The question of how Jesus' death on Friday and resurrection on Sunday can be understood as "three days" is explained by the Jewish method of counting days and the biblical context.
Jewish Reckoning of Days
- In Jewish tradition, a day begins at sunset, not at midnight as in modern Western reckoning. Therefore, any part of a day is counted as a whole day.
- Jesus was crucified and buried on Friday before sunset, which counts as the first day.
- Saturday, the Sabbath, is the second full day.
- Jesus rose early Sunday morning, which counts as the third day, even though it is not a full 24-hour day
Biblical Expressions of Time
- The phrase "three days and three nights" (Matthew 12:40) is often understood idiomatically rather than literally as 72 full hours. It can mean three parts of days, including parts of Friday, all of Saturday, and part of Sunday
- Other gospel verses mention Jesus rising "on the third day," which aligns with counting Friday as day one, Saturday day two, and Sunday day three
Summary
- Friday afternoon to Sunday morning spans parts of three days by Jewish inclusive counting.
- This method explains how Jesus' death on Friday and resurrection on Sunday fulfill the "three days" prophecy without requiring a full 72-hour period.
- The cultural and linguistic context of the time clarifies this apparent discrepancy.
Thus, Jesus' death on Friday and resurrection on Sunday is counted as three days by the Jewish way of reckoning days, where any part of a day counts as a full day, making Sunday the third day
