Today’s devotion is from 2 Corinthians 5:17-21
Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new. Now all things are of God, who has reconciled us to Himself through Jesus Christ, and has given us the ministry of reconciliation, that is, that God was in Christ reconciling the world to Himself, not imputing their trespasses to them, and has committed to us the word of reconciliation. Now then, we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God were pleading through us: we implore you on Christ’s behalf, be reconciled to God. For He made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.
Thank You Jesus for giving Your life for me and for paying the price for all of my sins and for becoming sin so that I could be saved by grace through faith in You! Thank You Jesus that by your power, I am a new creation in Christ and now I am the righteousness of God in You!
Have a blessed Good Friday, and share the good news with someone today! God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son that whosoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life!
In today’s devotion I thought that I would share some fun facts concerning the death, burial and resurrection of Jesus.
Jesus was actually crucified on Wednesday (high Sabbath) on the preparation day before Passover, not on Friday…
The reason that I like to bring this out is because, number one, thinking people know that there is no way to get three days and three nights between Friday night and Sunday morning, and number two, Jesus’ crucifixion, death, burial and resurrection is not a fable, it is real history and it was recorded and witnessed by many secular people as well as believers.
Three days and three nights in the grave = Wednesday night, Thursday day, Thursday Night Friday day, Friday night and Saturday day… Jesus rose sometime after sunset on Saturday, (The Jewish days began at sunset, not at sunrise, so Sunday officially began after sunset on Saturday). It was discovered that Jesus’ tomb was open and empty on Sunday at sunrise.
John 19:31 makes it clear that Our Lord’s crucifixion occurred on “preparation” day, i.e. preparation of the Passover meal. In other words, as most Jews were killing their lamb without blemish, God’s lamb, Jesus Christ, was also being slaughtered as a sacrifice for the sins of the world. “Behold the Lamb of God, who takes away the sins of the world.” John 1:29 Wednesday was the ‘Preparation Day’ for Passover.
John 19:14-16 says: Now it was the day of Preparation of the Passover. It was about the sixth hour (mid-day). He said to the Jews, “Behold your King!” They cried out, “Away with him, away with him, crucify him!” Pilate said to them, “Shall I crucify your King?” The chief priests answered, “We have no king but Caesar.” So he delivered him over to them to be crucified.
Confusion about the day of the week is easily explained. Mark 15:42 says it was “preparation day, the day before the Sabbath”. Most folks assume he is referring to the Saturday Sabbath. Not so. There were 3 Sabbaths that week, two “high” Sabbaths and one regular weekly Sabbath (Saturday). Passover is a “High Sabbath” the 1st day of the Feast of Unleavened Bread is also a “High Sabbath” and, Saturday’s are Sabbaths.
So, if ‘3 days and 3 nights’ means what it says, then it is most likely that Passover / Crucifixion that week landed on a Wednesday. He would have been dead, and in the grave, beginning Wednesday night. He rose sometime after Saturday evening because He had risen by Sunday before dawn.
Jesus foretold that He would be in the “heart of the earth for three days and three nights” and He was! Matthew 12:40 Jesus’ body died at 3:00 p.m. Wednesday (on 13 Nissan). He raised His body back to life sometime after dusk on Saturday (on Sunday the 17th Nissan). On 14, 15 and 16 Nissan His body was dead, buried in a tomb – three days and three nights. Mark 15:42-47 Luke 24:1-12