Irrefutable Proof of the Day of Christ’s Resurrection
February 8, 2018 Sabbath, Sunday No CommentsRoderick C. Meredith in Which Day Is the Christian Sabbath? affirms that Jesus was resurrected on the Sabbath day. He also affirms that Jesus was crucified on Wednesday and buried Wednesday afternoon. He states, “But the Bible is very clear that Christ was not resurrected on Sunday morning” (p. 22).
In the interest of trying the spirits whether they be of God (I John 4:1), let us put Mr. Meredith to the test of truth.
First, Jesus predicted His resurrection on the third day. Matt. 16:21, “From that time forth began Jesus to shew unto his disciples, how that he must go unto Jerusalem, and suffer many things of the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be killed, and be raised again the third day.” “Saying, The Son of man must suffer many things, and be rejected of the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be slain, and be raised the third day” (Luke 9:22). Many other passages teach the same thing (Mark 9:31; 10:34; Matt. 17:23; 20:19; Luke 18:33; 24:46).
Second, Luke gives us irrefutable evidence that Jesus was resurrected on the first day of the week or the third day.
Luke 24:1, “Now upon the first day of the week, very early in the morning, they came unto the sepulchre, bringing the spices which they had prepared, and certain others with them.” This passage indicates the day when the women came to the tomb of Jesus to prepare His body with spices. They discovered that His body was no longer in the tomb.
Luke 24:13, “And, behold, two of them went that same day to a village called Emmaus, which was from Jerusalem about threescore furlongs.” The phrase, “that same day” refers to the first day of the week.
Luke 24:21, “But we trusted that it had been he which should have redeemed Israel: and beside all this, to day is the third day since these things were done.” These words were spoken by Cleopas and another disciple (unnamed) as they spoke to Jesus while on the road to Emmaus. They spoke of Jesus’ crucifixion (Luke 24:20). This day was, in fact, the third day from the time of Jesus’ crucifixion which was the first day of the week (Luke 24:1).
Luke 24:46, “And said unto them, Thus it is written, and thus it behoved Christ to suffer, and to rise from the dead the third day.” In Luke 24, the third day was the first day of the week. Jesus was resurrected on Sunday, the first day of the week. We affirm this confidently because Luke, an inspired writer, recorded it and not because of any tradition of men.