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Articles
Seventy-two Hours
In the span of seventy-two hours, the scope of human history was dramatically changed almost two thousand years ago. What occurred over the course of those three days had been predetermined in the mind of God before the foundation of the world! This one significant event is the focal point of all of man’s history. Every moment of history prior to this point had occurred to bring about this one specific event, and every moment after has occurred with this as the emphasized point of change. The world celebrates this weekend once every year, but for a Christian it should be celebrated every waking moment of his life. This event has not only changed our present conditions, but by our faith in its power and significance it changes our eternities. In the span of three days, our Lord was led to the cross where He died, was buried, and resurrected on the third day.
The final year of Jesus’ ministry was spent in preparation of His disciples for this impending event. Jesus first spoke of His death, just after the great confession of Peter in the district of Caesarea Philippi (Matthew 16:13-20). Matthew, the author of the gospel, wrote –
21 From that time Jesus began to show His disciples that He must go to Jerusalem, and suffer many things from the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be killed, and be raised up on the third day (16:21).
This was the beginning of Jesus’ preparation of His disciples for their final ascent into Jerusalem. The gospel of Matthew traces from this point five different references made by Jesus concerning His suffering, death, burial, and resurrection (Matthew 17:9, 12, 22-23; 20:18-19, 28; 21:38-39; 26:2). The gospel of Luke renders much of the same in regard to Jesus’ approach to Jerusalem. Luke records, “When the days were approaching for His ascension, He was determined (‘steadfastly set His face’, NKJV) to go to Jerusalem;” (Luke 9:51).
Jesus understood with great clarity what was before Him in Jerusalem. In John’s gospel, His heart manifested great strength under tremendous pressure –
27 Now My soul has become troubled; and what shall I say, ‘Father, save Me from this hour’? But for this purpose I came to this hour…32 And I, if I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all men to Myself (12:27, 32)
Jesus was able to face the coming events, not because of some super-human strength that only resided in Him, but rather because He loved the Father and He loved us. Jesus went to the cross under His own power and suffered the most intense form of capital punishment, so that we could be enjoy freedom from the bondage of sin.
The scene at the cross would have been horrifying to any person who saw its carnage and brutality, but for the wicked ones, they only reveled in the fact that their greatest enemy would soon die. What they perceived to be the end of this man was truly only the beginning! Jesus had told the His disciples –
The hour has come for the Son of Man to be glorified. Truly, truly, I say to you, unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies, it remains alone; but it it dies, it bears much fruit (John 12:23b-24; emphasis mine, bcj).
Jesus’ death on the cross brought great sadness to the hearts of Jesus’ disciples, family, and friends. Their Shepherd had been taken from them and publicly mocked, beaten, murdered, and was buried in a borrowed tomb. How could this have been a part of God’s plan? Why would the Father allow His only begotten Son to die?
The promise of His resurrection had been made multiple times, but the disciples failed to hear with their ears. Jesus’ resurrection was promised to be like the sign of Jonah the prophet –
An evil and adulterous generation craves for a sign; and yet no sign will be given to it but the sign of Jonah the prophet; 40 for just as Jonah was three days and three nights in the belly of the sea monster, so will the Son of Man be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth (Matthew 12:39b-40).
Jesus was buried in a borrowed tomb, but come “the first day of the week” that tomb would be found empty. On the third day, when the women had come to anoint His body with spices, they found the stone rolled away from the tomb. Then an angel spoke to them and said – “He is not here, for He has risen, just as He said” (Matthew 28:6). In Luke’s gospel, the women were greeted by “two men” who stated, “Why do you seek the living One among the dead?” (Luke 24:4-8).
In three days, the hearts of Jesus’ disciples had experienced a multitude of emotions. These men who had fled like lost sheep, who possibly feared their own arrest, were ultimately reunited with their resurrected Lord. In those three days, the course of history had been dramatically altered by the fulfillment of God’s scheme of redemption. Salvation from the debt of sin had been purchased through the blood of Jesus. Freedom from the bondage of sin was made possible through His death. Hope from the death of sin is attainable through His resurrection. Praise be to God, for His Son and the grace and mercy extended to all in His name!
The scope of seventy-two hours is limitless in terms of what can be accomplished, when that time is used according to the will of God. William Ramsay wrote that “the central fact in history and the life of every individual, if he but knew it, is the death of Christ.” The celebration of Jesus’ death, burial, and resurrection should never be diminished or forgotten in the hearts and minds of His disciples. We have nothing without His sacrifice, His devotion, and His love. Let us never forgot that in the course of three days, our world and future was dramatically changed by a single event.
