What if we took all of Jesus' words literally?
Jesus said that He would be in the tomb for “three days and three nights” (Matt. 12:40). He provided specific parameters. Is this merely an expression? Does the Hebrew idiom of part of a day meaning a full day apply in this case? If this statement is to be taken literally, the Hebrew idiom route would end up with three days and two nights.
In Jesus’ time, a day was from sunrise to sunset, as represented by “12 hours.” Jesus even asks, “Are there not twelve hours in the day?” (John 11:9). There were no smaller units of time than the hour. Both the day and the night were divided into four watches, designated by three reference points. In the parable of the vineyard, all three are indicated: “the third hour [from sunrise],” “the sixth hour [from sunrise],” and “the ninth hour [from sunrise]” (Matt. 20:1-9). “Evening” rounds out the day. These reference points were for mid-morning, mid-day, and mid-afternoon.
A night was from sunset to sunrise. When discussing His second coming, the four watches of the night are indicated: “in the evening, at midnight, or when the rooster crows, or in the morning” (Mark 13:35).
Understandably, the "hour" and "watch"
are not necessarily exact times, but approximations. There may even be
overlap between them, and the time given could depend whether the viewer
rounded up or down to the reference points. For example, the "sixth hour"
might be determined to be anywhere from 10:30AM or 11:00AM to 1:00PM or
1:30 PM.
Mark
15:25 and John 19:14, however, are not any sort of supposed
"contradiction" because they are speaking of two completely different
things. Mark 15:25 is speaking of a precise time of the day, while John
19:14 is speaking of something else entirely. How do we know this? From
noon, the sixth hour (Matt. 27:45; Mark 15:33; Luke 23:44), Jesus
was already on the cross and there was darkness over the entire land.
If Jesus was already on the cross, how could He still be under
examination by Pilate? You see, Jesus was our Passover Lamb. As such, He
had to undergo preparation and be examined for any blemish (Ex. 12:2). He was examined by Annas, Caiaphas, Pilate, and Herod. Pilate repeatedly announced, "I find in Him no fault at all." The "sixth hour" must therefore refer to the sixth hour of His trial and examination before He was killed.
The "sixth hour" of John 19:14 does not correspond to midnight either. First of all, those who claim it does fail to pay attention to the context of the passage: "Now it was the day of preparation for the Passover; it was about the sixth hour. And [Pilate] said to the Jews, 'Behold, your King!' So they cried out, 'Away with Him, away with Him, crucify Him!' Pilate said to them, 'Shall I crucify your King?' The chief priests answered, 'We have no king but Caesar.' So he then handed Him over to them to be crucified" (John 19:14-16). Second of all, Jesus was led away to the Sanhedrin "when it was day" (Luke 22:66), then to Pilate in the morning (Matt. 27:1; Mark 15:1). The trial before Pilate-Herod-Pilate must be after 6:00 A.M., which means that the "sixth hour" cannot possibly refer to the sixth hour of the night. Not to mention that many events would have to be crammed between sunset and midnight, leaving 9 hours between His sentencing and crucifixion. Also, the Bible writers never use Roman timing (which argument also encounters the same problems as above).
The "sixth hour" of John 19:14 does not correspond to midnight either. First of all, those who claim it does fail to pay attention to the context of the passage: "Now it was the day of preparation for the Passover; it was about the sixth hour. And [Pilate] said to the Jews, 'Behold, your King!' So they cried out, 'Away with Him, away with Him, crucify Him!' Pilate said to them, 'Shall I crucify your King?' The chief priests answered, 'We have no king but Caesar.' So he then handed Him over to them to be crucified" (John 19:14-16). Second of all, Jesus was led away to the Sanhedrin "when it was day" (Luke 22:66), then to Pilate in the morning (Matt. 27:1; Mark 15:1). The trial before Pilate-Herod-Pilate must be after 6:00 A.M., which means that the "sixth hour" cannot possibly refer to the sixth hour of the night. Not to mention that many events would have to be crammed between sunset and midnight, leaving 9 hours between His sentencing and crucifixion. Also, the Bible writers never use Roman timing (which argument also encounters the same problems as above).
We know that Saturday is a weekly Sabbath, so we will start with that as our focal point. Mark 16:1 says that "when the Sabbath was over" the women "bought spices, so that they might [go] and anoint [Jesus’ body]." Luke 23:56 informs us that after the women had seen where Jesus' body was to be laid, "they returned and prepared spices and perfumes" and "on the Sabbath they rested according to the commandment." Luke 24:1 says that "on the first day of the week"—Sunday—"at early dawn, they took the spices they had prepared." John 20:1 says that "on the first day of the week"—Sunday—they "came early to the tomb, while it was still dark."
Looking at the two verses from Luke and John, we know that the women came to the tomb early on Sunday while it was still dark, before dawn. Looking at the information in Mark and Luke about the spices, we know that they bought them and prepared them, the preparation of which would have taken several hours, which seems unlikely to have occurred in the remaining time between Jesus giving up the spirit, being placed in a tomb, and the Sabbath commencing. It is also highly unlikely that this could have happened Sunday morning before the sun came up. Sunday they brought the spices, but they could not have bought and prepared the spices on Sunday. Scripture tells us that after the Sabbath they bought them (Mark) and after the Sabbath they brought them (Luke). How can that be?
Matthew 28:1 uses the plural form—Sabbaths. Further, John 19:31 says that the Sabbath after the crucifixion was a High Day Sabbath. So, it would seem that there were two Sabbaths in that week. Now, let us take the information from above and connect it to this information. This means that our High Day Sabbath was on Thursday because on Friday the women bought their spices and prepared them, as Saturday they would not be able, for Scripture says they rested on the weekly Sabbath as the Law commanded. Then followed Sunday, when the women came to the tomb with their spices. With all this information, Wednesday had to have been the day of our Lord’s crucifixion. But when was His resurrection?
Let us return to the Sunday. Scripture tells us that the women arrived at the tomb while it was still dark, before dawn, and the tomb was already empty. Jesus was not there. He had already risen! Scripture repeatedly informs us that Jesus rose on the third day: "in three days" (Matt. 16:61; 27:40; Mark 14:58; 15:29; John 2:19-20), "after three days" (Matt. 27:63; Mark 8:31), "three days later" (Mark 9:31; 10:34), "on the third day" (Matt. 16:21; 17:23; 20:19; Luke 9:22; Acts 10:40; 1 Cor. 15:4), "the third day" (Luke 18:33; 24:7, 46), and "third day since" (Luke 24:21). There is no escaping that fact. However, nowhere in Scripture does it tell us that Jesus rose on a Sunday. Or does it?
All details of Scripture need to be considered. Not traditions and not opinions. If we follow all the details in Scripture above, this makes the most sense: crucified on Wednesday, high day Sabbath on Thursday, buy and prepare spices on Friday, rest on the weekly Sabbath—Saturday. If Jesus rose on Sunday, then we have three days and four nights. If Jesus' statement about “three days and three nights” is accurate, and not an expression, then Jesus would have to have risen some time late Saturday toward the start of their Sunday at 6:00PM.
That would seem to settle the issue, would it not? The details of each passage bearing light on the issue considered and mapped together. The Sabbatarians would sure like this explanation to be true. But how does this account for the details from the road to Emmaus? Remember, Luke 24:1 says, "on the first day of the week, at early dawn, they came to the tomb bringing the spices which they had prepared." So the day is Sunday. Verse 13 says that "two of them were going that very day to a village named Emmaus, which was about seven miles from Jerusalem." Verse 21 says the most problematic statement for the Sabbatarians: "But we were hoping that it was He who was going to redeem Israel. Indeed, besides all this, it is the third day since these things happened." It is the third day since these things happened. Which day is that? Sunday.
If Jesus died on a Wednesday and rose on a Sunday, there is the problem of having three days and four nights, because Scripture says He would rise "on the third day." If Jesus died on a Wednesday and rose on a Saturday, there is the
problem of the trip to Emmaus on Sunday, because Scripture says it was "the third day since these things happened." If Jesus died on a Thursday and rose on a Sunday, there is not only the problem of not having time between the two Sabbaths for the women to buy and prepare the spices, but also the fact that the day of preparation always referred to a Friday. If Jesus died on a Friday and rose on a Sunday, there is the problem of Mark 16:1. Unless the women bought the spices after sundown on Saturday (their Sunday).
Sadly, when confronted with the details of Scripture, most Christians will close their eyes in utter rejection and blindly march over the cliff of ignorance simply because what they were taught trumps the facts of reality. When we first came to Christ we had to admit that we were wrong and had believed in error, but God forbid that as a Christian we should have to admit that we have been wrong and have believed in error. This is why so many are falling away from the faith today, turning to doctrines of demons instead in order to have their ears tickled. They have never known God and have never received salvation to begin with; merely religious education from an upbringing in the church. Because they are more in love with the world than they are with the Saviour, they reject biblical inerrancy and sufficiency and reject the Bible as our only rule of faith and life. This is why so-called "Christians" have no problem accepting homosexuality and transgenderism—because they have never read the Bible and they do not know God's thoughts on it. Christians need to develop a genuine love for God and for His Word, otherwise they are doomed to be devoured by the world.
Sadly, when confronted with the details of Scripture, most Christians will close their eyes in utter rejection and blindly march over the cliff of ignorance simply because what they were taught trumps the facts of reality. When we first came to Christ we had to admit that we were wrong and had believed in error, but God forbid that as a Christian we should have to admit that we have been wrong and have believed in error. This is why so many are falling away from the faith today, turning to doctrines of demons instead in order to have their ears tickled. They have never known God and have never received salvation to begin with; merely religious education from an upbringing in the church. Because they are more in love with the world than they are with the Saviour, they reject biblical inerrancy and sufficiency and reject the Bible as our only rule of faith and life. This is why so-called "Christians" have no problem accepting homosexuality and transgenderism—because they have never read the Bible and they do not know God's thoughts on it. Christians need to develop a genuine love for God and for His Word, otherwise they are doomed to be devoured by the world.