“The saddest and the
happiest day was in 3 days.” This
was on a sign I saw during
Easter.
As Christians we can only imagine how the
followers of Jesus felt, as they stood and watched Him hanging on that cross
and even before, when they watched the abuse and the nails being driven into
His hand.
Yet joy occurred in just
3 days.
Jesus gave us hope and life in
his resurrection.
Death, burial, and resurrection-it
all happened in
three days.
As I reflected on
this in “A Friendly Shade,” I thought it might be interesting to discover what other
Biblical events brought sadness or happiness in just
3 days.
I went back to
Genesis 40 when Joseph was in prison with the Pharaoh’s butler and baker.
They both had dreams which Joseph
interpreted. One ended up being a very happy day while the other ended sadly.
12 And Joseph said unto him,
This is the interpretation of it: The three branches are three days:13 Yet
within three days shall Pharaoh lift
up thine head, and restore thee unto thy place: and thou shalt deliver
Pharaoh's cup into his hand, after the former manner when thou wast his butler.
…………………
16 When the chief baker saw that the interpretation was good,
he said unto Joseph, I also was in my dream, and, behold, I had three white
baskets on my head:17 And in the uppermost basket there was of
all manner of bake meats for Pharaoh; and the birds did eat them out of the
basket upon my head.18 And Joseph answered and said, This is
the interpretation thereof: The three baskets are three days:19 Yet
within three days shall Pharaoh lift
up thy head from off thee, and shall hang thee on a tree; and the birds shall
eat thy flesh from off thee.20 And it came to pass the third
day, which was Pharaoh's birthday, that he made a feast unto all his servants:
and he lifted up the head of the chief butler and of the chief baker among his
servants.21 And he restored the chief butler unto his
butlership again; and he gave the cup into Pharaoh's hand:22 But
he hanged the chief baker: as Joseph had interpreted to them.
The
question to consider here is, what did the butler do with his joy? How long did it take before he remembered his
promise to Joseph?
After the death of Moses, we find in
Joshua 1 that the people were told they would finally possess the land promised
to them. This 3-day wait must have been very exciting as preparations were being made. Here we must remember the 40 years of
wandering in the wilderness because of disobedience and lack of faith.
11 Pass through the host,
and command the people, saying, Prepare you victuals; for within three days ye shall pass over this
Jordan, to go in to possess the land, which the Lord your God giveth you to possess it.
I
cannot leave out the story of Jonah who tried to flee from doing the Lord’s
calling. After being in the belly of a
whale for 3 days, can you imagine
the happiness of being back on dry land?
Then in Matthew we find a comparison being made.
17 Now
the Lord had prepared a great fish to swallow up
Jonah. And Jonah was in the belly of the fish three days and three nights………Matthew12: 40 For as Jonas was three days and three nights in the whale's belly; so
shall the Son of man be three days
and three nights in the heart of the earth.
In Mark 8, we find Jesus feeding the
multitude after they had been with Him for 3
days. This act truly shows Jesus’ love and power. Of course, His healing power had already,
time and time again, been demonstrated to the people following him.
2
I have compassion on the multitude, because they have now been with me three days, and have nothing to eat:3
And if I send them away fasting to their own houses, they will faint by
the way: for divers of them came from far. 4 And his
disciples answered him, From whence can a man satisfy these men with bread here
in the wilderness?5 And he asked them, How many loaves have
ye? And they said, Seven. 6 And he commanded the people to
sit down on the ground: and he took the seven loaves, and gave thanks, and
brake, and gave to his disciples to set before them; and they did set them
before the people. 7 And they had a few small fishes: and he
blessed, and commanded to set them also before them. 8 So
they did eat, and were filled: and they took up of the broken meat that was
left seven baskets. 9 And they that had eaten were about four
thousand:
In Luke 2, we find the story of Jesus when
Joseph and Mary were returning from the feast of the Passover. Unknowingly, Jesus tarried behind, and Joseph
and Mary had to return to look for Him.
After 3 days they found him
in the temple. In response to their
question about why he has stayed behind, Jesus said, vs 49:
“How is it that ye sought me? wist ye not
that I must be about my Father's business?”
42 And
when he was twelve years old, they went up to Jerusalem after the custom of the
feast. 43 And when they
had fulfilled the days, as they returned, the child Jesus tarried behind in
Jerusalem; and Joseph and his mother knew not of it. 44 But
they, supposing him to have been in the company, went a day's journey; and they
sought him among their kinsfolk and acquaintance. 45 And when they found him
not, they turned back again to Jerusalem, seeking him. 46 And it came to pass, that
after three days they found him in
the temple, sitting in the midst of the doctors, both hearing them, and asking
them questions.
We also see in Act 9 when Saul was on the
road to Damascus with intent to persecute the followers of Jesus, he was
suddenly blinded by a light from heaven.
What joy there must have been when, after 3 days, he could see
again. Here was a cruel man who suddenly
had his life changed. vs 20 “And straightway he preached Christ in
the synagogues, that he is the Son of God.”
7 And the
men which journeyed with him stood speechless, hearing a voice, but seeing no
man. 8 And Saul arose
from the earth; and when his eyes were opened, he saw no man: but they led him
by the hand, and brought him into Damascus.
9 And he was three
days without sight, and neither did eat nor drink.
There are many more references to 3 days in the Bible, but none
overshadow the death, burial and resurrection of my Lord. John 2: 19 Jesus
answered and said unto them, Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up.
The saddest and the happiest in just 3 days
certainly has meaning.
