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(1.) WHAT IS THE DAY OF
ATONEMENT FOR THE JEWS?
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In Judaism, a special day was established as a Yom Kippur, the Day of
Atonement. It is the last of the Ten Days of Penitence which begin with Rosh Ha-Shanah,
and it is the climax of the repentance and soul-searching incumbent on every Jew
during this period. "The essence . . . be clean before the Lord."
(Leviticus 16:30) ". . . it is the only fast day which may be observed on
the Sabbath . . . the "Sabbath of Sabbaths." (Encyclopedia Judaica
Jr.)
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(2.) CONSIDER WHAT JEWS
READ ON THIS MOST HOLY DAY!
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"In ancient literature there are several stories of people being rescued
from inside fish (Heracles the Hesione, Perseus, and Andromeda); but only in
that of Jonah was the rescue effected by prayer and not by force. The book (of
Jonah) . . . a lesson in divine forgiveness and mercy . . . is read as the haftarah
at the afternoon service of the Day of Atonement." (Encyclopedia
Judaica Jr.)
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(3.) BELOVED RABBI DID NOT
RISE AFTER THREE NIGHTS:
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When the famous Rabbi Schneersohn from Brooklyn died in 1994, many of his
followers expected him to rise again like Jonah, after three nights and three
days. Thousands of posters of the famous Rabbi had been distributed, boldly
captioned with statements such as "We want Messiah now!" However, he
did not come alive again.
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(4.) JESUS PROPHESIED ABOUT
THREE NIGHTS – BUT CHRISTIANS CALCULATE
ONLY TWO NIGHTS OF JESUS’
DEATH:
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The mock trial of Jesus by Caiphas Began During the Night Before Passover. The
priests bound and led Him to Pontius Pilate, who then delivered him to be
crucified." (John 19) Daylight had progressed about six hours. It was close
to noon, but, ". . . there was darkness over the whole land
until the ninth hour." (Mark 15:33) The Jewish priests did not want
the crucified bodies hanging on the crosses on Sabbath day (for that evening was
the beginning of an extra Sabbath day, a High Day – Passover). Before
nightfall, a disciple of Jesus, with the help of Nicodemus, took the Lord’s
body to a nearby Garden Tomb, ". . . There laid they Jesus therefore
because of the Jews’s preparation day; for the sepulchre was nigh at
hand." (John 19:40-42) That was the first night.
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(5.) SECOND NIGHT – TWO
SABBATHS IN A ROW:
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It is probable that there were that year; the Passover Sabbath and the regular
seventh day of the week (Friday night) Sabbath. In that sense, Jesus was
crucified on what we call a Thursday. (This fits in the time reckoning of Palm
Sunday being five days before the Passover).
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(6.) THIRD NIGHT AND THE
JUDAIC REASON:
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Then in fulfillment of prophecy, He really was in the tomb Thursday, Friday and
Saturday, and on the third day He arose: ". . . and be raised again the
third day." (Matthew 16:21;17:23, Mark 9:31) Jewish burial customs
include a seven night, seven day mourning period with the exception of the
"Lord’s Day," a Sabbath. The family and friends of Jesus were not
able to publicly mourn on the first night and first day because it was the
Passover Sabbath. They were not able to publicly mourn the second night and the
second day because it was the regular Sabbath, but on the third day . . .
"when Jesus was risen early the first day of the week, he appeared first to
Mary Magdalene . . . and she went and told them that had been with him, as they
mourned and wept." (Mark 16:9-10) Consider that the Lord’s death
could not be mourned because of the two Sabbaths and then on the day they came
to mourn, at what was now an empty tomb, the angels said, "He is not here,
He is risen." He took all grief (mourning) upon Himself, teaching us not to
mourn but to rejoice, He lives!
