Three Days

“He is not here; he has risen! Remember how he told you, while he was still with you in Galilee: 7 ‘The Son of Man must be delivered over to the hands of sinners, be crucified and on the third day be raised again.’ ” Luke 24:6-7 (NIV)

This is not so much a devotion as it is a realization for me.

A week ago Brooks and I watched a movie on the Angel network titled, His Only Son.  You might think the movie was about Jesus’ death as God’s son, but this was the story of Abraham and Isaac.  Particularly, God asking Abraham to take Isaac to sacrifice him on Mt. Moriah.  You can review this account in Genesis 22.

It is an old and familiar story, but as we watched I kept going to what Abraham said about the journey to Mt. Moriah when he was telling Sarah what God had asked of him. It was to be a three day journey.  Where else does our mind go when we consider three days?  I thought about Easter, Jesus’ resurrection after three days in the grave. 

Was this a coincidence?  I don’t think so.  This is my thought process only, my little brain thinking.

There are a few parallels:

1.       Isaac was the only son / Jesus was the only Son

2.       Isaac traveled (with Abraham) 3 days / Jesus lay in the grave 3 days

This next thought just gives me chills…for all practical purposes Isaac was considered dead already by Abraham.  Although Abraham trusted God, I am sure he fully expected he would be plunging the knife into Isaac’s chest.  This task God had asked of him had to have a good reason…right?   In his father’s mind Isaac was brought back to life…as was Jesus! 

Then there is the ram…provided by God so that Isaac does not end up as the sacrifice.  God provided a Lamb for our sacrifice.  Just like the ram saved Isaac from death, so Jesus the Lamb of God, by his sacrifice, saves us from the power of death. 

Somehow in all the times I’d read or heard this event retold, I had not considered these similarities.

Perhaps this prayer will be helpful in reminding us to walk in the resurrection of Jesus each and every day.

Our Father, we ask that You would help us to take this message of the resurrection to the world, that You would help us to always preach Christ because the resurrection has shown us that He is the meaning to the Scriptures. We pray that the resurrection would remind us that the truth is the truth whether we like it or not. But most of all, help us to remember that the resurrection shows us that Jesus is the King that our hearts have longed for. –Timothy Keller

—Timothy Keller