Easter 33AD

Joy Revie

Recently I have been thinking about Easter and its significance for me as a follower of Jesus.

I’ve been reflecting over the life of Jesus and how that life of just 33 years on this earth has impacted the world so dynamically ever since.

Jesus came, lived among us and changed everything.

Religious life for ordinary Jews in first century Israel had grown heavier than people could bear. The rules had begun to rule. Rather than help people move closer to God, as the religious leaders no doubt originally intended, their religious traditions had become a collection of heavy burdens that were a stumbling block to simple faith.

The teachers of the law and the Pharisees sit in Moses' seat. So you must be careful to do everything they tell you. But do not practice what they preach. They tie up heavy, cumbersome loads and put them on other people's shoulders, but they themselves are not willing to lift a finger to move them.
(Matthew 23:2-4)

In Matthew 23, Jesus challenged those teachings that made faith complicated and burdensome. He came to set us free from religious rites and rituals.

He spoke of a way to have intimacy with God through a loving relationship, like children with a parent. He broke down social barriers, healed many (even on the Sabbath), performed miracles and cast out demons. Jesus lived out love and grace.

He was considered scandalous by many. A troublemaker and a blasphemer.

Sadly, most religious leaders of the day missed the point of His teaching because their preconceived notions and biases made them unable to see and hear spiritual truth.

One writer said it seems His primary mission was to tear down religion as the foundation for people's connection with God and replace it with himself - the Divine coming to us in our own context and our own form. This is what Jesus called “the kingdom of God”: God and His people living together the way He originally intended.

It was all part of God's masterplan. The coming of the Messiah had been prophesied for hundreds of years and that he would die and rise again in 3 days.

But why 3 days?

Ever wondered why it couldn't have been 2 or 4? Me too… and this is where it gets interesting.

Throughout the Bible, God had a pattern of creating new life and establishing a covenant with humanity in 3 days.

In Genesis 1, over the first 3 days, God creates trees and makes vegetation spring up from dry earth. Then 3 days later (day 6) creates animals and humans from the earth and establishes a covenant with Adam and Eve.

In Genesis 22, God tested Abraham to trust Him, calling him to take Isaac out and sacrifice him. On the third day, God honours Abraham's faith, providing a ram for the sacrifice instead of Isaac.

In Exodus 19, after their miraculous escape from oppression in Egypt, God comes down to Mount Sinai on day 3 to join the Children of Israel, to make a covenant with them - to bring them new life and a new identity. Read the chapter…the phrase “third day” is mentioned 4 times!!

In Hosea 6, here we find Hosea the prophet calling Israel to return to Yahweh (God) for repentance. In keeping with the pattern, repentance and returning to the covenant means renewal of life with Yahweh and it all happens on the third day.

And Jonah, one of Israel's prophets who fails to obey God, experiences being trapped in an unlikely tomb… a whale! But God doesn't give up on him and yes, you’ve guessed it… Jonah gets new life after 3 days when the big fish vomits him out!

So, arriving at the Gospels, we find Jesus speaking of a third day resurrection with His disciples when He talks about His death. In fact, He mentions “three days” 21 times. So, it's not just a random number.

Jesus was adamant about the third day because it represented God's pattern of creating new life and establishing a covenant with humanity.

So, when we celebrate Jesus' resurrection on Easter Sunday, we are not just following an historic tradition. We are part of that third day design pattern that reminds us of our God who, long ago, started the process of resurrecting people to new life and bringing them into a loving relationship with Him.