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Mattew 12:40 For as Jonah was in the belly of the great fish for three days and three nights, so I, the Son of Man, will be in the heart of the earth for three days and three nights.

So if Friday is the day our Lord died, he would have risen on Monday!
What about the 3 days? Easily explained.
Late Friday to late Saturday day one
Late Saturday to late Sunday day two
Late Sunday to late Monday day three
He rose Monday morning, on the third day!

At an apologetics forum, I read that the Jews had a different way of computing days.  They said that the Jews considered a partial day as one day.

Anyone else have some more input on this, to explain the 3 nights?

I just believe what the Lord said...but do realize some others have questions sometimes.

Brothers and Sisters,

We have numerous detailed threads on the forum about the Sabbath controversy, but there really isn't any controversy.

1 - We are not under the Law - Rather GRACE.

2 - JESUS CHRIST is LORD over all days, not just one.

3 - Christians rest in JESUS CHRIST 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.

Love In Christ,
Tom

Romans 14:5 NASB  One person regards one day above another, another regards every day alike. Each person must be fully convinced in his own mind.

Romans 14:6 NASB  He who observes the day, observes it for the Lord, and he who eats, does so for the Lord, for he gives thanks to God; and he who eats not, for the Lord he does not eat, and gives thanks to God.

Debp thats correct Ive allways been  taught that a part of a day is counted as a day. Its like saying Ive worked all day but yet may have only worked 8 hours ,yet we still call it a day.

but it still says 3 nights
Friday night Saturday night and Sunday night

This is something that has stumped theologians for many years and has caused many divisions in the body. Jesus said that He would rise again in three days:

Mar 8:31  And he began to teach them, that the Son of man must suffer many things, and be rejected of the elders, and of the chief priests, and scribes, and be killed, and after three days rise again.

We also know when He arose:

Mat 28:1  In the end of the sabbath, as it began to dawn toward the first day of the week, came Mary Magdalene and the other Mary to see the sepulchre.

Many have used this to substantiate that their denomination is "worshiping correctly" and others are sinning in their manner of worship. We know that Jesus does not lie, He was in the grave for three days and arose and is now living. As Brother Tom said,

This is true.

From Barnes Commentary:

Three days and three nights -
It will be seen in the account of the resurrection of Christ that he was in the grave but two nights and a part of three days.  This computation is, however, strictly in accordance with the Jewish mode of reckoning. If it had “not” been, the Jews would have understood it, and would have charged our Saviour as being a false prophet, for it was well known to them that he had spoken this prophecy, Mat_27:63. Such a charge, however, was never made; and it is plain, therefore, that what was “meant” by the prediction was accomplished. It was a maxim, also, among the Jews, in computing time, that a part of a day was to be received as the whole. Many instances of this kind occur in both sacred and profane history. See 2Ch_10:5, 2Ch_10:12; Gen_42:17-18. Compare Est_4:16 with Est_5:1.

The Esther comarison is a good example of partial days being said as 3 whole days.

Blessings!

Brothers and Sisters,

The real controversy involves various churches arguing about what day of the week should be observed as the Sabbath. There are two camps: one saying that the Sabbath should be Saturday and one saying that the Sabbath should be Sunday. There's a much larger camp that says every day belongs to the LORD, and we rest in CHRIST 7 days a week.

The Sabbath was Jewish Law under Moses, and we are no longer under the Law of Moses. JESUS CHRIST died on the CROSS as a perfect Sacrifice, and Christians have the HOLY SPIRIT of GOD living in our hearts 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Christians have access to the THRONE OF GRACE 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Christians are a bought and paid for possession of JESUS CHRIST, and JESUS CHRIST owns us 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. I give thanks for this wonderful and beautiful FACT AND TRUTH. GOD is with us and in us 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, and we are members of an eternal church not made with human hands, THE CHURCH WHICH IS THE BODY OF CHRIST. CHRIST HIMSELF is the head over this ETERNAL CHURCH and we are members of HIS BODY. It doesn't get any better than this. We are children of the KING OF KINGS, and we have immediate access to HIS THRONE OF GRACE 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.


Matthew 22:36-40  NASB  "Teacher, which is the great commandment in the Law?" And He said to him, " 'YOU SHALL LOVE THE LORD YOUR GOD WITH ALL YOUR HEART, AND WITH ALL YOUR SOUL, AND WITH ALL YOUR MIND.' "This is the great and foremost commandment. "The second is like it, 'YOU SHALL LOVE YOUR NEIGHBOR AS YOURSELF.' "On these two commandments depend the whole Law and the Prophets."

Love In Christ,
Tom

Ephesians 4:4-6 NASB  There is one body and one Spirit, just as also you were called in one hope of your calling; one Lord, one faith, one baptism, one God and Father of all who is over all and through all and in all.

David, I think the important thing is that we believe that Christ died and rose as He predicted He would.

If you want to investigate Matthew 12:40 more so, you might try reading some of the Bible commentaries at www.heartlight.org (http://www.heartlight.org)  Just type in your verse and several commentaries will come up, too.

Brothers and Sisters, we must keep in mind that there was a Jewish calendar and a Julian calendar. Trying to figure out what day exactly Jesus was crucified and what day He was resurrected, should not make us skeptical of the fact that God's Word says that Jesus was in the tomb 3 days and 3 nights. The important thing to keep in mind here is that Jesus Christ is Risen.

We have to keep in mind that there are many things that we will not understand fully while we are still on earth. But we MUST keep our eyes fixed on the price Jesus paid for us and accept His sacrifice by faith.

 
a big FAT......

(http://i20.photobucket.com/albums/b207/tinabaran/bbbbbbbbbbbbbbbb.jpg)

I believe the Word of God and have faith in what Jesus said.....but there are some that try to use this verse to discredit Christianity because the 3 days are understandable (partial days counted as one day)...but the 3 nights are harder to explain.

As I said, I believe what the Bible says....but sometimes we do need to try to answer the question's others may have....although we ourselves take it by faith.

For those who are interested in the apologetic aspect of 3 days, and 3 nights, I just finished watching Hal Lindsey's latest editorial and his entire show is about this very discussion.

He shows how historically, the Jewish feasts of passover fit precisely into the passover week that Jesus was crucified, AND explains  the 3 days and 3 nights in the tomb.   Superb show, I highly recommend watching if you want to be able to answer this question for those who might have questions about this particular item in scripture.  It will dash your "good Friday" celebrations though... :D


http://www.hallindsey.org/  see the April 6th, 2007 video.


Blessings!

Hi 2T, The most important thing for all Christians should not be what day it was that Jesus was crucified, what really matters is that it was prophecy and that we were told in the Word of God it happened, I thank God for the sacrifice of His only begotten Son, and I thank my Lord Jesus for carrying my sins and dying on the cross for me. To cleanse me of all my sins ... it is important to remember that it HAD to be Jesus Who would die for our sins it could not be anyone else. Jesus' Blood is the ONLY Blood that can cleanse not just me, or you or a few, but every man, woman, and child from the beginning of creation even until His return through out history once and for all. And then to make sure that sacrifice was COMPLETE Jesus raised from the dead and ascended presented that sacrifice before God on our behalf making it complete. Satisfying once and for all time the redemption of sins.

Celebrating the days is not what is important what is important is what we are celebrating. Hallelujah.

This is very true but we also need to be able to answer the questions of "Doubting Thomas' ". Many have overcome their doubts when reasonable explanations have been given to them on supposed scriptural inconsistencies.

Precisely PR!

I realize there is an ongoing age long sabbath keeping deal that rears its ugly head every so often on the board here.   However as Depp and perhaps others bring up, this topic is clearly ALSO a good apologetics question.


This has been well established already sister...we are on the same page here for certain (my comment about celebrating good Friday was tongue and cheek humor).  The question originally brought up was regarding Jesus own words, that He would be in the grave for 3 days and 3 nights.   

Its a good and legitimate question, even if us believers take it all on blind faith.  Jews obviously never questioned Jesus claims regarding the 3 days and nights, because they understood the feasts.  The problem arises in mostly gentile believers who do not understand the customs....thus IMO it is a good question for investigation...if we are berean in our investigation into Gods Word.   Don't you think?

Blessings!

They have a Lunar calendar in Judaism,so late Friday would
have been Saturday & Saturday evening would have been
Sunday. So then it isn't as weird as it sounds.


                               Yours in Yeshua,
                               Curious

I have never been able to figure out how anyone can get THREE  days and THREE nights from Friday afternoon to Sunday morning. That is TWO nights (Friday and Saturday) and less than 48 hours. Were the days and nights shorter back then? That's the only way we can get three days and three nights out of that. Yes, He rose on the third day, but scripture says He was in the heart of the earth three days and three nights like Jonah was in the belly of the whale three days and three nights. If he rose on the first day od the week (Sunday), then he had to have died on Thursday in order to get three nights--unless as I said, the days and nights were shorter.

Sunday is Saturday evening to Sunday evening.
Tradition says that he died on a Friday,but what
if that is not so. What if he died on Wednesday
evening(which to them would have been
Thursday) or Thursday day ?


                           Yours in Yeshua,
                           Curious

Hello Curious,

Here's the beautiful thing about JESUS CHRIST and the CROSS:

CHRIST is LORD of all days and all hours - 24/7. They all belong to HIM.

The HOLY SPIRIT OF GOD lives in a Christian's heart 24/7.

Christians have access to the Throne of Grace 24/7.

CHRIST HIMSELF is our Mediator 24/7.

The HOLY SPIRIT HIMSELF is our Comforter and Guide 24/7.

We don't need a Levitical Priest to enter the HOLY OF HOLIES on our behalf, and we don't need a temple because we are the temple of the LIVING GOD.

We can have a personal relationship with the KING OF KINGS 24/7, and we are already Children with a full inheritance.

We really don't need a calendar or to know what day of the week it is because we can worship, praise, and pray 24/7. The day or the hour doesn't make a difference.

We are to study GOD'S WORD ourselves and become approved workmen, and I'm not talking about studying 1 hour a week at church. GOD gives us HIS Spiritual riches 24/7, and the HOLY SPIRIT OF GOD is in our hearts to help us understand those spiritual riches. We simply need to desire them and to pray that the HOLY SPIRIT helps us to understand when we study. If we desire to partake of these spiritual riches hours every day, GOD will give them to us and not turn us away.

JESUS CHRIST finished the work of Salvation on the CROSS most perfectly. JESUS CHRIST IS OUR SABBATH 24/7, and HE has offered HIMSELF to us 24/7. We don't need an appointment to partake of the Spiritual Riches HE has laid out before us to freely take. In fact, GOD wants us to take HIS Spiritual Riches and fill ourselves day and night with what HE has laid out for us to take.

GOD loves to hear our prayers.

CHRIST wants to be the head over our homes and the LORD over our lives 24/7.

The HOLY SPIRIT living in our hearts wants to comfort and guide us 24/7.

Lastly, our spiritual Riches in CHRIST are beyond human imagination. As Christians, we are already members of HIS BODY - THE CHURCH WHICH IS THE BODY OF CHRIST. This CHURCH is Eternal - not of this world - AND not made with human hands.

Love In Christ,
Tom

AMEN BROTHER!
He is always there and we can talk to Him anywhere, anytime.

Hello to you bep.I was just trying to answer David James's question about the 3 days & 3 nights,that's what I was talking about. I wasn't saying He WASN'T 24/7,
just trying to answer his question.


                                   Yours in Yeshua,
                                   Curious

Hello Curious,

I didn't think anything at all about this. I just considered it to be a pleasant discussion between Brothers and Sisters in CHRIST. When I think about this particular issue, it simply causes me to give thanks. On one hand I think about being a just a sinner saved by GOD'S Grace and washed clean by the precious Blood of JESUS CHRIST on the CROSS. On the other hand, I know that I'm a purchased possession of JESUS CHRIST, and GOD allows me an audience with HIM night or day, 7 days a week.

When I think about the term "Sabbath", I think about the harsh limits under the Mosaic Law and an immediate death penalty for the tiniest violation in approaching the Holy of Holies. NOW, I contrast this with the FREEDOM in CHRIST and know that all Christians have the HOLY SPIRIT OF GOD HIMSELF living in their hearts. The comparison is like between darkness and light, and the LIGHT is JESUS CHRIST. JESUS CHRIST made this FREEDOM possible, and we should give thanks numerous times every day.

Just consider - Levitical Priests were the mediators under the Mosaic Law. NOW - JESUS CHRIST HIMSELF is the MEDIATOR for Christians. It takes considerable thought for something this BIG to sink in. From here, we go to the Eternal Promises of GOD, and they are mind-boggling - almost beyond human comprehension.

Love In Christ,
Tom

Or could it have been that He died on Thursday and spent Thursday Friday and Saturday nights and rose on Sunday.

That is what I think. But remember, it's not how long he was dead that matters, it's why he died.

AMEN BROTHER DAVID!

This is the biggest and most precious event in history, and you've just stated what's REALLY IMPORTANT. The day of the week, the year, the hour, or the minute makes NO DIFFERENCE AT ALL BECAUSE THEY ALL BELONG TO JESUS CHRIST - EVERY SECOND! As Christians, we belong to HIM for Eternity. The Blood of JESUS CHRIST has BOUGHT US - PAID THE PRICE IN FULL - and RESCUED US FROM THE CURSE OF SIN AND DEATH!

We are NO LONGER our own, and I give thanks for that every day. This is more than enough for us to celebrate any hour, or any day, or all days and hours AS POSSESSIONS OF JESUS CHRIST! JESUS CHRIST is our ALL IN ALL FOR ETERNITY!

Love In Christ,
Tom