Day 151

Of Christ the Mediator.

Chapter 8, Paragraph 4.

“…was crucified, and died, and remained in the state of the dead; yet saw no corruption:…“

Scripture Lookup

Acts 13:37

Reflection

Jesus died on the cross.

“It is finished!” He said, and gave up His spirit. The Roman soldiers there saw He was dead. His body was prepared for burial. It was shut up in a tomb. He was dead.

There are groups that vehemently deny this fact. He only lost consciousness, they say. This way they can explain away what happened to His body three days later. But Jesus actually died. There was no ordinary way of reviving Him. His spirit was separate from His body.

His death continued for three days. Why three? Because that’s how long He said it would last: “for just as Jonah was three days and three nights in the belly of the sea monster, so will the Son of Man be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth. ” (Matthew 12:40); “Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up” (John 2:19). The Pharisees remembered that He said He would rise after three days, and secured the tomb with a Roman guard. During that time, Jesus remained dead.

The sacrificial work needed to atone for His people was complete in Jesus’ death. His body lay in the tomb. Yet it would not experience the effects of death. Christ’s body did not decay and turn to dust like other human bodies. The penalty due to sin paid for, there was no need for Jesus to remain dead. Indeed, God would not let Him undergo decay…

Questions to Consider

• What has Christ’s death accomplished for you?