When Jesus Rose

[dp]

One Bible question I get a lot is how to figure the "three days and three nights" our Lord Jesus was in the tomb, and the timing of His crucifixion and His Resurrection. The important thing to remember is to use the Hebrew day reckoning of time. Per the Hebrew reckoning, the new day began at sunset, not midnight.

These Scripture examples give the basis to figure the timing:

John 19:31
31   The Jews therefore, because it was the preparation, that the bodies should not remain upon the cross on the sabbath day, (for that sabbath day was an high day,) besought Pilate that their legs might be broken, and that they might be taken away.
(KJV)

Matt 28:1
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.
(KJV)

Matt 12:40
40   For as Jonas was three days and three nights in the whale's belly; so shall the Son of man be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth.
(KJV)

The John 19 verse links with Leviticus 23 on when the Passover sacrifice was to be held, which was at evening (Lev.23:5 and Exo.12:6). Our Lord Jesus was crucified at the exact timing required to fit the Passover sacrificial lamb per OT reckoning. (And thus Paul says about our Lord Jesus, "...even Christ our passover is sacrificed for us" in 1 Corinthians 5:7).

The "high sabbath" John 19:31 mentions did not mean the regular weekly sabbath (Saturday). Per Leviticus 23 the Passover was to always be a high sabbath, whichever day it fell on. Our Lord was crucified at the time of evening, and then at sunset per the Hebrew reckoning would begin the next day, the high sabbath. That's why they hurried to bury the bodies.

Understanding that, then it's a simple matter of counting the "three days and three nights" our Lord's Body would be in the tomb, per the Hebrew reckoning...

Our Lord Jesus was crucified on Wednesday, and at Wednesday evening sunset His Body was taken off the cross and placed in the tomb. Count starts at Wednesday sunset.

1st night - Wednesday evening after sunset began Thursday. From Thursday at sunset to Thursday morn was the first night.
1st day - From Thursday morn to Thursday evening. At Thursday evening at sunset began Friday.
2nd night - Friday at sunset to Friday morn was 2nd night in the tomb.
2nd day - From Friday morn to Friday evening was 2nd day. At Friday evening at sunset began Saturday.
3rd night - Saturday at sunset to Saturday morn was 3rd night.
3rd day - From Saturday morn to Saturday evening was 3rd day in the tomb. Saturday evening at sunset began Sunday.

Per Matthew 28, the regular weekly sabbath (Saturday) was at end when Mary Magdalene and and our Lord's mother went to the tomb, on the first day of the week (Sunday). Dawn was starting, so it was sometime Sunday morning. When they came to His tomb Jesus had already risen. So our Lord had risen sometime during the time from Saturday sunset to Sunday morning. Since He promised He would rise after "three days and three nights" in the tomb, He rose on Sunday, sometime after sunset Saturday per Hebrew reckoning, not to include a whole another night.

In Christ Jesus,
Dave