"І "He rose again on the third day, according to the Scriptures"...
The fifth article of the Creed speaks of the resurrection of Jesus Christ on the third day after His death.
Since the prophetic books of the Old Testament clearly foretold the Savior's suffering, death, burial, and resurrection, it is said: "according to the Scriptures." These words apply not only to the fifth, but also to the fourth article of the Creed.
Jesus Christ died on Good Friday at about three o'clock in the afternoon, and rose again after midnight on the first day of the week, which has since been called "Sunday" (i.e., Resurrection Day). In those days, even part of a day was counted as a whole day, which is why it is said that He was in the tomb for three days.
The Holy Church describes the state of Jesus Christ after death and before the resurrection as follows:
"In the grave with the body,
in hell - with a soul like God,
in paradise - with a robber,
and on the throne with the Father and the Spirit,
filling all things, the Incomprehensible."
We know that in both the Old and New Testaments some people were raised from the dead, but it was always someone else who did it, and these resurrected ones returned to their former earthly, mortal bodies—and therefore had to die again.
Jesus Christ rose Himself, by the power of His Divinity. He rose in a transfigured body—heavenly and immortal. He came out of the tomb, without breaking the seal of the Sanhedrin, without rolling away the stone—and was invisible to the guards.
The Lord first announced His resurrection through an angel who rolled away the stone from the entrance to the tomb — and this was witnessed by the soldiers guarding the tomb, but they fled in fear. Then the angels announced the resurrection of Jesus to the myrrh-bearing women. And finally, Jesus Christ Himself appeared to His disciples many times over forty days, giving them numerous proofs of His resurrection — He allowed them to touch His wounds from the nails and the spear, He ate in their presence, and He spoke to them about the mysteries of the Kingdom of God.
On the day of Christ's Resurrection we sing:
"Christ is risen from the dead, trampling down death by death, and to those in the tombs he has granted life!"
By His death, the Lord conquered death and gave life to all who rest in the tombs. Now the Lord dwells forever in His new resurrected body. The Most Holy Theotokos, whom the Lord resurrected after Her Dormition, also dwells in the same resurrected body. And all people will receive a new resurrected body at the Second Coming of the Savior - when there will be a general resurrection (which is spoken of in the eleventh article of the Creed).
Thus the prophecy spoken through the prophet Hosea was fulfilled:
“I will redeem them from the power of hell; I will save them from death. Death, where is your sting? Hell, where is your victory?”
(Hosea 13, 14)
"And He rose again on the third day, according to the Scriptures"
The fifth article of the Nicene Creed speaks about the resurrection of Jesus Christ on the third day after His death.
Since the sufferings, death, burial, and resurrection of the Savior were clearly foretold in the writings of the Old Testament prophets, it says: "according to the Scriptures." These words apply not only to the fifth article but also to the fourth.
Jesus Christ died on Good Friday around three o'clock in the afternoon and rose again after midnight, from Saturday into the first day of the week — the day which from that time has been called "Sunday" (the Day of the Resurrection). In those days, even part of a day was counted as a full day, which is why it is said that He was in the tomb for three days.
The state of Jesus Christ after His death and before His resurrection is described by the Holy Orthodox Church in the following words:
"In the tomb with the body,
in Hades with the soul as God,
in Paradise with the thief,
and on the throne with the Father and the Spirit —
You were, O Christ, filling all things, the Incomprehensible One.”
We know that in both the Old and New Testaments, some people were raised from the dead, but they were brought back by someone else, and they rose in their former earthly, mortal bodies — and therefore, they eventually died again.
Jesus Christ, however, rose from the dead by His own divine power. He rose in His transformed, glorified body — heavenly and immortal. He came out of the tomb without breaking the seal of the Sanhedrin, without rolling away the stone, and unseen by the guards.
The Lord first revealed His Resurrection through an angel who rolled the stone away from the entrance to the tomb — witnessed by the guards, who fled in fear. Then angels proclaimed the Resurrection to the myrrh-bearing women. And finally, Jesus Himself appeared many times over forty days to His disciples, offering them many proofs of His Resurrection — allowing them to touch His wounds from the nails and spear, eating in front of them, and speaking with them about the mysteries of the Kingdom of God.
On the Day of the Resurrection, we sing:
"Christ is risen from the dead, trampling down death by death, and upon those in the tombs bestowing life!”
By His death, the Lord conquered death and gave life to those in the tombs. Now the Lord eternally abides in this new, risen body. In the same way, the Mother of God also abides in a resurrected body, for the Lord raised her after her Dormition. As for all people — they will receive such a new, resurrected body at the Second Coming of the Savior, during the general resurrection (which is addressed in the eleventh article of the Creed).
Thus was fulfilled the prophecy spoken through the prophet Hosea:
"I will ransom them from the power of the grave; I will redeem them from death. O Death, where is your sting? O Hades, where is your victory?” (Hosea 13:14)
