What does "on the third day I will reach My goal" signify prophetically? Setting the Scene “Go tell that fox, ‘Look, I will keep driving out demons and performing healings today and tomorrow, and on the third day I will reach My goal.’” Jesus is speaking on His way to Jerusalem. He knows the cross and empty tomb are ahead, yet He frames everything in a three-day timetable that carries prophetic weight. Immediate Meaning • “Today and tomorrow” – His public ministry of teaching, healing, and deliverance is still unfolding. • “On the third day I will reach My goal” – He pinpoints a climax after two more “days,” signifying: – His crucifixion, burial, and literal resurrection on the third day (Luke 24:7; 1 Corinthians 15:3-4). – Completion of the Father’s redemptive plan: “It is finished” (John 19:30). – Vindication as Messiah when He rises and can no longer be hindered by earthly opposition. Prophetic Threads Woven Through Scripture • Hosea 6:2 – “After two days He will revive us; on the third day He will raise us up.” • Jonah 1:17; Matthew 12:40 – Jonah’s three days in the fish foreshadow the Lord’s burial and victory over death. • Genesis 22 – Isaac “received back” on the third day (Hebrews 11:19) prefigures the resurrected Son. • Exodus 19:10-11 – God meets Israel on Sinai “on the third day,” marking covenant establishment. • The repeated “third-day” pattern signals divine intervention, life out of death, and covenant fulfillment. Why the Third Day Matters • Validates Jesus’ own prophecies (Mark 8:31; Luke 18:33). • Confirms Scripture’s reliability—foretold, fulfilled, and witnessed. • Demonstrates God’s sovereignty over time: not a random moment, but the precise day foretold. • Links Old-Testament typology with New-Testament reality, showing a single, unified redemptive storyline. Reaching the Goal: What Was Accomplished? • Atonement: sin paid in full, wrath satisfied (Romans 3:25-26). • Resurrection life: death conquered, firstfruits of those who sleep (1 Corinthians 15:20). • Kingdom inauguration: authority over all powers declared (Ephesians 1:20-22). • Assurance for believers: the same power that raised Jesus works in us (Romans 8:11). Living in the Light of the Third Day • Rest in completed salvation—nothing left to add (Hebrews 10:14). • Walk in resurrection power—newness of life is our present reality (Romans 6:4). • Anticipate our own “third-day” moment—the future resurrection when Christ returns (1 Thessalonians 4:16-17). |
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