Why Jesus died for 3 days only?

Answer 1

Might I correct you? He was not PUT in the GROUND. The Lord was supposed to be buried in a tumb forever. An angel came and He was reserected. He was only in the tumb for three days. NOT SUPPOSED TO BE BURRIED FOR 3 DAYS.

Answer 2

Jesus was dead in the grave before being resurrected in 3 days time because it was in fulfillment of the prophecy Jonah had made:-

Jonah 1:17 KJV 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.

Mat 12:40 KJV [Jesus said]:-"For as Jonas [Jonah] 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 his Introduction to the book of Jonah, John MacArthur said that:

"The context places [Jonah] during the long and prosperous reign of Jeroboam II (ca.793-753BC) making him a prophet to the northern tribes just prior to Amos during the first half of the eighth century BC (ca 760BC)"

Jesus Christ was crucified about 33AD, so Christ was referring to an event nine centuries earlier. Even if the dating of Jonah is disputed , the book of Jonah had to have been written at least 3 centuries before Christ. During the reign of Ptolomey IV, the Hebrew Scriptures were translated into Greek in 260BC and are known as the 'Septuagint'. No normal person can say centuries in advance what's going to happen to him when he's dead!

Answer 3

to fulfill the prophesies in the Old Testament

More specifically:

"Three days and three nights" was the MIRACULOUS SIGNthat Jesus settled on to PROVE THAT HE WAS THE MESSIAH to the skeptical and faithless Pharisees and teachers of the law [the leaders of the people] in Judaea.

"...some of the Pharisees and teachers of the law said to Him, 'Teacher, we want to see a miraculous sign from you.' He answered, 'A wicked and adulterous generation asks for a miraculous sign! But none will be given it except the sign of the prophet Jonah. For as Jonah was three days and three nights in the belly of the huge fish, so the Son of Man will be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth." (Matt.12:38-40 NIV)

The three days and three nights served TWO PURPOSES:

FIRST; IT PROVED HIS MESSIAHSHIP!

SECOND; it was within a time frame that fulfilled another prophecy... of David; that Christ's body would not be left in the grave to DECAY:

"...because you will not abandon me to the grave, nor will you let your Holy One see decay." (Ps.16:10 NIV; see also Acts 2:25-28)

"'Brothers, I can tell you confidently that the patriarch David died and was buried, and his tomb is here to this day. But he was a prophet and knew that God had promised on oath that He would place one of his descendants on his throne. Seeing what was ahead, he spoke of the RESURRECTION OF CHRIST, that He was not abandoned to the grave, nor did His body see decay. God has raised this Jesus to Life, and we are all witnesses of the fact." (Acts 2:29-32 NIV)