The death and resurrection of Jesus Christ is central to the Christian faith. Jesus predicted multiple times throughout His ministry that He would suffer, die, and rise again on the third day (Matthew 16:21, Matthew 17:22-23, Matthew 20:18-19, etc.). When Jesus was crucified, His body was placed in a tomb and remained there for three days before He rose again, just as He foretold. But why did Jesus say He would rise again specifically on the third day? What is the significance of the three days that Jesus’ body lay in the tomb?
Fulfilling Old Testament Prophecy
Part of the significance of the three days was to fulfill prophecy about the Messiah found in the Old Testament. Jesus said the only sign people would be given that He was the Messiah was the “sign of the prophet Jonah” (Matthew 12:39-40). Jonah was in the belly of the great fish for three days and three nights before being spit onto dry land (Jonah 1:17). Jesus said He would be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth, just as Jonah was three days in the belly of the fish. So Jesus’ death and entombment for three days was a fulfillment of that prophetic sign.
In addition, Hosea 6:2 states, “After two days he will revive us; on the third day he will raise us up, that we may live before him.” This is a Messianic prophecy that finds fulfillment in Jesus being raised on the third day.
Psalm 16:10 also prophesies, “For you will not abandon my soul to Sheol, or let your holy one see corruption.” The psalmist David foretold that God’s “holy one” – the Messiah – would not remain dead long enough for His body to decay. Jesus’ body lay in the tomb for three days before being resurrected incorruptible.
A Sign of Jesus’ Divinity
In the ancient world, Jewish thought considered the decomposition of a body to begin by the fourth day after death. Jesus rose from the grave on the third day, before corruption set in. This was a sign that Jesus was not simply resuscitated, like Lazarus who would eventually die again (John 11:1-44). Rather, Jesus was completely resurrected to eternal life with a glorified body. His resurrection on the third day was a display of His power over death and decay, showing Himself to be the Son of God (Romans 1:4).
In addition, only God has power over life and death. Jesus said about His life, “I have authority to lay it down and authority to take it up again” (John 10:18). His resurrection on the third day showed that what He said was true – He had divine authority over His own life and death.
Allowing for Multiple Witnesses
Rising from the dead on the third day also allowed for Jesus to appear to multiple witnesses at various times, displaying that He had truly been resurrected. The apostle Paul lays out a timeline of resurrection appearances when he writes:
“For I delivered to you as of first importance what I also received: that Christ died for our sins in accordance with the Scriptures, that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day in accordance with the Scriptures, and that he appeared to Cephas, then to the twelve. Then he appeared to more than five hundred brothers at one time, most of whom are still alive, though some have fallen asleep. Then he appeared to James, then to all the apostles.” (1 Corinthians 15:3-7)
If Jesus had only been dead for a day or two, there would not have been enough time for Him to reveal Himself to Mary Magdalene, Cleopas, Peter, the twelve disciples, five hundred brethren, James, the apostles, and others. But His resurrection on the third day allowed sufficient time for manyCONFIRMATION of His resurrection before His ascension.
Fulfilling the Feasts of Passover, Unleavened Bread, and Firstfruits
The timing of Jesus’ death, entombment, and resurrection coincided with the Biblical holy days commanded by God for Israel to observe every year. Jesus was crucified and buried on Passover. His body remained in the tomb during the week of Unleavened Bread. And He rose from the grave on the feast of Firstfruits (1 Corinthians 15:20). The symbolism is that through His shed blood, Christ has delivered believers from sin and death.
As Paul explains, “For Christ, our Passover lamb, has been sacrificed. Let us therefore celebrate the festival, not with the old leaven…but with the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth.” (1 Corinthians 5:7-8). Jesus is the Passover Lamb that was slain for sinners.
And Jesus’ resurrection is like “the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep” (1 Corinthians 15:20). He is the first to conquer death and be raised to eternal life, and those who believe in Him follow in His footsteps. The three days between Jesus’ death and resurrection allowed for His work to fulfill these important holy feasts.
Allowing for His Sacrifice to Complete Redemption
Redemption could not be accomplished if Jesus only died and did not rise again. As Peter says, “You were ransomed…not with perishable things such as silver or gold, but with the precious blood of Christ” (1 Peter 1:18-19). Jesus paid the full price for sins by shedding His blood on the cross (Hebrews 9:22).
But redemption was ultimately completed when Jesus did not remain a dead sacrifice, but was resurrected to eternal life. In Romans 4:25, Paul says Jesus “was delivered up for our trespasses and raised for our justification.” His resurrection completed the redemptive work that began with His death.
If Jesus had risen from the grave on the second day or fourth day, redemption would not yet have been accomplished. But on that third day, Christ fully paid for sins and conquered the grave, completing redemption for all who believe in Him.
Prefiguring the New Creation
The timing of Jesus’ resurrection even holds symbolic significance regarding His inauguration of the new creation. Jesus often used the language of three “days” prophetically to refer to His death and resurrection (Matthew 16:21, Matthew 17:23, Matthew 20:19). This foreshadows the three days of darkness over the land when Jesus was crucified (Matthew 27:45).
The Jewish day began at sundown. On the solar calendar, the new day starts at midnight. Thus, the three days Jesus’ body lay in the tomb spanned three Jewish days but only two solar days. This mirrors the creation account, where God worked for three days but created the sun and moon to mark days on the fourth day (Genesis 1:14-19). Just as God inaugurated the first creation in three days, Jesus inaugurated the new creation in the three days between His death and resurrection.
The HOPE of the new creation was secured for believers when Jesus rose from the dead on that first day of the week following the three days He predicted (Matthew 28:1; Mark 16:2, 9; Luke 24:1).
Conclusion
The three days between Jesus’ death and resurrection held great significance. It fulfilled Old Testament prophecy about the Messiah. It displayed Jesus’ power over death as the Son of God. It allowed time for Jesus to appear to many witnesses after His resurrection. It aligned with the Biblical holy days that pointed to His redemptive work. It completed the redemptive work that began with His sacrifice. And it prefigured Jesus’ inauguration of the new creation. The third day resurrection of Jesus was truly the linchpin of redemption and the Christian faith.