The prophecy concerning the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ speaks of a period of three days and three nights. Based on this understanding, some believe that Jesus died on a Wednesday afternoon and was buried before sunset, which marked the beginning of Thursday according to the Jewish calendar. This timeline is considered by many to perfectly fulfill the prophecy of “three days and three nights” before His resurrection.
Because of this interpretation, some Christians question the traditional belief that Jesus died on Friday, arguing that it may not fully match the biblical record. They also believe that certain practices associated with Holy Week are rooted more in religious tradition than in the direct teachings of Scripture.
In Matthew 28:1–6, the Bible records that when Mary Magdalene and the other Mary arrived at the tomb after the Sabbath, Jesus was no longer there because He had already risen. The angel announced to them, “He is not here, for He is risen.” This indicates that Christ had resurrected before the dawn of the first day of the week.
According to this explanation, Jesus died around three o’clock on Wednesday afternoon and was buried quickly by Joseph of Arimathea before sunset because the Sabbath was approaching. Since the Jews observed both weekly Sabbaths and special feast-day Sabbaths, not every Sabbath occurred on a Saturday. It is believed that during that particular year there were two Sabbaths, which helps explain the sequence of events surrounding His burial and resurrection.
Therefore, it is believed that Jesus rose before Sunday morning, completing the full three days and three nights exactly as prophesied in Scripture. Above all, the main message remains that Jesus Christ overcame death and rose again, fulfilling the promise of God.
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