Resurrection Mystery Solved

[Justin]

Ok... so I've been struggling with the day of the resurrection and when Jesus was buried - this has been bugging me for a while:

The Bible says Jesus was dead three days and three nights. Clearly from scripture He rose on the first day of the week (Sunday) in the morning. Most protestant churches recognize Thursday as His burial for this reason.
The problem I had with that was: thus day & thus night = 1, fri day & fri night = 2 and sat day and sat night = 3, that's three days and nights but raising on Sunday would be a fourth day, the math doesn't work. Plus scripture tells us he rose on the third day - not the fourth.
Catholics present his burial on Friday but again we have a problem - he would have to raise on Sunday night to make it three days and three nights, clearly from scripture he rose Sunday morning.

Then the answer hit me. He died at night, Thursday night. Then we have a perfect count: thur night & fri day = 1, fri night and sat day = 2 and sat night and sun day = 3; raising on the third DAY and also the first day of the week.

Now I feel much better - happy Easter!

[ryan]

Wait though. How can that be if when Jesus died darkness came over the whole land? If Jesus died at night, then wouldn't it be a little hard to tell if darkness came over the land if it was already dark? And Matthew 27:45 says that it was the 9th hour when Jesus cried out "My God, My God, why have You forsaken me?". And the 9th hour is 3 in the afternoon right? Or are you saying that many hours pass between Matthew 27:45 and Matthew 27:50 when Jesus gives up His spirit?

[Justin]

Oops - I said died at night but I meant buried at night. I think the time of death is irrelevant to the question because scripture seems to be addressing His burial when it says 3 days and 3 nights. So I think your observations are good but they surround the death and that he was still buried at night.