Luke 24:46

‘And he said to them, “Thus it is written, that the Christ should suffer, and rise again from the dead the third day.” '

The central point in their message as delivered to them by Him was that these very Scriptures had declared beforehand in writing that the Messiah would have to suffer, and would rise again from the dead on the third day. The idea of the ‘Coming One' as suffering is found in Isaiah 50:4; Isaiah 52:13 to Isaiah 53:12, and also in Psalms 22:6; Daniel 7 (where the son of man suffers before being glorified); Zechariah 13:7 among others. The Jewish teachers tended to avoid applying the sections concerning suffering to the Messiah, and rather applied them to Israel, while at the same time applying other aspects of the Servant to the Messiah. But Jesus applied them to Himself. The idea of rising on the third day probably resulted from a combination of Isaiah 53:11 with Hosea 6:1, ‘After two days He will revive us, on the third day He will raise us up and we shall live before Him'.

This was initially spoken of Israel, (God's vine). But Jesus was here as in Himself representing the true Israel, the true Vine (John 15:1). As the Servant God had declared Him to be Israel (Isaiah 49:3). Thus he could apply it to Himself.

Note the context in Hosea. God will wait ‘in His place' until Israel acknowledge their guilt and seek His face, and in their distress seek Him and say, ‘come let us return to the Lord' (let us repent). But this will not be until ‘He has torn that He may heal them, He has stricken and will bind them up'. But when He looked there was no man, no one to stand between, until He raised up the Servant Who was torn for the sins of Israel, and stricken for her iniquity (Isaiah 53:3). this was what first had be played out on the One Who would come as the representative of Israel. And the result will be a reviving and a raising up on the third day, first for Him (Isaiah 53:10; Isaiah 53:12) and then for them. For He will have gone before them in order to be a guilt offering and make it possible for all. It could all only be because their representative had first gone through it for them that they would themselves be able to enjoy it.

So as the One Who saw Himself as suffering for Israel, in their place, and as their representative, Jesus also saw Himself as being raised again like them, on the third day.

Indeed the fact is that the Servant's task could only be fulfilled by resurrection. How else could He see His offspring, prolong His days and receive the spoils of victory (Isaiah 53:10; Isaiah 53:12)? (Compare also Isaiah 52:13). And how else could the Son of Man come triumphantly out of suffering into the presence of the Ancient of Days to receive the everlasting kingdom (Daniel 7:13)? And unless He was raised how could the Holy One ‘not see corruption' (Psalms 16:10)? Resurrection was required as God's vindication in a suffering world (Isaiah 26:19). And it is also constantly implied by such statements as Luke 9:24. All this was clear from the Scriptures (Luke 18:31). It was also according to Matthew linked by Jesus with Jonah's time in the fish's stomach (Matthew 12:40), although that is more an illustration than a necessary parallel.

So this is the central point in the Apostolic message, that Jesus suffered and rose again on the third day. And as a result, at the end of Acts, Luke makes clear that the preaching of the Kingly Rule of God involves manifesting all that Jesus is to those who hear and respond (Acts 28:23; Acts 28:31)