Where Was Jesus During The Three Days Between His Death And Resurrection?

Jesus was unaccounted for during the 3 days between His death and resurrection, or was He?

His Life

The gospel is not simply about believing in Jesus and that’s it. It is considerably more than that. The fact that Jesus lived a sinless life was critical to His becoming the propitiation or satisfaction of the wrath of God against sinners as God required a perfect sacrifice, and in Jesus, God received it, and so it was “For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God” (2nd Cor 5:21). It wasn’t for our sake alone but for all who trust in Christ. We need the righteousness of God because it is required to be saved and to enter into the kingdom, but it was achieved through the perfect life, suffering, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ, and because He lives, we can live too, and because He was raised, we too shall be raised someday since “if Christ has not been raised, your faith is futile and you are still in your sins” (1st Cor 15:17), but “in fact Christ has been raised from the dead”(1st Cor 15:20a), so we too someday will be raised together with Christ and reign with Him, although under His reign, but it could only have been “with the precious blood of Christ, like that of a lamb without blemish or spot” (1st Pet 1:19).

His Death

The Old Testament Mosaic Laws showed us by the animal sacrifices that sin is costly and ugly. The process of sacrificing a lamb or any other animal was a constant reminder of what their (and our) sin does…it requires blood because the life is in the blood (Lev 17:11), and so “Jesus, crowned with glory and honor because of the suffering of death, so that by the grace of God he might taste death for everyone” (Heb 2:9). As the Apostle John testified, Jesus came in the flesh and dwelt among mankind (John 1:1, 14) and would “share in flesh and blood, he himself likewise partook of the same things, that through death he might destroy the one who has the power of death, that is, the devil” (Heb 2:14). The Levitical priests were not going to solve this problem “because they were prevented by death from continuing in office” (Heb 7:23) and for this reason, Jesus “is the mediator of a new covenant, so that those who are called may receive the promised eternal inheritance, since a death has occurred that redeems them from the transgressions committed under the first covenant” (Heb 9:15), so not only was Jesus’ perfect, sinless life required, so too was His death. There is simply no other way (Acts 4:12).

His Resurrection

The Bible tells us, “in fact Christ has been raised from the dead, the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep” (1st Cor 15:20), and this includes all who have died and trusted in Christ. Because Jesus was raised, we too can live again after death. Jesus promised, “I am the resurrection and the life. Whoever believes in me, though he die, yet shall he live, and everyone who lives and believes in me shall never die. Do you believe this” (John 11:25-26)? Good question, isn’t it? “Do you believe this?” Jesus gives everyone only one of two choices: “I told you that you would die in your sins, for unless you believe that I am he you will die in your sins” (John 8:24). A person must come to repentance and faith, just as Jesus said (Mark 1:14-15), and that belief includes His sinless life, His death on the cross, and His resurrection on the third day. That is the gospel.

Where was He?

Where was Jesus during those three days? Remember what He said to the thief on the cross? It says, “Today you will be with Me in Paradise” (Luke 23:43). Not tomorrow or in three days but today! Jesus never died since He is God…only His flesh died. Jesus had already said He was going to the Father (John 16:10), and never insinuated any 3 day waiting period. Today means “today” in regards to being in Paradise. There was never a time He ceased to exist, or He is not God, and if He is not God, we are still dead in our sins! Then, there are some who believe Jesus went down to preach to those in prison or some say hell, (1st Pet 3:19), as the Apostle Peter seems to writing, but the following verses show that it was through Noah and not through Christ, that they heard the message (1st Pet 3:2o), and Noah would never have preached the need for repentance (even in that day) unless he himself knew he needed it. Noah understood he was a sinner too and so the sacrifices made after the flood prove that mankind is still fallen, although God has chosen some. Noah was certainly not sinless and neither are we (Rom 7; 1st John 1:8, 10). And yet another belief is that Jesus descended to hell to suffer yet more, but while Jesus was dying on the cross, He said “It is finished” (John 19:30), meaning the redemption for all who believe has been paid in full. He wouldn’t need to go down to hell and suffer more. It is enough.

Conclusion

Regardless of where you think Jesus was between His death and His resurrection, the gospel remains the same. A person must come to repentance, and forsake their sins, with repentance only coming from God (Eph 2:1; 2nd Tim 2:24-26), and then they must put their trust in Jesus Christ and believe in His sinless-ness, His death, and His resurrection. If you have no sinless-ness, you have no Savior. If you have no death, then you don’t have the propitiation or satisfaction of God. And if you have no resurrection, we’re worm food and nothing more, but the latter is not what I believe. I believe Jesus when He said to anyone that has ears to hear, “I am the resurrection and the life. Whoever believes in me, though he die, yet shall he live, and everyone who lives and believes in me shall never die. Do you believe this” (John 11:25-26)?

Article by Jack Wellman

Jack Wellman is Pastor of the Mulvane Brethren Church in Mulvane Kansas. Jack is host of Spiritual Fitness and also the Senior Writer at What Christians Want To Know whose mission is to equip, encourage, and energize Christians and to address questions about the believer’s daily walk with God and the Bible. You can follow Jack on Google Plus or check out his book Teaching Children the Gospel available on Amazon.