Most traditional churches believe that Jesus Christ was in the grave from Friday to Sunday - celebrated by Good Friday and Easter Monday. But in truth, He was in the grave from Wednesday to Saturday when He arose on a Sabbath day - a full three days and three nights in the grave! As Jesus said that no sign will be given except the sign of Jonah, and Jonah was in the belly of the fish for three days and three nights (Jonah 1:17) so shall the Son of Man be (Matt 12: 39-40) - nothing more and nothing less.
Jesus Christ was the WORD made flesh upon His incarnation as a Human Being. He was with God the Father right from the beginning (John 1: 1-2) and was the SpokesPerson of the Old Testament in the encounters with Moses. After His incarnation, the WORD became known as Jesus Christ, a Man born of the virgin Mary. Jesus always spoke and expressed the truth and will of God the Father. The truth and will of God are expressed in the Bible (The WORD in written form), the Laws of God and the gospel of the kingdom of God which Christ was commissioned to preach ('I must preach the kingdom of God to the other cities also, because for this purpose I have been sent ' -Luke 43). Most preachers ignored the gospel and preach only the Person of Christ, mistaken that the kingdom of God is the church or the gospel about Christ (different from the gospel of Christ that the Lord preached) - but they are all separate and distinct (See Acts 8:12, Acts 28:31). A true minister of Christ must preach the full gospel or none at all.
The question as to why Jesus was delivered to the Romans to be executed is not fully understood by most Bible teachers. Most taught that the Jews do not have the mandate to put any of their own to death, citing John 18:31, 'It is not lawful for us to put anyone to death' . However, in practice, they do have the power to authorise capital punishment except where it involved treason or sedition against the Roman government. Stephen was accused of blasphemy and was stoned to death by the Jews (Acts 7:59-60), there is no mention of Roman government involvement in that case. On several occasions, the chief priests and scribes attempted to kill the Lord Jesus (Mark 11:18; Luke 19:47) and even the Jews (John 10:31), with or without approval from the Roman authority.
Although accused of blasphemy by the high priests, the religious leaders conspired to finish off Jesus through false charges of treason - by leaving the unpleasant task of execution to Pontius Pilate. They were all mistaken into believing that Jesus was going to set up the kingdom of God there and then in His first advent. That would threaten their own authority among the Jews with tacit support from the Roman government. Fast forward two thousand years later, the church is still mistaken that Christ had already set up the kingdom of God when He first came - in the church and the through preaching the gospel of grace! The truth is the kingdom of God has yet to be established, but will only be when He returns (Rev 11:15).
It is a fact that the Lord Jesus Christ came to die for the sins of mankind and accepting Him as Saviour will give the hope of eternal life after resurrection. But this hope of eternal life will be realised only after His Second Coming, not anytime before. All who are dead, both believers and unbelievers, are sleeping in the grave, and not in heaven (John 3:13) or roasting in hell (Proverbs 30:4) as many Christians believe. Acts 2: 29 and 34 state unequivocally us that not even David - a man after God's own heart - has gone to heaven but is in the grave. Hebrews 11:13 further confirms that even the founding fathers of the Old Testament times have all died in faith, yet to receive their promise of eternal life! The Apostle Paul in Romans 8:19 states, 'the creation eagerly awaits for the revealing of the sons of God' - all those who are called and chosen as members of the Divine Family will be in the first resurrection when Christ returns.
The rest of all humanity who have ever lived will be resurrected as reconstituted flesh and blood mortals in the second resurrection towards the end of the millennium age and be given all the truth to accept Christ as Saviour. Those who refused will be annihilated in the lake of fire. All who received forgiveness and salvation though the shed Blood of Christ (Acts 4:12) will be given immortal life in the kingdom of God. Christ and His chosen saints will rule the earth and then the universe for all of eternity. All these and more are clearly stated in God's Plan of Salvation for mankind through the seven Holy Days' festivals found in Leviticus 23. These are God's universal truth meant for all mankind regardless of race, background or when they lived. But only a small group will have the faith to believe the WORD at face value and will be greatly rewarded.
Jesus Christ was the WORD made flesh upon His incarnation as a Human Being. He was with God the Father right from the beginning (John 1: 1-2) and was the SpokesPerson of the Old Testament in the encounters with Moses. After His incarnation, the WORD became known as Jesus Christ, a Man born of the virgin Mary. Jesus always spoke and expressed the truth and will of God the Father. The truth and will of God are expressed in the Bible (The WORD in written form), the Laws of God and the gospel of the kingdom of God which Christ was commissioned to preach ('I must preach the kingdom of God to the other cities also, because for this purpose I have been sent ' -Luke 43). Most preachers ignored the gospel and preach only the Person of Christ, mistaken that the kingdom of God is the church or the gospel about Christ (different from the gospel of Christ that the Lord preached) - but they are all separate and distinct (See Acts 8:12, Acts 28:31). A true minister of Christ must preach the full gospel or none at all.
The question as to why Jesus was delivered to the Romans to be executed is not fully understood by most Bible teachers. Most taught that the Jews do not have the mandate to put any of their own to death, citing John 18:31, 'It is not lawful for us to put anyone to death' . However, in practice, they do have the power to authorise capital punishment except where it involved treason or sedition against the Roman government. Stephen was accused of blasphemy and was stoned to death by the Jews (Acts 7:59-60), there is no mention of Roman government involvement in that case. On several occasions, the chief priests and scribes attempted to kill the Lord Jesus (Mark 11:18; Luke 19:47) and even the Jews (John 10:31), with or without approval from the Roman authority.
Although accused of blasphemy by the high priests, the religious leaders conspired to finish off Jesus through false charges of treason - by leaving the unpleasant task of execution to Pontius Pilate. They were all mistaken into believing that Jesus was going to set up the kingdom of God there and then in His first advent. That would threaten their own authority among the Jews with tacit support from the Roman government. Fast forward two thousand years later, the church is still mistaken that Christ had already set up the kingdom of God when He first came - in the church and the through preaching the gospel of grace! The truth is the kingdom of God has yet to be established, but will only be when He returns (Rev 11:15).
It is a fact that the Lord Jesus Christ came to die for the sins of mankind and accepting Him as Saviour will give the hope of eternal life after resurrection. But this hope of eternal life will be realised only after His Second Coming, not anytime before. All who are dead, both believers and unbelievers, are sleeping in the grave, and not in heaven (John 3:13) or roasting in hell (Proverbs 30:4) as many Christians believe. Acts 2: 29 and 34 state unequivocally us that not even David - a man after God's own heart - has gone to heaven but is in the grave. Hebrews 11:13 further confirms that even the founding fathers of the Old Testament times have all died in faith, yet to receive their promise of eternal life! The Apostle Paul in Romans 8:19 states, 'the creation eagerly awaits for the revealing of the sons of God' - all those who are called and chosen as members of the Divine Family will be in the first resurrection when Christ returns.
The rest of all humanity who have ever lived will be resurrected as reconstituted flesh and blood mortals in the second resurrection towards the end of the millennium age and be given all the truth to accept Christ as Saviour. Those who refused will be annihilated in the lake of fire. All who received forgiveness and salvation though the shed Blood of Christ (Acts 4:12) will be given immortal life in the kingdom of God. Christ and His chosen saints will rule the earth and then the universe for all of eternity. All these and more are clearly stated in God's Plan of Salvation for mankind through the seven Holy Days' festivals found in Leviticus 23. These are God's universal truth meant for all mankind regardless of race, background or when they lived. But only a small group will have the faith to believe the WORD at face value and will be greatly rewarded.
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