What a Difference a Day…Or Three Makes
A day, a noun used to signify a period. It can be divided into hours, minutes, and seconds. Adding them together makes a week, a month, a year, or an era.
“Back in the good old days.’
“Happy New Year!”
“Rome wasn’t built in a day.”
“Today was a heck of week.”
These are just a few of the clichés or sayings we use in relation to time. In the Bible, often time measured in days. God created the heavens and the earth, all the plants and trees, every animal and His man and woman in six days. Moses was on the mountain with God for forty days and received the Old Covenant. Jesus was led by the Spirit into the wilderness where He fasted for forty days and was tempted by the satan. Oh, then there was the prophet Jonah, who spent three days in the belly of a whale. The wisdom of God also instructs and shows that there is a time for everything. (Eccl. 3:1-8) And that there is the right time for all things. (Galatians 4:4,5 Ephesians 1:10)
“Yesterday” he sighed. Yesterday he watched as the One that is eternal subjected Himself to time for the last day. He looked around at the others, their faces revealed their hearts. One looked repentant, another had doubt written all over his face. He sat and reflected on the events of the previous days. Nine days ago, he followed Him in awe as they passed through Jericho on their way to Jerusalem. Eight days ago, they were in Bethany, with Lazarus and his sisters.
Jesus knew what the next week would bring. He would soon suffer and die on the cross for the sins of humanity, and yet it was important enough to Him to take some time to spend it with His close friends. Here is a key to facing a demanding situation that we can apply to our lives. Have someone at the relationship level of Confidant. Having someone who is full of faith, close (proximity), like-minded, and supportive can be a major help.
Six days ago, he followed as He entered Jerusalem on donkey (equivalent to a limousine for a Head of State) undeterred by the suspicious glaring of the Roman garrison and the hypocritical piousness of the Pharisees. He remembered the celebratory shouts of the people as they declared Him the Messiah. But five days later they shouted crucify Him!
Not everyone that says they are with you is really for you. Some just want to be close for personal gain. Others for credibility that they are not able to earn themselves. Some want to have a front row seat when you fail, and a few will remain close so they can sink the knife into your back.
Five days ago, and for a second time His righteous anger caused Him to overthrow the tables of the moneychangers, bringing the unscrupulous businessmen off their benches. Something about the first time was stirring in his heart. It was His words about destroying the temple and raising it in three days. Four days ago, the desperation of the religious leaders had reached an uncomfortable level. They launched a coordinated attack to discredit or trap Him in His words. When all their efforts had failed, they were left with no choice but to act maliciously and premeditate His murder. Just as the devil, after tempting Jesus in the wilderness, had to withdraw for a more opportune time, these religious leaders influenced by the devil sought the right hour. But that hour would not come until Jesus allowed it. (John 12:23-27)
Forty-eight hours ago, he and the other disciples ate the Passover meal with Him. He gave us an example of how we were to love and serve each other by washing our feet. Of course, Peter had
to be extra and ask for a bath. He comforted us, gave us instructions for success, told us we would be equipped with another Helper, warned us of what the world would do to us. Rising from the table and going to the garden, it seemed as if time sped up, the hours whirled by like an electric meter in July.
Sitting down with the other two in the garden, he felt like eight miles of muddy road, his eyes closed. While he slept the Master prayed, while he slept Judas betrayed, while he slept Jesus’s hour came. Numerous times He said that His hour had not come. But being jolted awake from his garden slumber he heard Jesus say, “Behold, the hour is at hand.”
When Jesus asked, “Who are you looking for?” They answered as they wanted Him to be identified, as just a man named Jesus from a town called Nazareth. But He answered with who He was, is, and always will be, I AM. People will do the same to us today. “You are just a ___.” And the enemy will bring situations like sickness or poverty and try and get us to let it become our identity. “I am poor” or “I am sick.” We need to answer everything with the Truth!
The events since that hour replayed in his mind. The guards came near, Peter took off an ear, Jesus put it back on, then everyone was gone. The illegal trials, the scourging, the cross, and finally the tomb. He looked around at the others one last time as his eyes began to get heavy. As he drifted off, his mind could not get away from three days, yesterday, today, tomorrow.
The next day, in the morning. HE IS RISEN!
To many of that day, the death of Jesus on the cross had ended any expectation that He was the Messiah. Today many hear the message of the cross as complete foolishness. (1 Cor, 1:18) But the tomb was empty! He rose from the grave as He said He would. He destroyed the power of death, defeated sin, and became the first fruit of the resurrection of those of us that believe in Him and receive Him as our sacrifice.
God loves His creation! He offers us the gift of salvation. God made the way for us to come into relationship with Him as sons and daughters. He did this through the death and resurrection of Jesus. Please, make this the day that you believe in and receive this life-changing gift.
Jesus used three other words to describe time, these are the last days, eternity, and soon. But they are for another article.