Third Day

“Saying, The Son of Man must suffer many things, and be rejected by the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be killed, and be raised the third day” (Luke 9:21).

Being confident in God doesn’t make the pain we experience less deep but it can become less broad. If you and I have some things settled with God, there are boundaries around the field of pain we experience. With God our pain doesn’t have to spread out into the endless spaces of limitless meaning. God allows the touch of pain to test us and to see if we will trust Him and find His reward to be better.

God set His plan in motion before the foundation of the world. His glory is seen in this aspect of His omnipresence. Before time was, He was. He sits upon time and He spans all time, history, and future. He circumscribed all things to happen to His people.

We mainly think of the glory of God when it comes to OUR salvation, but have you ever thought of the glory of God because of who He is? God overturns all things to bring glory to His name. He sets all things into motion. Therefore our salvation is to His glory.

If we confess Christ as the Son of God and Savior, and take up our cross and follow Him, He will reveal to us His kingdom and His glory. When you and I experience the glory of God, the demands of discipleship become blessings that carry us along in joyful obedience. Passing the test means loving God to the end.

“For he taught his disciples, and said unto them, The Son of man is delivered into the hands of men, and they shall kill him; and after he is killed, he shall rise the third day” (Mark 9:31).

Why did the Lord Jesus have to teach His disciples about His death and resurrection when it should have been plain to see? One reason was that the nation of Israel was in denial and ignorance because they had not been taught the pure Word of God. Past generations were in the dark concerning God’s remedy for sin and its dominion. They did not take time to hear.

Sin will blind and deafen a soul to the voice of God. In Daniel’s day the LORD revealed by books and scripture the plan and purpose of God to Daniel. Daniel realized the people had sinned, and brought reproach unto their own head, which degenerated the minds of the people toward their promise. God’s chosen people did not hearken to the servants, the prophets, who spoke God’s name to the Kings, princes, and the fathers, and to the people of the land (Daniel 9:6).

Do you want to know how to know God? Get alone with God and allow Him to instruct you. Read His word, pray unto Him in prayer, in secret private prayer. It’s been said that the pious, religious hypocrite needs an audience to pray because he prays to be heard. To impress. But, friend, if you and I really desire God’s voice then we need to take time to hear and to be heard by God above. There in the secret place He will instruct in righteousness which yields fruit everlasting.

“Command therefore that the sepulcher be made sure until the third day, lest his disciples come by night, and steal him away, and say unto the people, He is risen from the dead: so the last error shall be worse than the first” (Matthew 27:64).

The Lord Jesus did rise again the third day. Three days and three nights in the tomb were accomplished just as He said. No amount of soldiers, edicts from Rome, nor religious power could tone down what would eventually take place.

Why do people not desire a God who would die for them and rise again? Do they not want their sins forgiven? Do they not want the grave to be defeated? Do we not want our homes to be healed? Don’t we want what our children need in schools and in life?

One glorious day the Lord will appear again. The stone was rolled down away for all His enemies to look into the tomb and find that He is not there. It is a reminder that He is coming again and all will see Him in that day. The child of God needs to look in for in that look we are reminded that He is not there–for in great power and provision He is seated in glory reigning from above. Child of God live in His living and find in His grace life more abundantly.

“And shall deliver him to the Gentiles to mock, and to scourge, and to crucify him, and the third day he shall rise again” (Matthew 20:19).

A disciple of Christ is not doing what we feel is right or what others think we should do. God said that He would reward each accordingly by how we relate to Him. We do not work or do for Christ because we get recognition but because He gives us His strength to do His will. We are all unprofitable servants. No matter the talents or gifts we have God has to use them for His purpose and His time.

There are only two kinds of workers in the field today: those who want a contract and agree to work for such and such amount, and those who had no contract and agreed to take whatever the Lord thought was right. Sometimes we feel cornered or sequestered because we are not getting our gifts “out there in the world” which usually means the church world.

God has called each of us to do our jobs well. When we watch others and measure ourself by them then we are measuring with the wrong measure. God’s people are to be walking with Him daily. When we direct the responsibilities entrusted to us for our own good then we are running amok on God. Until a child of God is settled in Christ they will run around trying to feel religious, smug and satisfied in doing good religious things.

Jesus was delivered by Judas to the high court of Israel. He was mistreated and judged. The Gentiles scourged him, mocked him, and crucified him, but God raised Him up. Don’t go by feelings of what you think you should do but go by God’s power and do what He wants to do through you. The Lord Jesus was on His Father’s timetable and no one else’s. He walked accordingly to His Father’s will and not to His own dictates.

It is a lesson well learned when we realize it is God who raises His people up from the dead of this world and the tantalizing flesh. It takes a very discerning person to take up his cross and deny himself and walk against the winds of entertaining the flesh. The flesh (the self life) must realize it is crucified and each day we must mortify the deeds of self life. Beware of making self happy instead of dying to self for it is God who determines the reward given. What seems to be first will be last in the kingdom of God.

“And they shall kill him, and the third day he shall be raised again. And they were exceeding sorry” (Matthew 17:23).

The Lord Jesus left heaven to come to “the cross” and die. Why would he die? One reason was to break the back of Satan and to crush his head. Satan deals mischief to humanity with his lies and murders and God sent his only son to break him and to banish him to eternal hell.

You and I are a part of this great ministry. Malachi tells us “And you shall tread down the wicked; for they shall be ashes under the soles of your feet in the day that I shall do this, saith the Lord of hosts” (Mal. 4.3). There is a coming day where we will rule with Christ and God will put down all rebellion against His Son. He will use us to occupy for Him.

There is coming “a” day and there is “this” day in which He invites us to do His bidding. Through discipline, prayer, the study of His Word we are cultivated and nurtured daily so as to defeat Satan and his tactics in the lives of others.

Remember the reason our Lord died. He was raised again to prove our sins are forgiven and He reigns on high to put all enemies under His feet and He has come to indwell us as to live through us so that we may be co-laborers so with Him.

Today are we living in the power of the third day? Have we taken time to be with Jesus? Are we sharp and focused now on the power of Christ in you? Don’t grow self-indulgent, or neglect prayer, for your faith will be weakened. Stay spiritually healthy and strong in the Lord.