Question:
In Matt.12:40 where Jesus said he would be in the heart of the earth for 3 days and 3 nights (in reference to Jonah 1:19 where Jonah was 3 days and 3 nights in the belly of the whale); no matter how you “slice it”, it means that Jesus arose on the beginning of the 4th day. The same expression “3 days and 3 nights” is used in 1 Sam.30:11-13 (referring to a young Egyptian being left out in the wilderness 3 days and 3 nights, and they found him on the 4th day (he was left out there 3 days ago). And in Matt.27:63, the soldiers were told that Jesus would rise “after 3 days”. But in Matt.16:21, 17:23, 20:19, 27:64, Mark 9:31, 10:34, Luke 13:32, 18:33, 24:7,46, Acts 16:40, 1 Cor. 15:4, it states that the 3rd day, Jesus would rise again. Also, Jesus said 3 days and 3 nights (not 3 “evenings” and 3 “mornings” as in Gen.1. If Jesus was Jewish (and He was), would He not use 3 evenings and 3 mornings (3 nights and 3 days) instead of the opposite? He said 3 “days” and 3 “nights”, but He spent His first “night” in the “heart of the earth (not His first day). Please respond.
Answer:
Now at what time of the day did Jesus die? It was around three in the afternoon on Wednesday. “And it was about the sixth hour, and there was a darkness over all the earth until the ninth hour. And when Jesus had cried with a loud voice, he said, Father, into thy hands I commend my spirit: And having said thus, he gave up the ghost (Luke 23:44-46).” When it says the ninth hour, it means the ninth hour since the break of day. In other words, it was three o’clock in the afternoon. Jesus was taken away from the cross and hurriedly buried the same afternoon before sundown or 6:00 P.M. Now remember that the Jewish day always begins at sundown or at about 6:00 P.M. Our day begins at midnight, but the Jewish day began at sunset. In Leviticus 23:32, the Lord said, “From even unto even shall ye celebrate your sabbath. If you count 72 hours from late Wednesday afternoon at around 6:00 P.M., then Jesus would have been in the tomb until late Saturday afternoon at around 6:00 P.M. So, a Sunday morning resurrection is not what the Bible teaches. We believe that Jesus was resurrected on Saturday evening at about 6:00 P.M. Jesus was placed in the tomb at around 6:00 P.M. on Wednesday. Seventy-two hours later would be at around 6:00 P.M. on Saturday, exactly when the first day began (Sunday). When the women arrived at the tomb early Sunday morning, Jesus was already gone. The Gospel is summed up in I Corinthians 15:3-4, “…Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures and that he was buried, and that he rose again the third day according to the Scriptures.” Those who arrived early Sunday morning simply discovered an empty tomb. The angel said, “He is not here, for He is risen (Luke 24:6).” One objection to a Wednesday crucifixion is found in Luke 24:21, which says, “But we trusted that it had been he which should have redeemed Israel: and beside all this, today is the third day since these things were done.” This conversation takes place on Sunday, the day of resurrection. The answer is found in the word “since.” Counting from this verse, Sunday is the third day, Saturday the second day, Friday is the first day SINCE the Passover. The Thursday Passover (Jewish reckoning) had its night on what we would call Wednesday night and twilight of that night, meaning between 3:00 P.M. and 6:00 P.M., is when Christ was crucified. The twilight of Thursday afternoon would have counted as the twilight of Friday night which began at 6:00 P.M. by Jewish reckoning. So we see there is no conflict. The real issue is not really what day was Christ crucified on, but the need to be careful Bible students, lest we miss what the Bible teaches about how to be saved. We know that nothing could wash away our sins but the blood of Jesus Christ. If you have not trusted Jesus Christ and His shed blood as your only means of reaching heaven, then do so now.