In Matthew 12:38-40 some important words are told: Some of the scribes and Pharisees said to Jesus, “Teacher we wish to see a sign from you.” Jesus answered them, “An evil and adulterous generation seeks a sign; BUT no sign shall be given to it except the sign of the Prophet Jonah. For as Jonah was three days and three nights in the belly of the fish, so will the Son of Man be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth.”
I have always been a self-thinker with many things. Many years ago while in my late teens to mid-twenties, I first asked myself the question as to how a Good Friday crucifixion could be three days and three nights leading to the resurrection. You noticed I stated here that I asked myself. I didn’t dare ask a trained pastor or priest this question. I figured in my mind that a probable reason is known to the trained individuals and left the thoughts wander off.
However, at times these thoughts would resurface. I discovered an explanation once that the Jews considered even one hour of a day as an entire day. So, a few hours of Friday evening, all day Saturday and and hour into Sunday would make this three day-three night promise fullfilled. I didn’t buy it!
I kept my thoughts privately, until a dozen years or so, I discussed it and received looks of confusion. I wrote these thoughts down and kept them.
I believe that the Good Friday concept happened somewhere way back among some church leaders who didn’t take into account Jewish laws and ways of counting days and nights and their different sabbaths. The tradition has flourished over the years.
In John 19:31, it is stated, Since it was the day of Preparation, in order to prevent the bodies from remaining on the cross on the Sabbath for that day was a high Sabbath… (Jewish sabbaths begin at sunset and go through the following day until sunset again). This high sabbath spoken in John can occur any day of the week and is referred to as one of the “annual Sabbaths”. This particular one occurred during the Feast of Unleavened Bread known as “Chag Hamatzah”. This is over the Passover week. So Jesus’ body would need to be entombed before sunset under Jewish law.
We know from scripture the women went to the tomb very early on the 1st day of the week which is a Sunday.
To allow for the 3 days and 3 nights as told by Jesus Himself the High sabbath would need to be on Thursday of that year with a Wednesday afternoon crucifixion.
By writing the days and nights down, I found it easier to follow.
Wed. night Thur. night Fri. night Sat (weekly sabbath) night Sun
1 night 2 nights 3 nights
Day 1 Day 2 Day 3
Jesus, to fulfill His own promise would have been resurrected anytime after the Saturday’s sabbath ended at sunset.
Something to think about.
Larry A. Smail's Blog 