To truly understand Jesus, we must receive His words as divine law, absolute, unchanging, and authoritative. Every teaching He delivered to His disciples, now preserved in the New Testament, carries profound spiritual weight. Yet, confusion arises when readers approach the Gospels through mere human logic rather than spiritual discernment. Jesus spoke from a heavenly perspective, revealing the “secrets of the Kingdom of God” (Mark 4:11). This is why He often taught in parables—to conceal deeper truths from those unprepared to receive them while enlightening His devoted followers.
The Distinction between Outsiders and Disciples
When His disciples asked why He taught in parables, Jesus responded:
“To you has been given the secret of the kingdom of God, but for those outside everything is in parables, so that ‘they may indeed see but not perceive, and may indeed hear but not understand, lest they should turn and be forgiven.’” (Mark 4:10-12, ESV).
This passage is crucial for sincere believers. Jesus’ teachings were divided into two categories:
- For the crowds (outsiders)– Parables that concealed the truth.
- For His disciples (the inner circle)– Direct revelation of divine mysteries.
True discipleship demands total surrender, not just academic evaluations. Consider Simon Peter and Andrew—fishermen who abandoned their livelihoods to follow Jesus (Matthew 4:18-20). Their decision defied worldly logic, especially since they had families to support. Yet, their radical obedience exemplifies the nature of genuine faith. The divine truth is considered too perilous to be entrusted to those who remain unconverted.
The Cost of Discipleship: Death to Self
Following Jesus is not a casual commitment. He declared:
“If anyone comes to me and does not hate his own father and mother and wife and children and brothers and sisters, yes, and even his own life, he cannot be my disciple.” (Luke 14:26, ESV)
This shocking statement underscores that allegiance to Christ must surpass all earthly ties. Even His own relatives were excluded from His inner circle (Matthew 12:48-50), proving that fleshly attachments hinder true discipleship.
Paul reinforces this truth:
“Those who are in the flesh cannot please God.” (Romans 8:8, ESV).
To live for Christ, we must die to self, crucifying our sinful nature (Galatians 5:24). In our physical condition, we consider ourselves as alive, but Jesus considers surviving in physical life as death in sin. The rejection of Jesus stems from the belief that one is truly alive while merely existing in a physical state. In reality, spiritual life is the true essence of being alive, even though it often contradicts physical existence. Many people today identify as Christians for convenience, but Jesus warned that the path to true life is narrow (Matthew 7:13-14). Genuine faith requires sacrifice, without the consideration of what provides convenience.
The Resurrection: Jesus’ Definitive Sign
Jesus declared His resurrection after three days and three nights (72 hours) as the ultimate proof of His Messiahship (Matthew 12:38-40). Yet, many overlook the significance of this timeline, assuming a Friday crucifixion and Sunday resurrection—an impossibility if we take Jesus’ words literally.
Examining the Biblical Timeline
The Jews celebrated the festivals using the Jewish calendar, which is lunar, consisting of monthly cycles that typically last twenty-eight days. Passover traditionally occurred on the fourteenth day of the month of Abib. This coincides with the day Jesus was crucified, preceding His three days and three nights in the grave. The chronological sequence of events is as follows:
- Passover Observance (14th Day)
- Jesus observed the Passover with the new symbols at twilight, marking the beginning of the fourteenth day of the month of Abib, as described in Matthew 26:17-20.
- Later that night, he was betrayed by Judas, arrested, subjected to trial, and crucified, ultimately passing away in the afternoon on the 14th day of that same month (Wednesday).
- He died at 3 p.m. (the “ninth hour” (Mark 15:34-37). According to Jewish timing.
- Burial Before the High Sabbath (15th Day)
- Just before the 15th day began at sunset, His body was placed in the tomb. This was at the beginning of the sacred assembly, according to the Jewish timekeeping.
- The 15th day was the first day, regarded as a holy assembly of the seven days of eating unleavened bread (Feast of Unleavened Bread), but regarded as an annual Sabbath (Leviticus 23:6-7).
- Jesus was buried before this Annual Sabbath began, which suggests that His time of burial was still on the 14th of Abib (John 19:31).
- The Weekly Sabbath (17th Day)
- The women prepared spices after the Annual Sabbath, on the 16th day (Mark 16:1), which corresponds to the 16th day of that month. Their actions provide significant insight into calculating the timeline of Jesus’ period in the tomb.
- They then rested on the weekly Sabbath, which complies with the Seventh Day Sabbath-keeping, according to the Commandment (Exodus 20:8-11) (being Saturday, Luke 23:55-56). Those women observed the burial of Jesus and prepared spices after the Annual Sabbath, as described in Mark 16:1. These verses suggest the preparation of the spices after the Annual Sabbath, with rituals being intended after the weekly Sabbath.
- Jesus rose just before sunset on Saturday, after spending 72 hours in the tomb. No one was aware of the time of resurrection, even though Jesus had stated that He would be three days and three nights in the grave (Matthew 12:38-40). When following the sequence, starting from the time of His burial, Jesus was resurrected before sunset on Saturday, and not on Sunday, as traditionally assumed.
This alignment confirms two dates:
- Burial: Wednesday evening, before sunset (14th day).
- Resurrection: Saturday evening before sunset (17th day).
Why This Matters
- Jesus’ Words Are Law– If He said “three days and three nights,” we must believe His statement without compromise. If the Good Friday burial is accepted as true, Jesus could be perceived as an impostor whose words are unreliable. Though this may seem insignificant, it might have led many sceptics to distance themselves from Christianity.
- The Danger of Tradition– Good Friday/Easter Sunday traditions contradict Scripture. The Apostle Paul declared a double curse upon those who proclaim a gospel contrary to the true teachings of Jesus (Galatians 1:8-9).
- A Test of True Faith– The essence of true faith lies in unwavering adherence to the teachings of Jesus, where His teachings are regarded as law. The crucial question is: Will we accept Christ’s words as absolute truth, even when they challenge human reason?
Conclusion: The Call to Radical Faith
Christianity is not about comfort but total surrender. Jesus demands that we:
- Abandon worldly logic, which cannot accept the things of the Spirit of God, viewing them as foolish(1 Corinthians 2:14).
- Die to self. The greatest challenge for many Christians is accepting that conversion is, in essence, another form of embracing death, despite the fear that death invokes in those who dwell in this world. (Galatians 2:20).
- Receive His words as divine law. The importance of faith in Jesus lies in believing in His teachings rather than focusing on His physical presence (John 6:63).
The reason for restricting nonbelievers from accessing the secrets of the Kingdom of God relates to timing. God does not expect individuals to embrace Christianity before they are ready. Understanding comes only after a person has accepted repentance and expressed their willingness to obey everything He taught. Truth will ultimately be revealed to ordinary people during His Second Coming, which will occur during the millennium (Revelation 20:4-6).
A true believer recognises that every word spoken by Jesus is true, even if it may not make sense to those in the world. As Christians, it is imperative to resist the temptation to conform the Gospel to human traditions. True believers faithfully commit to the path—the way of authentic discipleship, where every word of Jesus endures as an eternal truth (Matthew 7:24-27). In His teachings, Jesus does not provide a path of ease, but a path that ultimately leads to life (Matthew 7:13-14).
(Acknowledgement: Original analysis sourced from Herbert W. Armstrong’s booklet, “Resurrection Was Not on Sunday.”)
Andrew Masuku is the author of Dimensions of a New Civilisation, laying down standards for uplifting Zimbabwe from the current state of economic depression into a model for other nations worldwide. A decaying tree provides an opportunity for a blossoming sprout. Written from a Christian perspective, the book is a product of inspiration, relieving those who have witnessed the strings of unworkable solutions, leading to the current economic and social decay. Most Zimbabweans should find the book to be a long-awaited providential oasis of hope, in a simple conversational tone.
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