How Many Days
It’s that time of year again! As Easter nears the debates pop up about how long Jesus was actually in the tomb. Christians generally accept Jesus was in the grave for three days and arose from the dead on the third day. Calculations beginning with Good Friday start the questions.
As we count days, the space between Friday afternoon and Sunday morning don’t allow for the three days mentioned in the Bible. Matthew 12:40 “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.” speaks of three days and three nights. Other places such as Mark 14:58 we see the reference to simply there days, “We heard him say, I will destroy this temple that is made with hands, and within three days I will build another made without hands.”
Some see similar Scriptures as contradicting each other. Regardless, the math still doesn’t work. Our problem in reckoning the timeline according to the generally accepted explanation comes from the way we refer to a day. Using the term we translate as day in the time Christ walked upon the Earth meant the entire day according to Jewish tradition.
Using the calculations of that day, saying Jesus died and was placed in the grave on Friday would count as a day. Friday consisted of morning and night making one day. Saturday referd to morning and night making day two. Sunday, even though it was early morning, would count as an entire day as well making day three. Not everyone agrees with this formula. Some maintain the church, primarily the catholic church, set up the “holy week” calendar as a matter of convenience which caught on and has been kept.
Another school of thought says the actual window of events started with the Passover meal (last supper) taking place on Wednesday with the actual crucifixion and burial taking place Thursday. An argument arises over whether or not looking back on the calendar supports the actual feast taking place at that time. The calculation of three days in this line of thinking is: Thursday night and Sunday morning equal one whole day, Friday morning and Friday night make a day. Saturday morning and Saturday night comprise a day for a total of three days and three nights.
Another method is bit more relaxed in the interpretation of Scripture. It uses our modern way of thinking about a day. Proponents believe the Bible didn’t rigidly limit the time in the grave. Believers in this method look at Wednesday as the time of the crucifixion actually taking place. Again, backtracking the date of the Feast of Passover comes into question. Using this model Jesus would have laid in the sepulcher Wednesday evening, all day Thursday, Friday and Saturday rising on Sunday for a total of three full days and nights not counting Wednesday and Friday since they were only partial days.
One more group looks at the widely accepted standard method first mentioned but they hold the belief that Jesus didn’t die. They believe He was mistaken for dead and the coolness of the tomb revived Him. For this to be true we must believe that He as a man was beaten until he was no longer recognizable as a man, had his beard plucked out, was scourged in a manner that quite often killed men from blood loss, was crowned with thorns, forced to carry a cross until he collapsed and could not continue to do so, was nailed to that cross, dehydrated and had his heart pierced by a sword/spear pouring out blood and water. After this he hung on the cross until he was taken down and moved to the tomb, left for dead and sealed in. When he was placed in the tomb he didn’t suffocate but revived, found the strength to get out of the grave and walk about the countryside forty days as witnessed by over 500 people before ascending into Heaven. My thinking is that this takes way more faith to believe than the Bible narrative!
Arguing about the timeline of the death, burial and resurrection takes our attention away from point. Jesus suffered and endured the events of Easter week so we could be forgiven for all our sins and spend eternity with Him! Let’s not lose sight of what Easter is about. Spread the message. Jesus is Alive!
It’s that time of year again! As Easter nears the debates pop up about how long Jesus was actually in the tomb. Christians generally accept Jesus was in the grave for three days and arose from the dead on the third day. Calculations beginning with Good Friday start the questions.
As we count days, the space between Friday afternoon and Sunday morning don’t allow for the three days mentioned in the Bible. Matthew 12:40 “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.” speaks of three days and three nights. Other places such as Mark 14:58 we see the reference to simply there days, “We heard him say, I will destroy this temple that is made with hands, and within three days I will build another made without hands.”
Some see similar Scriptures as contradicting each other. Regardless, the math still doesn’t work. Our problem in reckoning the timeline according to the generally accepted explanation comes from the way we refer to a day. Using the term we translate as day in the time Christ walked upon the Earth meant the entire day according to Jewish tradition.
Using the calculations of that day, saying Jesus died and was placed in the grave on Friday would count as a day. Friday consisted of morning and night making one day. Saturday referd to morning and night making day two. Sunday, even though it was early morning, would count as an entire day as well making day three. Not everyone agrees with this formula. Some maintain the church, primarily the catholic church, set up the “holy week” calendar as a matter of convenience which caught on and has been kept.
Another school of thought says the actual window of events started with the Passover meal (last supper) taking place on Wednesday with the actual crucifixion and burial taking place Thursday. An argument arises over whether or not looking back on the calendar supports the actual feast taking place at that time. The calculation of three days in this line of thinking is: Thursday night and Sunday morning equal one whole day, Friday morning and Friday night make a day. Saturday morning and Saturday night comprise a day for a total of three days and three nights.
Another method is bit more relaxed in the interpretation of Scripture. It uses our modern way of thinking about a day. Proponents believe the Bible didn’t rigidly limit the time in the grave. Believers in this method look at Wednesday as the time of the crucifixion actually taking place. Again, backtracking the date of the Feast of Passover comes into question. Using this model Jesus would have laid in the sepulcher Wednesday evening, all day Thursday, Friday and Saturday rising on Sunday for a total of three full days and nights not counting Wednesday and Friday since they were only partial days.
One more group looks at the widely accepted standard method first mentioned but they hold the belief that Jesus didn’t die. They believe He was mistaken for dead and the coolness of the tomb revived Him. For this to be true we must believe that He as a man was beaten until he was no longer recognizable as a man, had his beard plucked out, was scourged in a manner that quite often killed men from blood loss, was crowned with thorns, forced to carry a cross until he collapsed and could not continue to do so, was nailed to that cross, dehydrated and had his heart pierced by a sword/spear pouring out blood and water. After this he hung on the cross until he was taken down and moved to the tomb, left for dead and sealed in. When he was placed in the tomb he didn’t suffocate but revived, found the strength to get out of the grave and walk about the countryside forty days as witnessed by over 500 people before ascending into Heaven. My thinking is that this takes way more faith to believe than the Bible narrative!
Arguing about the timeline of the death, burial and resurrection takes our attention away from point. Jesus suffered and endured the events of Easter week so we could be forgiven for all our sins and spend eternity with Him! Let’s not lose sight of what Easter is about. Spread the message. Jesus is Alive!
How Many Days
It’s that time of year again! As Easter nears the debates pop up about how long Jesus was actually in the tomb. Christians generally accept Jesus was in the grave for three days and arose from the dead on the third day. Calculations beginning with Good Friday start the questions.
As we count days, the space between Friday afternoon and Sunday morning don’t allow for the three days mentioned in the Bible. Matthew 12:40 “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.” speaks of three days and three nights. Other places such as Mark 14:58 we see the reference to simply there days, “We heard him say, I will destroy this temple that is made with hands, and within three days I will build another made without hands.”
Some see similar Scriptures as contradicting each other. Regardless, the math still doesn’t work. Our problem in reckoning the timeline according to the generally accepted explanation comes from the way we refer to a day. Using the term we translate as day in the time Christ walked upon the Earth meant the entire day according to Jewish tradition.
Using the calculations of that day, saying Jesus died and was placed in the grave on Friday would count as a day. Friday consisted of morning and night making one day. Saturday referd to morning and night making day two. Sunday, even though it was early morning, would count as an entire day as well making day three. Not everyone agrees with this formula. Some maintain the church, primarily the catholic church, set up the “holy week” calendar as a matter of convenience which caught on and has been kept.
Another school of thought says the actual window of events started with the Passover meal (last supper) taking place on Wednesday with the actual crucifixion and burial taking place Thursday. An argument arises over whether or not looking back on the calendar supports the actual feast taking place at that time. The calculation of three days in this line of thinking is: Thursday night and Sunday morning equal one whole day, Friday morning and Friday night make a day. Saturday morning and Saturday night comprise a day for a total of three days and three nights.
Another method is bit more relaxed in the interpretation of Scripture. It uses our modern way of thinking about a day. Proponents believe the Bible didn’t rigidly limit the time in the grave. Believers in this method look at Wednesday as the time of the crucifixion actually taking place. Again, backtracking the date of the Feast of Passover comes into question. Using this model Jesus would have laid in the sepulcher Wednesday evening, all day Thursday, Friday and Saturday rising on Sunday for a total of three full days and nights not counting Wednesday and Friday since they were only partial days.
One more group looks at the widely accepted standard method first mentioned but they hold the belief that Jesus didn’t die. They believe He was mistaken for dead and the coolness of the tomb revived Him. For this to be true we must believe that He as a man was beaten until he was no longer recognizable as a man, had his beard plucked out, was scourged in a manner that quite often killed men from blood loss, was crowned with thorns, forced to carry a cross until he collapsed and could not continue to do so, was nailed to that cross, dehydrated and had his heart pierced by a sword/spear pouring out blood and water. After this he hung on the cross until he was taken down and moved to the tomb, left for dead and sealed in. When he was placed in the tomb he didn’t suffocate but revived, found the strength to get out of the grave and walk about the countryside forty days as witnessed by over 500 people before ascending into Heaven. My thinking is that this takes way more faith to believe than the Bible narrative!
Arguing about the timeline of the death, burial and resurrection takes our attention away from point. Jesus suffered and endured the events of Easter week so we could be forgiven for all our sins and spend eternity with Him! Let’s not lose sight of what Easter is about. Spread the message. Jesus is Alive!
Arabic
French
Spanish
Portuguese
Deutsch
Turkish
Dutch
Italiano
Russian
Romaian
Portuguese (Brazil)
Greek
हिन्दी