Third Day

There has been confusion on when Jesus actually resurrected. I grew up being taught that Jesus died on Friday, and Monday was the day he was resurrected, hence "Easter Monday". Then why do we call Sunday, "Resurrection Sunday"?

Well, as it turns out, Jesus did rise again on Sunday!

Allow me to explain:

Paul says in 1 Corinthians 15:4,

"that [Jesus] he was buried, that he was raised on the third day in accordance with the Scriptures"

We know that Jesus died and was buried the day before the Sabbath (which Jews considered to be on Saturday) from Mark 15:42,

"And when evening had come, since it was the day of Preparation, that is, the day before the Sabbath"

Therefore, if Jesus was buried on Friday (the day before the Sabbath), shouldn't the day of resurrection be on Monday, which would be exactly three days after?

The bible tells us no! Jesus was raised the day after the Sabbath, which is on Sunday. We know this because it says in Matthew 28:1-10,

"Now after the Sabbath, toward the dawn of the first day of the week, Mary Magdalene and the other Mary went to see the tomb..."

So, the gospels say that Jesus died on Friday and was raised on Sunday. On the other hand, Paul says that he was raised in three days, just like the prophecies in Hosea 6:2,

"After two days he will revive us;
on the third day he will raise us up,
that we may live before him."

Is there a contradiction? By no means!

You see, first-century Jews understood the word "day" differently from us. A day started at 6pm, and ended at the same time the next day. Plus, a day doesn't have to mean a full night and a full day for a Jew. So if a person was sleeping from 5 pm until 6pm the next day, he would have been sleeping for two days. This is because even 1 hour is considered a full day if it happens outside of 24 hours. Hence, 25 hours would be two days.

Jesus died on the 9th hour (Matthew 27:46), which is equivalent to 3pm. That means that from 3pm to 6pm, Jesus was dead for one day. Then from 6pm on Friday to 6pm on Saturday, he was dead for two days. Then from 6pm on Saturday to the morning of Sunday, Jesus was dead for three days.

Therefore, there are no inconsistencies between the gospels, Paul, and the prophecies! It is true that Jesus died on Friday and was raised on Sunday! It is true that Jesus was raised in three days! It is true that this is a fulfillment of the Old Testament prophecies!
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What's the point of knowing this?

1. For our faith. Instead of being shaken by passages that seem to contradict one another, I would encourage all to prayerfully seek to understand the gospel rather than outright dismiss it.

2. Apologetics, or to defend our faith. The unknowing reader can easily come across this supposed contradiction and argue against the truth of the gospel of Jesus Christ. In sharing the gospel, Christians knowing the details about Jesus' death can explain the gospel in all its fullness and display their devotion to knowing Christ.

3. For the supremacy of Christ in our lives! The gospel is God, so seek comfort and rest and peace in it. There is nothing sweeter than the love of God, who sent His son to die for our sins, thereby reconciling us to God. This message is central to our lives, and is even lovelier knowing that there is consistency in the gospel.

I hope this message brings you joy!