“ On The Third Day” Sunday, 10 April 2022 10:00 a.m.
We are continuing our series leading up to the Easter season entitled: “Resurrection: Power Over Death.” Last week we talked about how Jesus overruled the medical profession, science, and all of the logic of mankind. And even though Lazarus was not alive, not breathing, not living, not functioning in his bodily organs, …. Jesus spoke to him as though he was, He called those things that are not as though they were. He called him by name: Lazarus, come forth!
And with that, Jesus displayed His awesome power over the death and the grave. This Sunday we want to talk about Jesus’ own resurrection; on the third day. There are a number of “third day” depictions in the Bible, but probably the most significant is in Genesis 22. Abraham is called to offer his son Isaac as a sacrifice. The heading of the Bible calls it, “Abraham is tested.”
God would walk with Abraham through this testing, He is wanting to test him for his obedience; does he fear Me? But I think that God is wanting Abraham to experience something that the Father will experience as well. God wants Abraham to identify with Him in the sacrifice of His Son. If he can do that he would truly be called a friend of God.
Genesis 22:4 Then on the third day Abraham lifted his eyes and saw the place afar off. 5 And Abraham said to his young men, “Stay here with the donkey; the lad and I will go yonder and worship, and we will come back to you.”6 So Abraham took the wood of the burnt offering and laid it on Isaac his son; and he took the fire in his hand, and a knife, and the two of them went together.
Abraham and his son Isaac went to that place of obedience, it was a three-day journey. Day One was death to self, all of Abraham’s plans and purposes for his son had to die on that day. Day Two was acting in obedience and waiting for God’s intervention. And finally, Day Three…when his son Isaac is resurrected, in a symbolic way, and brought back to life.
Abraham had come with the wood; the wood was arranged on the altar; the wood stands for that which saves us from God’s judgement through the burnt offering. God's judgment was about to be put in order; it was about to be served in mercy. The fire was present; it was Abraham’s passion to do what God had commanded of him.
But the knife was taken out of his hand. Because the second person of the Trinity, the pre incarnate Christ, was looking down from heaven to see if there was a man who would be obedient enough to offer his own son the way that His Father was going to offer Him. And so, He stopped him. He said, in effect, “Enough”, I know that you fear Me, that you hold Me in reverence and are completely obedient to Me because you have not withheld your son from Me.”
And so on that third day Abraham experienced resurrection…. his death, dying and waiting on God resulted in the symbolic resurrection of his son Isaac.
Join us in person on Sunday at 10:00 a.m. or via livestream by going to https://www.firstbaptistsudbury.com and clicking on livestream for “On the Third Day.”
Blessings,
Kevin