JESUS REBUILDS THE TEMPLE IN THREE DAYS--REVISED

 JESUS REBUILDS THE TEMPLE IN THREE DAYS

photo courtesy of biblicalarcheology.org; photo credit:  Stephen Fine

   There is much controversy about reconciling Jesus dying on Friday and being raised from the dead on Sunday.  Today, let us uncover facts and traditions and put the controversy to rest.

  

   When Jesus was preparing for His last Passover meal, He and His Apostles would actually observe the meal on Thursday.  I know, right?  But stay with me as I report how Dr. James MacArthur tells it:  Jesus was from Galilee, which lies in the northern part of Israel, which was also called Judah.  So were most of His Apostles.  Northern Israel observed a day as being from sunrise to sunrise.  The area of Israel where Jerusalem is, and the Temple, observed a day as being from sunset to sunset, as it was in the beginning when God created this Earth.  

   Now, when Jesus and the Twelve had their Passover meal it was on Thursday night.  It would have really been difficult to have slain all of the required lambs on one day, so since North and South Israel observed Passover on different days, that eased the number of lambs being slain on each day.  Jesus observed Passover on Thursday evening, which was part of Thursday to Him, but was also part of Friday for the Jewish leaders.  They observed the Passover meal on Friday evening.  In between the two meals, Jesus was arrested, tried, convicted, and crucified.

   Let us read in Matthew, chapter "15: 6--Now at that feast he (Pilate) released unto them (the Jews) one prisoner, whomsoever they desired."  This happens on Friday.  Now skip down to verse 25:  "And it was the third hour, and they crucified Him."  My Jesus laid on that cross and allowed Himself to be crucified.  It was nine o'clock in the morning.

   Verse 33: And when the sixth hour was come (noon), there was darkness over the whole land until the ninth hour (3pm).

   Verse 34: And at the ninth hour Jesus cried with a loud voice, saying, "Eloi, Eloi, lama sabachthani?" which is being interpreted, "My God, My God, why hast Thou forsaken Me?"

   Verse 35: And some of them that stood by, when they heard it, said, "Behold, he calleth Elias."

   Verse 36: And one ran and filled a spunge full of vinegar, and put it on a reed, and gave Him to drink, saying, "Let alone; let us see whether Elias will come to take him down."

   Verse 37: And Jesus cried with a loud voice, and gave up the ghost.

   Verse 38: And the veil of the temple was rent in twain from the top to the bottom.

   While Jesus was killed on Friday afternoon, that marks the first day of His death.  Then Saturday.  Then He picked up His life again on Sunday. That makes three days.  Now, even if you have difficulty reconciling the sunrise to sunrise thing or sunset to sunset thing, you have to admit that you have NEVER seen a corpse give itself life again and walk away!  Jesus has the power!  He was all man, but He is also all God.  

   Then, we pick up the story in Chapter 28 of Matthew:  

   Verse 1:  In the end of the sabbath, as it began to dawn toward the first day of the week, came Mary Magdalene and the other Mary to see the sepulchre.

   Verse 2:  And, behold, there was a great earthquake:  for the angel of the Lord descended from heaven, and came and rolled back the stone from the door, and sat upon it.

   Verse 5:  And the angel answered and said unto the women, "Fear not ye:  for I know that ye seek Jesus, which was crucified. 

   Verse 6:  He is not here:  for He is risen, as He said.   King James Version (KJV), Public Domain

   Do you have a relationship with my Jesus?  He is wonderful.  He is powerful.  He took the form of man to seek and to save you!  He laid down His life in this fallen world to reconcile you to God.  God cannot look upon sin and we have all sinned.  Jesus took our sin and gave us a relationship with the God of creation.  All we have to do is accept it!  Thank you, Jesus!  For more on this, click here:  https://omaswisdom.blogspot.com/p/path-to-salvation.html.

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