Jesus. ThenPilate commanded the body to be given over to him. And
after taking the body, Joseph[with the help of Nicodemus (John 19:39)]
wrapped it in cleanlinen cloth, and placed it in his new tomb, which he had
hewn in the rock;and after rolling a greatstone to the door of the tomb, he
went away” (Matt. 27:57-60). Luke records that “a Sabbath was coming on”
(Luke 23:54), which means that by the time they had closedthe entrance of
the tomb with a huge stone, the Sabbath was nearly upon them. Since all
Sabbaths were reckonedfrom sunsetto sunset, it is clearthat the sun was
about to set.
Both Matthew and Mark testify that Jesus died at the ninth hour, or 3 PM.
Luke’s accountshows that they closedthe entrance to the tomb with a huge
stone just before sunset. Becausethe Passoveris in the spring of the yearwhen
the days are twelve hours in length, we know that the tomb was closedat
about 6 PM. Since He died about 3 PM, Jesus was dead for approximately 75
hours before He was resurrected. The total length of time included three days
(from sunris e to sunset) and three nights (from sunset to sunrise) plus a
pproximately thre e hours. Because He had been dead for more than three

days, His death was legallyestablished. When He appeared to His disciples
three days after He had been placed in the tomb, the reality of His
resurrectionwas beyond question.
Additional Statements of Jesus Confirm That He Was in the Tomb for Thr ee
Days and Three Nights
While Matthew and Mark recordJesus saying that He would be raised “after
three days,” Luke records that He would be raised “onthe third day.” Luke
wrote: “F or He shall be delivered up to the Gentiles, and shall be mock ed
and insulted and spit upon. And after scourging Him , they shall kill Him; but
on the third day, He shall rise again” (Luke 18:32-33).
The apostle John records anotherstatement by Jesus that He would be raised
up “in three days .” Jesus made this statementwhen the Jews confrontedHim
for casting the money exchangers out of the temple and driving out the
animals they were selling: “... The Jews answeredand saidto Him, ‘What sign
do You show to us, seeing that You do these things?’ Jesus answeredand said
to them, ‘ Destroythis temple, and in three days I will raise it up. ’ Then the
Jews said, ‘This temple was forty-six years in building, and You will raise it
up in three days?’But He spoke concerning the temple of His body .
Therefore, whenHe was raisedfrom the dead, His disciples remembered that
He had said this to them; and they believed the Scriptures, and the word that
Jesus had spoken” (John2:18-22).
The phrase “in three days” contains the Greek preposition en . This Greek
preposition, which is translated “in” in John 2:19-20, canalso mean “within.”
At first glance, the statements “ in three days ” and “ on the third day ”
appear to conflict with the statement that He would be raised“ after three
days .” How is it possible for all three of Jesus’statements to be correct?
When we understand Jesus’statements, we find that instead of being
contradictory, they reveal the exacttime that He was raised from the dead.
Jesus made it clearthat He would be raisedafter He had been dead for thr ee
days. The other statements, “ in three days ” and “ on the third day ,” do not
include the total time that He was deadbut only the time that He was buried
in the tomb. The Gospelaccounts show that Josephof Arimathea and

Nicodemus closedthe tomb just before sunset, three hours after Jesus died on
the cross. Although He was in the tomb for exactly three days and three
nights, He was deadfor a longerperiod than that. Thus He rose from the dead
“ after three days .” The difference betweenthis statementand the statements
“ in three days ” and “ on the third day ” is that these two statements refer to
His burial “ in the heart of the earth three days and three nights .”
When one compares all of Jesus’statements, it is evident that they place
specific limits on the time frame betweenHis death and resurrection. Of itself,
“ in three days ” could mean any time on the third day, even the first minute
of the third day. “ On the third day ” could mean any time on the third day up
to the lastminute on the third day. But the statementthat He would “ be in
the heart of the earth three days and three nights ” shows that three whole
days and three whole nights would pass while He lay in the tomb.
When all of Jesus’statements are takeninto consideration, there is only one
moment of time to which all can apply. Here is the explanation: The end of the
third day is still “on” and “in” the third day. At the end of the third day,
preciselyat sunset, Jesus was resurrected. This was the only mome nt of time
that could fulfill all of Jesus’prophecies concerning the time of His death, the
length of time that He would be in the tomb, and the time of His resurrection.
The Gospels recordthat Jesus died on the Passoverday, Nisan 14, which fell
on a Wednesdayin 30 AD. Josephof Arimathea and Nicodemus placedJesus’
body in the tomb and closedthe entrance with a huge stone when the sun
was setting at approximately 6 PM, ending Nisan 14. Jesus was resurrected
from the dead preciselythree days and three nights later, when the sun was
setting at the end of the weeklySabbath, or Sa turday, Nisan 17, 30 AD. As He
had prophesied, He remained in the tomb for three full days and three full
nights. Jesus the Christ was raised from the dead at sunseton the week ly
Sabbath, the seventh day of the week. He had already been resurrectedwhen
the sun rose on Sunday, the firs t day of the week . (Please see the chart on
pages 4-5).
Scriptural Evidence of Two Sabbaths During the Three Days and Three
Nights

According to religious tradition, Jesus was crucifiedon a Friday. This
religious tradition appears to be supported by the statement in John 19:31
that th e day of His death “was the preparation.” Mosthave assumedth at
this statementrefers to the Jews’preparation for the weeklySabbath. They
fail to realize that the Passoverday, on which Jesus died, has always beena
preparation day for the FeastofUnleavened Bread, which immediately
follows (Lev. 23:4-6). The first day of this feast, Nisan15, is observedas an
annual holy day, or “high day.” Like the Passoverday, it may fall on different
days of the week. Regardless ofwhich day of the week it falls on, it is always
observedas an annual Sabbath, and th e day portion of the Passoveris always
used as a day of preparation. It is erroneous to interpret “the preparation” in
John 19:31 as evidence that the day of the crucifixion was a Friday.
The mistakenbelief in a Friday crucifixion is basedon the assumption that
there was only one Sabbath during the crucifixion week. However, the
Scriptures clearlyreveal that during that week there were two Sabbaths. The
first Sabbath was an annual holy day, the first day of the FeastofUnleavened
Bread. The secondSabbath was the weeklySabbath, the seventh day of the
week. Consequently, during the week of Jesus’crucifixion there were two
preparation days. The day portion of Nisan 14, the Passoverday, was the
preparation day for the first day of the Feastof Unleavened Bread, the 15th,
which was an annual Sabbath. The following day, the 16th, which was a
Friday, was the preparation day for the weeklySabbath.
When the Gospelof John is examined, it is evident that the Sabbath
immediately following the day Jesus died was an annual Sabbath: “The Jews
therefore, so that the bodies might not remain on the cross onthe Sabbath,
because it was a preparation day (for that Sabbath was a high day ) ...” (John
19:31). The term “high day” was never used to refer to the weeklySabbath,
but only to annual Sabbaths. John’s us e of this term makes it clearthat the
Sabbath that was about to begin was the first day of the Feastof Unleavened
Bread, Nisa n 15. Mark’s accountmakes reference to the coming of sunset,
which would bring the end of the preparation and the beginning of the annual
Sabbath, or high day: “ Now evening was coming, and since it was a
preparation, (that is, the day before a Sabbath) ... ” (Mark 15:42).

As the Gospelof Luke shows, this Sabbath was about to begin when Jesus was
put into the tomb: “Now it was a preparation day, and a Sabbath was coming
on . And the women also, who had come with Him from Galilee, followedand
saw the tomb, and how His body was laid” (Luke 23:54-55).
The Gospels recordthe events that followedJesus’burial. On Nisan 15, the
day after the crucif ixion, the chief priests and the Pharisees wentto Pilate to
request that guards be assignedto watchJesus’tomb. Becausethey were
afraid that the disciples would come and stealawayHis body, they did not
hesitate to take care of their business on the holy day (Matt. 27:62-66). While
the priests and Pharisees wentto Pilate, the women who followedJesus were
observing the annual Sabbath, as commanded by God. They could not buy
spices on that day because all the businesses were closedin observance ofth e
command to rest(Lev. 23:6-7). After the end of that Sabbath, or high day,
they bought spices and aromatic oils to anoint Jesus. Mark relates this event:
“ Now when the Sabbath had passed, Mary Magdalene andMary, the mother
of James, and Salome bought arom atic oils, so that they might come and
anoint Him” (Mark 16:1).
It is quite evident that the womencould not have purchased the spices until
after the high da y, or annual Sabb ath, had ended. The high day began when
the Pa ssoverday, Nisan14, ended at sunset. The observance ofthe high day,
Nisan15, lasted until the following sunset, which began Nisan16. The women
bought the spices “ when the Sabbath had passed” and prepared them on the
same day. When they had finished, they observeda secondSabbath: “And
they returned to the city , and prepared spices and ointments, and then rested
on the Sabbath according to the commandment” (Luke 23:56). The Gospel
records concerning the buying and preparation of the spices by the women
clearly revealthe observance oftwo Sabbaths during the crucifixion week.
Two Women View the Tomb Late on the WeeklySabbath
Before the weeklySabbath came to an end, Matthew records that Mary
Magdalene and the ot her Mary went to observe the tomb: “Now late on the
Sabbath, as the first day of the weeks wasdrawing near, Mary Magdalene and
the other Mary went to observe the sepulcher” (Matt. 28:1). Because itwas

still the Sabbath day, the women did not come to anoint His body with the
spices they had prepared. Perhaps they went to observe the tomb because they
remembered Jesus’words that after three days and three nights in the grave,
He would rise from the dead.
After the two women viewed the tomb and saw that the stone covering the
entrance was still in place with the soldiers standing guard, they returned
home for th e night. The next morning, as they were coming back to the tomb,
they were wondering who might roll back the stone so that they could anoint
Jesus’body: “And very early on the first day of the weeks, atthe rising of the
sun, they were coming to the tomb; and they were asking themselves, ‘Who
will roll away the stone for us from the entrance to the tomb?’ ” (Mark 16:2-
3) But when the womenarrived, they found that the stone had alreadybeen re
moved and the tomb was empty. The three days and three nights ha d ended
at sunset on the weeklySabbath, and Jesus had risen fro m the dead! (See
Chart on pages 4-5 for The Three Days and Three Nights in the Tomb and the
ResurrectionAfter Three Days and Three Nights.)
“TodayIs the Third Day Since These Things Took Place”
Those who believe in a Sunday resurrectionpoint to a statementin Luke
24:21 as evidence that Jesus rose from the dead at sunrise on the first day of
the week. This statementwas made by two of Jesus’disciples:“... t oday is the
third day since these things were done.” Becausethis statement was made on
the first day of the week, many have assumed that Jesus rose from the dead
early that morning. The King James Versionreads:
“And, behold, two of them went that same day to a village calledEmmaus,
which was from Jerusalemabout threescore furlongs. And they talked
togetherof all these things which had happened. And it came to pass, that,
while they communed togetherand reasoned, Jesushimself drew near, and
went with them. But their eyes were holden that they should not know him.
“And he saidunto them, ‘W hat manner of communications are these that ye
have one to another, as ye walk, and are sad?’And the one of them, whose
name was Cleopas, answering saidunto him, ‘Art thou only a strange r in

Jerusalem, and hast not knownthe things which are come to pass there in
these days?’ And he said unto them, ‘What things?’
“And they said unto him, ‘Concerning Jesus ofNazareth, which was a
prophet mighty in deed and word before God and all the people: and how the
chief prie sts and our rulers delivered him to be condemned to death, and
have crucified him. But we trusted that it had been he which should have
redeemedIsrael: and beside all this, today is the third day since these things
were done ’ ” (Luke 24:13-21 KJV ).
An ExegesisofLuke 24:21 Reveals the True Meaning of the “Third Day”
The translation of Luke 24:21 that appears in the King James Versionhas
been used to support the teaching that the resurrectiontook place at sunrise
on the first day of the week. However, the Gospelaccounts clearlyshow that
Jesus had already risen from the dead before the womencame to the tomb at
sunrise. There is no question that Jesus was in the tomb for “three days and
three nights,” beginning at sunset on Wednesday, Nisan14, and ending at
sunseton the weeklySabbath, Nisan17, in 30 AD. Jesus rose atthe end of the
three days and three nights, exactly as He had declared.
When one analyzes the phrasing that is used in the Greek text, one will see
that the disciples were not talking about that day being the “third day” since
Jesus was crucified. Let us examine this verse as translated in interlinear form
by George RickerBerryfrom the Stephens text of 1550, the same text that
was used by the King James translators:
But we were hoping he it is w ho is about to redeemIsrael.
but then with all these things third this day brings today since these things
came to pass.
In order to correctlyinterpret the meaning of the Greek text, we must
examine the two expressions that are underlined:
1)(triten tauten hemeran agei)
A. T. Robertsoninforms us that this expressionis an idiom: “{Now the third
day} ( triten tauten hemeran agei). A difficult idiom for the English ”

(Robertson, Word Pictures in the New Testament, s.v. Luke 24:21). Vincent’s
Word Studies concurs that this is a difficult idiom to render into English.
Becausetriten tauten hemeran ageiis an idiomatic expression, its true
meaning cannot be under- stoodby translating the Greek wo rds literally, as
the King James translators have done. The literal translation of this
expressionin the KJV (and many other translations)only serves to distort the
true meaning of Luke’s words in the Greek text. Edward Hobbs, a scholar
who beganteaching the Greek language over50 years ago, recentlywrote the
following to anotherscholarregarding the translation of idioms: “But may I
speak to the larger question of what are called ‘ IDIOMS ’ in language-
teaching....Whatolderbooks almostalways meant by an ‘idiom’ was
something which,
when translated word-for-word into Englisheither didn’t make sense or made
the wrong sense ... But the fact is, very little in other languages means the
same thing when put word-for-word into English.... The semantic value of a
word should always be evaluatedcontextually ... the goodlexicons [like Arndt
and Gingrich] already do this , without singling such phrases for separate
listing.... This principle applies equally to individual words and to strings of
words which are semantically opaque (Idioms) ” ( Bold emphasis added).
Hobbs concludes his remarks by stating, “One of the real reasons forstudying
ancient Greek is to learn how they thought about things, especiallyhow they
thought DIFFERENTLYabout things, not simply what different thoughts
they had about things.... We need to learn what translations cannot reveal:
How the thinking itself was oriented differently ” (Edward Hobbs,
EHOBBS@wellesley.edu, 12 Jul 1997, bold emphasis added).
Since the true meaning of Luke 24:21 depends on a proper understanding of
the idiomatic e xpressionthat Luke used, we must examine the use of this e
xpressionby other writers of that era. When we examine their works, we find
that tritos often appears in classicalGreekliterature as an expressionof
completed time (Liddell, Scottand Jones, A Greek-EnglishLexicon, s.v.
“Tritos”). Notice Josephus’use of the word in this manner: “Whenthe rigour
of wint er was over, Herod removed his army, and came near to Jerusale m,

and pitched his camp hard by the city. Now this was the third [ tritos ] year
since he had been made king at Rome ...” (Josephus, Ant ., 14:15:14). As
defined by classicalGreek literature, Jose phus’ words indicate that Herod
undertook the conquestof Jerusalemat the completion of his third regnal
year; that is, after three full years—notat any time during the third year. As
we will see, the additional use of aph hou in conjunction with tritos makes the
meaning of this idiom even more emphatic.
2) aph hou
The function of this Greek expressionis quite different from the idiomatic use
of the first expression. aph hou is a linguistic formula and is very precise in
meaning. It is used in classicalGreekto delimit a period of time that has been
completed . Arndt and Gingrich inform us that the translators of the
Septuagint used aph hou as a formula in Daniel12:1, showing that this usage
was common as early as the fourth century BC. aph hou was used in the same
manner by the Levitical writers of the Maccabees nearlya century and a half
later (see I Macc 9:29;16:24;and 2 Macc 1:7 in the Septuagint). Arndt and
Gingrich report that Josephus also used the expressionin the same manner.
The usage ofthis Greek formula by Josephus is of greatvalue to our
understanding, as he wrote within a short time after Luke wrote his Gospel.
The English translation of Josephus’words is given below:
“(6)[78]Then it was that Miriam, the sisterof Moses, came to her end, having
completed her fortieth year since [ aph’ hou ] she left Egypt , on the first day
of the lunar month Xanthicus.” The use of aph hou in Josephus’works and
the works ofclassicalGreek writers enables us to understand the true
meaning of Luke 24:21. As a formula, aph hou specificallyrefers to completed
time and cannotbe construedas referring to time that is in progress. Thus
Luke’s use of aph hou with triten must be interpreted as evidence that the
third day had alreadybeen completed.
Thus it is erroneous to interp ret Luke 24:21 as evidence that the first day of
the week was “the third day since these things were done.” The use of aph hou
with the idiomatic expressiontriten tauten hemeren ageiclearlyconveys time
that had alreadybeen completed and should be translatedaccordingly. When

the disciples spoke ofthe “third day,” the three days and three nights of Jesus’
entombment had already been completed, although they did not yet know that
Jesus had already been raisedfrom the dead.
In addition, the use of tritos in the Gospelof Matthew clearlyconfirms that
this Greek idiom refers to the completionof the three days: “Now onthe next
day, which followedthe preparation day , the chief priests and the Pharisees
came togetherto Pilate, saying, ‘Sir, we remember that that deceiversaid
while He was living, “After three days I will rise.” Therefore, commandthat
the sepulcherbe secureduntil the third day [ tes trites emeras ]; lest His
disciples come by night and stealHim away, and say to the people, “He is
risen from the dead”;and the lastdeception shall be worse than the first’ ”
(Matt. 27:62-64).
It is evident that the phrase “ the third day ” in Matthew 27:64 refers to the
completion of the three-day period, as the chief priests and Phariseeswere
fully aware of Jesus’declarationthat He would rise “ after three days .” It
would make no sense to request a guard for the first a nd seconddays only,
since He had declaredthat He would not rise before the third day; and this
was the most likely day for an attempt to be made by the disciples if they had
desired to stealHis body.
s “ the third day ” in Matthew 27:64 refers to the end of Jesus’three days and
three nights in the tomb, so “ the third day ” in Luke 24:21 refers to the end of
the three days and three nights. As in every other reference to “ the third day
” that we find in the Gospelaccounts, the focus in Luke 24:21 is on the
completion of Jesus’three days and three nights in the tomb. Thus “the third
day” did not include any part of th e first day of the week. It is a mistake to
apply this expressionto the first day of the week whenthe records of Jesus’
crucifixion and burial clearly show that His three days and three nights in the
tomb began at sunseton Wednesday, Nisan14. He remained in “the heart of
the earth” from the beginning of Nisan15, wh ich was an annual Sabbath or
“high day,” until the end of Nisan17, a weeklySabbath. At the end of the
weeklySabbath, preci selyas the sun was setting, He was resurrectedfrom the
dead. When the first day of the week arrived, the three days and three nights
had been brought to completion.

The following translations of Luke 24:21 convey the true meaning of the
phrasing that is used in the Greek text:
“... three days have al ready passed....” (Berkeley)
“... three days ago....”(Moffatt)
Both of these translations conveythe idiomatic usage of tritos and the use of
aph hou as a formula to express a period of time that has been completed.
Basedon this information, a pr ecise translationof Luke 24:13 -21, which
conveys the true meaning of the Greek text, follows:
“And behold, on the same day, two of them were going to a village called
Emmaus, which was about sixty furlongs from Jerusalem. And they were talki
ng with one another about all the things that had taken place.
“And it came to pass, as they were talking and reasoning, that Jesus Himself
drew near and went with them; but their eyes were restrained, so that they
did not know Him. And He saidto them, ‘What are these words that you are
exchanging with one anotheras you walk, and why are you downcastin
countenance?’Thenthe one named Cleopas answeredand said to Him, ‘Are
You only traveling through Jerusalem, and have not knownof the things that
have happened in these days?’
“And He said to them, ‘What things?’ And they said to Him, ‘The things
concerning Jesus the Nazarean, a Man Who was a prophet, Who was mighty
in deed and word before God and all the people; and how the chief prie sts
and our rulers delivered Him up to the judgment of death, and cruc ified Him.
And we were hoping that He was the One Who would redeem Israel. But
besides all these things, as of today, the third day has already passedsince
these th ings took place ’ ”(Luke 24:13-21).
When correctly translated, Luke 24:21 does not support the teaching that
Jesus Christ was raisedfrom the dead on the first day of the week atsunrise.
Those who believe that He was resurrectedat sunrise on Ea ster Sunday have
been taught a falsehood!This religious myth rejects the signof Jonah, which
was the only sign that Jesus Christ gave as proof that He was the Messiah.

Those who participate in the traditional observance ofa Friday crucifixion
and an EasterSunday resurrectionare observing traditions of men. Jesus
said, “Welldid Isaiah prophesy concerning you hypocrites, as it is written,
‘This people honors Me with their lips, but their hearts are far awayfrom
Me.’But in vain do they worship Me, teaching for doctrine the
commandments of men....Full well do you rejectthe commandment of God, so
that you may observe your own tradition ” (Mark 7:6-9).
The God of truth cannot be honored by practicing a lie. God the Father
rejects that kind of va in worship. Rather, He is seeking those who will
worship Him in spirit and in truth, as Jesus said:“But the hour is coming, and
now is, when the true worshipers shall worship the Fatherin spirit and in
truth; for the Father is indeed seeking those who worship Him in this manner.
God is Spirit, and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and in
truth” (John 4:23-24).
In order to worship God the Father and Jesus Christin spirit and in truth,
one must repent of his or her sins, acceptthe sacrifice of Jesus Christfor the
forgiveness ofsins, be baptized by full immersion in water, receive the Holy
Spirit through the laying on of hands, and live from that time forward in the
love and grace ofGod by keeping His commandments. These commandments
include keeping the seventh-day Sabbath eachweek, andkeeping the
Christian Passoverandthe a nnual holy days of God at their appointed times
eachyear. Only those who are under His grace, keeping all His
commandments and living by His every word, are worshiping Him in spirit
and in truth.
THE FIRST DAY OF UNLEAVENED BREAD NISAN 15 – THURSDAY,
APRIL 6 – 30 AD ON THE HOLY DAY, GUARDS ARE PLACED AT THE
TOMB
MATTHEW 27
62. Now on the next day, which followedthe preparation day , the chief priests
and the Pharisees came togetherto Pilate,

63. Saying, “Sir, we remember that that deceiversaidwhile He was living,
‘After three days I will rise.’
64. Therefore, command that the sepulcher be secureduntil the third day; lest
His disciples co me by night and stealHim away, and say to the people, ‘He is
risen from the dead’; and the lastdeception shall be worse than the first.”
65. Then Pilate saidto them, “You have a guard. Go, make it as secure as you
know how .”
66. And they went and made the sepulcher secure, sealing the stone and
setting the guard.
THE PREPERATIONDAY FOR THE WEEKLY SABBATH NISAN 6 –
FRIDAY, APRIL 7 – 30 AD
AFTER THE HOLY DAY IS OVER, THE WOMEN BUY AND PREPARE
SPICES
MARK 16
1. Now when the Sabbath had passed, Mary Magdalene andMary, the mother
of James;and Salome bought aromatic oils, so that they might come and
anoint Him
LUKE 23
56. And they returned to the city , and prepared spices and ointments...
THE WEEKLY SABBATH NISAN 17 – SATURDAY, APRIL 8 – 30 AD
THE WOMEN REST ON THE WEEKLY SABBATH
LUKE 23
56. ...and then restedon the Sabbath according to the commandment.
TOWARD THE END OF THE WEEKLY SABBATH, MARY
MAGDALENE AND MARY GO TO OBSERVE THE TOMB
MATTHEW 28

1. Now late on the Sabbath, as the first day of the weeks was drawing near,
Mary Magdalene and the other Mary came to observe the sepulcher.
THE EVENTS ON THE FIRST DAY OF THE WEEK—THE WAVE
SHEAF DAY TO THE ASCENSION
The scriptural records and the calculations of the Hebrew calendarprove
conclusivelythat Jesus was resurrectedwhenthe sun set at the end of the
weeklySabbath. The Gospelaccounts do not directly revealwhat Jesus did
betweenthe time that He was resurrectedand the time that He was seenby
Mary Magdalene the next morning. However, from the sc riptural records we
can piece togetherwhat Jesus did from the time that He was resurrecteduntil
He ascendedto be acceptedby God the Father in the morning as the true
Wave Sheaf. The accountin the Gospelof John gives us an understanding of
what Jesus did first when He came back to life in the tomb: “ThenSimon
Petercame following him, and he went into the tomb and saw the linen cloths
lying, and the napkin that had been on His head, not lying with the linen
cloths but folded up in a place by itself ” (John 20:6-7).
The recordof John shows that when Jesus came back to life, He rose straight
out of the bur ial wrappings without disturbing them. When Peterentered the
tomb, he saw Jesus’burial wrappings still in the form of His body. This was
absolute proof that Jesus had risen from the dead, and no one had taken His
body. If someone had takenawayHis body, it would st ill have been wrapped
with the linen burial cloths.
After rising out of the buria l wrappings, Jesus took off the napkin that
coveredHis head and neatly folded it and placed it close by, separate from the
other burial cloths. This was an additional proof that He was a live. If anyone
had takenHis body, the napkin would have either rema ined on His head or
fallen to the ground. It would not have been folded and placed neatly by itself.
The apostle John, who was w ith Peter, saw these things and believed (verse
8).
After folding the napkin, Jesus undoubtedly offered a prayer of thanksgiving
to God the Fatherfor raising Him back to life. Perhaps Jesus thought of the
prophecy of His resurrectionin Psalm16: “ The L ORD is the portion of my

inheritance and of my cup; You shall uphold my lot. The lines have fallen to
me in pleasantplaces;yea, I have a beautiful inheritance .... Therefore My
heart is glad, and My glory rejoices;My flesh also shall rest in safety, for You
will not abandon My soul to the grave;neither will You allow Your Holy One
to see corruption . You will make knownto Me the path of life; in Your
presence is fullness of joy. At Your right hand are pleasures forevermore ”
(verses 5-6, 9-11).
After offering His prayer of thanksgiving, Jesus must have left the tomb. He
did not need to have the stone removed from the entrance of the tomb because
He was now spirit and had the ability to pass through matter. The Gospelof
Luke confirms this fact. Luke records that approximately twenty-four hours
after His resurrection, Jesus suddenly appearedin a closedroomwhere the
disciples were assembled. This took place late on the first day of the week,
after He had walkedwith the two disciples to the village of Emmaus: “And
they [the two disciples] rose up that very hour and returned to Jerusalem;and
they found the elevenand those with them assembledtogether, saying, ‘In
truth, the Lord has risen! And He has appearedto Simon.’ Then they related
the things that had happened to them on the road, and how He was known to
them in the breaking of the bread. Now as they were telling these things, Jesus
Himself stoodin their midst and said to them, ‘Peace be to you’ ” (Luke
24:33-36).
The apostle John also wrote of Jesus’sudden appearance:“Afterwards, as
evening was drawing near that day, the first day of the weeks,and the doors
were shut where the disciples had assembledfor fear of the Jews, Jesus came
and stoodin the midst , and said to them, ‘Peace be to you.’ And after saying
this, He showedthem His hands and His side. Then the disciples rejoiced
because they had seenthe Lord” (John 20:19-20).
Becausethe resurrectedJesus had the ability to pass through matter, He was
able to leave the tomb before the stone was rolled awayfrom the entrance. It
is certain that He left the tomb almost immediately after He was resurrected.
Remember, Jesus had said, “...the Son of man shall be in the heart of the earth
three days and three nights.” If He had remained in the tomb for any length

of time after His resurrection, He would have been in the heart of the earth
for more than three days and three nights.
Where did Jesus go after He left the tomb? The Scriptures do not specify.
However, it is probable that He went to a place on the Mount of Olives. Luke
records that Jesus was accustomedto going there, where He had a special
place of prayer. On the Passovernight, after Jesus instituted the New
Covenantceremony, He and the disciples had gone to the Mount of Olives: “
Then He left the house and went, as He was accustomed, to the Mount of
Olives ; and His disciples also followedHim. And when He arrived at the
place, He said to them, ‘Pray that you do not enter into temptation.’ And He
withdrew from them about a stone’s throw; and falling to His knees, He
prayed ” (Luke 22:39-41).
In his account, Matthew identifies the place of prayer as Gethsemane:“Then
Jesus came with them to a place calledGethsemane;and He said to His
disciples, ‘Sit here, while I go onwardand pray’ ” (Matt. 26:36). This is the
place where Jesus prayedfor nearly three hours before He was arrested
(verses 37-44).
Since Jesus did not ascendto the Father until the morning after His
resurrection, it is very probable that He went to the Mount of Olives to His
specialplace of prayer in the Garden of Geth- semane. Once there, Jesus most
cer tainly would have offered up prayers of praise and thanksgiving to God
the Fatherthe entire night for having raised Him from the dead. We are able
to get a glimpse of what Jesus might have prayed from the prophecies in the
book of Psalms that foretold Jesus’death and resurrection.
Jesus Christ had complete faith that God the Father would raise Him from
the dead. Psalm 108 reveals Jesus’faith for that deliverance:“ O God, my
heart is fixed; I will sing and I will give praise, even with my glory. Awake,
harp and lyre; I will awakeearly. I will praise You, O L ORD , among the
people; and I will sing praises to You among the nations , for Your mercy is
greatabove the heavens;and Your truth reaches unto the clouds.
“ Be exalted, O God, above the heavens, and Your glory above all the earth, so
that Your beloved [Jesus Christ, the Father’s beloved Son] may be delivered

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