Verse 4
Burial emphasizes the finality of the Messiah’s death (cf. Acts 2:29) and serves as evidence of the reality of His resurrection (cf. Acts 13:29-30). He could not have truly arisen if He had not truly died.
The perfect tense and passive voice of the Greek verb translated "was raised" implies that since God raised Him He is still alive. The third day was Sunday. Friday, the day of the crucifixion, was the first day, and Saturday was the second. The phrase "according to the Scriptures" probably describes the Resurrection alone in view of the structure of the sentence in Greek (cf. Leviticus 23:10-14; Psalms 16:10-11; Psalms 17:15; Isaiah 53:10 b; Hosea 6:2; Matthew 12:38-41).
"Though the resurrection is part of the gospel message, it is not part of the saving work of Christ on the cross. The resurrection is stated as proof of the efficacy of Christ’s death. Having accomplished redemption by His death, Jesus Christ was ’raised because of our justification’ (Romans 4:25). The fact that Jesus Christ is alive is part of the Christian’s good news, but individuals are saved by His death, not by His resurrection." [Note: Thomas L. Constable, "The Gospel Message," in Walvoord: A Tribute, p. 203.]
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