Psalm 16:10, Acts 2:25-32, Matthew 12:40
Not Unexpected to God
For the disciples, the resurrection was a shattering surprise — they had not connected the prophecies to the event, even though Jesus had repeatedly predicted it. But from the perspective of the Old Testament, the resurrection of the Messiah was anticipated — in the Psalms, in the prophets, and in the typological patterns woven through the narrative of Israel.
The Old Testament Anticipations
Psalm 16:10. "For you will not abandon my soul to Sheol, or let your holy one see corruption." Peter's Pentecost sermon (Acts 2:25-32) argues that this cannot refer to David himself — David died and was buried, and his tomb was well known. It must refer to one of his descendants. The one who did not see corruption is Jesus, raised on the third day.
Psalm 110:1. "The Lord says to my Lord: 'Sit at my right hand.' " The exaltation presupposed by this verse implies resurrection — the enthroned Messiah is the risen Messiah. Peter uses both Psalm 16 and Psalm 110 together at Pentecost to argue for the resurrection (Acts 2:34-36).
Isaiah 53:10-12. The Suffering Servant, after being "put to grief" and making "his soul an offering for guilt," will "see his offspring," "prolong his days," and "divide the spoil with the strong." Life after death, prolonged days after the offering of his life — the resurrection of the Servant is anticipated.
Jonah's three days. Jesus Himself pointed to this as the sign of His resurrection: "For just as Jonah was three days and three nights in the belly of the great fish, so will the Son of Man be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth." (Matthew 12:40). Jonah's emergence from the fish is a type of the resurrection.
The Disciples' Failure to Understand
John's comment after the discovery of the empty tomb is telling: "for as yet they did not understand the Scripture, that he must rise from the dead." (John 20:9). The prophecies were there; the pattern was there; but they were only understood retrospectively. The resurrection itself became the key that unlocked the Scriptures.