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Three Days and Three Nights: The Chronology of the Crucifixion and Resurrection of Jesus Christ

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Three Days and Three Nights

The Chronology of the Crucifixion and Resurrection of Jesus Christ

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Three Days and Three Nights: The Chronology of the Crucifixion and Resurrection of Jesus Christ

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Infographic of the death, burial and resurrection of Jesus Christ. UCG.org
What does the Bible really say about the timeline of events for Jesus' death?

This time line perfectly accommodates three full nights (Wednesday night, Thursday night and Friday night) and three full daylight periods (Thursday, Friday and Saturday). This is the only time that fits Jesus' own prophecy of how long He would be in the tomb. And fits perfectly with all the details recorded in the Gospels.

Tuesday

Jesus Christ ate an evening Passover meal with His disciples (at the beginning of Nisan 14, Jewish reckoning) and instituted the New Covenant symbols (Matthew 26:26-28). Jesus was then betrayed by Judas, arrested and during the night brought before the high priest.

Wednesday

Jesus was crucified and died around 3 p.m. (Matthew 27:46-50). This was the preparation day for the annual—not weekly—Sabbath, which began at sunset (Mark 15:42; Luke 23:54; John 19:31). Jesus' body was placed in the tomb just before sunset (Matthew 27:57-60).

Thursday

This was the high-day Sabbath, the first day of the biblical Feast of Unleavened Bread (John 19:31; Leviticus 23:4-7). It is described as the day after the "Day of Preparation" (Matthew 27:62). Wednesday night and the daylight portion of Thursday were the first of three days and nights Jesus' body was in the tomb.

Friday

The high-day annual Sabbath now past, the women bought and prepared spices for anointing Jesus' body before resting on the weekly Sabbath day, which began at Friday sunset (Mark 16:1; Luke 23:56). Thursday night and the daylight portion of Friday marked the second of three days and nights Jesus' body was entombed.

Saturday

The women rested on the weekly Sabbath day, according to the Fourth Commandment (Luke 23:56; Exodus 20:8-11). Jesus rose near sunset, exactly three days and three nights after His body was placed in the tomb, fulfilling the sign of Jonah and authenticating the sign He gave of His messiahship.

Sunday

The women brought the prepared spices early in the morning while it was still dark (Luke 24:1; John 20:1). Jesus had already risen (Matthew 28:1-6; Mark 16:2-6; Luke 24:2-3; John 20:1). He did not rise on Sunday morning, but near sunset the day before— three days and three nights after being put in the tomb, just as He foretold.

 

Jesus Christ Passover Jesus Christ resurrection Three Days and Three Nights

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Comments

  • God's Time
    James Vian

    Why doesn't anyone know in what year Jesus was crucified? Wouldn't it have had to be a year in which Nisan 14 occurred on a Wednesday, two of which were 28 AD and 31AD?

  • crazyaviator
    shayne porath

    the almighty was to resurrect him a few minutes after he was placed in the tomb!

  • crazyaviator
    shayne porath

    Of course, the good friday- easter sunday timeline is bunk ! The wed- sat 72 hour period is also in error because of 1 BIG detail,,, Acts 2:31 "Seeing what was to come, he spoke concerning the resurrection of the Messiah: He was not abandoned in Hades, and his flesh did not experience decay."
    A friday or a wednesday or a thursday burial and a saturday or a sunday resurrection WOULD see his body in decay! He was in the heart of the earth ( partly a powerless prisoner in Jerusalem and partly a powerless, lifeless person on the cross AND in the tomb.) It is MY strong conviction that the Savior was dead only a few hours so that his body would NOT see decay! Remember that the angel rolled away the tomb and he was already gone. No man knows WHEN he was resurrected from the dead ( It is most likely a very important time like the beginning of the sabbath(s) or the end ) The savior could have been in the tomb and alive OR walking free on the roads a minute after 3 days and 3 nights captive in Jerusalem ( 72 hours or 3 days and 3 nights) There is likely more than the obvious reason WHY they rushed to entomb the Savior before the start of the sabbath(s) and that reason may be that

  • agathailand
    Aguinaldo G. Angeles

    Dear sir, you said, and I quote:
    "Saturday...
    The women rested on the weekly Sabbath day, according to the Fourth Commandment (Luke 23:56; Exodus 20:8-11). Jesus rose near sunset, exactly three days and three nights after His body was placed in the tomb, fulfilling the sign of Jonah and authenticating the sign He gave of His messiahship. " end of quote.... Then it means that Jesus rose on Saturday and not Sunday contradicting a lot of scriptures .

  • Gus
    Gus
    The true Sabbath seems to be a major stumbling block for Christians today. Keeping traditions of man over commands of God is sin. Clearly God created the Sabbath as the 7th day. Man has no authority to change what God decrees. And in that day you shall do no work. The mark of the beast is in the hand,(work) or in the forehead,(thought). The Sabbath day is set aside to give prayer (thought) to the father. Abstaining for work and praising the father on the proper day fits well with the mark of the beast.
  • Ivan Veller
    Ivan Veller
    “‘In Rome Easter was celebrated on the Sunday following the full moon after the spring equinox’ [Oxford Illustrated History of Christianity]…The date of Easter, as part of the mixing of the ancient fertility and resurrection celebrations with the death and resurrection of Jesus, was heatedly debated during the 2nd century after Christ, especially by…the Quartodecimans…[who] insisted on observing Passover on the 14th of Nisan on the Hebrew calendar. ‘In the mid-second century…some Gentile Christians began to celebrate it on the Sunday after 14 Nisan…regardless of the date on which it fell. The resulting controversy…reached a head in A.D. 197, when Victor of Rome excommunicated those Christians who insisted on celebrating Easter [actually Passover] on 14 Nisan. ‘The dispute continued until…Constantine [required] the…observing [of] Easter on the Sunday following 14 Nisan, rather than on the date itself [of the actual Passover]’ [Harper's Bible Dictionary]”: http://www.ucg.org/holidays-and-holy-days/what-does-easter-really-commemorate/ It was “supplanted by nonbiblical traditions”: http://www.ucg.org/holidays-and-holy-days/does-easter-really-commemorate-jesus-christs-resurrection/
  • Ivan Veller
    Ivan Veller
    Hello Bob Gv, “Equinoxes are not mentioned in Scripture”: http://members.ucg.org/papers/exodus34.pdf “‘[D]espite efforts in Asia Minor to maintain the Jewish [P]assover date of 14 Nisan for Easter…the Council of Nicaea adopted the annual Sunday following the full moon after the vernal equinox (March 21)’ [Evangelical Dictionary of Theology]”: http://www.ucg.org/booklet/holidays-or-holy-days-does-it-matter-which-days-we-observe/easter-masking-biblical-truth/ “As the Catechism of the Catholic Church explains…‘At the Council of Nicaea in 325, all the Churches agreed that Easter…should be celebrated on the Sunday following the first full moon…after the vernal equinox’ (1995, p. 332). Up until this time, many believers had continued to commemorate Jesus' death through the biblical Passover as Jesus and the apostles had instructed”: http://www.ucg.org/holidays-and-holy-days/christians-who-dont-celebrate-easter-what-do-they-know/ “‘In…honor [of Easter, goddess of spring,] sacrifices were offered at the time of the vernal [spring] equinox’ [ISBE]. [P]agan rites…[were] incorporated into the Easter liturgy of Rome”: http://www.ucg.org/doctrinal-beliefs/good-friday-easter-sunday-question/
  • Bob Gv
    Bob Gv
    I see where you say Passover occured on a Wed in the year 31AD. However, if Passover was the first full moon after the vernal equinox, it does not fit with 31 AD. Can you explain, please?
  • Bob Gv
    Bob Gv
    Can anyone find out what year it was that Passover occured on a Thursday?
  • lewis
    Lewis VanAusdle
    Arrott, Jesus clearly ate the Passover with the disciples because He said He would (Mt26:18). They ate at the beginning of the 14th as commanded in Lev 23. He was crucified during the daylight hours of the 14th. The Jews would have prepared their passover near the end of the 14th, possibly killing their lambs at the same time Jesus died. Once sunset came, the 15th began and so did the 1st day of unleavened bread, a holy day. By tradition the Jews ate the Passover at the end of the 14th and in modern days actually at the beginning of the 15th. It sounds like there are 2 Passover meals happening in this story. Jesus kept it at the beginning of the 14th so that's when I keep Passover.
  • Rudy Rangel
    Rudy Rangel III
    Arrott, You and I measure time from midnight to midnight. God in the bible doesn't measure time in the same way. All of his Holy days and the Sabbath begin at sundown and ends the following evening. You said that He and the disciples ate the Passover on the 13th. If you count from midnight to midnight you would be correct. But God and Jesus have always counted a new day beginning at sundown. So the Passover is kept the evening before. Jesus and His disciples ate at the very beginning of the 14th. Here is a good article for some biblical reference. I hope this helps. Take care. http://www.ucg.org/booklet/sunset-sunset-gods-sabbath-rest/sabbath-beginning/when-sabbath-day-be-kept/
  • Arrott
    Sue Arrott
    Jesus could not have eaten the Passover with the disciples since he was already in the tomb at Passover. The Passover started even on the 14th also the High Sabbath started and the 1st day of unleavened bread, Jesus had a last supper with his disciples on the 13th at even and was early that morning on the 14th Jesus was captured and by noon that day he was crucified and place in the tomb before sunset, the Passover lamb was always killed at twilight on 14th, Ex. 12
  • Jeff D
    Jeff Dickerson

    Jesus said it was indeed the passover.

  • Ivan Veller
    Ivan Veller
    Hi Debra, Joseph asked for the body “[w]hen it was evening” (Mat.27:57a, 62b ESV 2011): ‘the [annual] Sabbath was beginning:” (Luke 23:54 ESV)--& “because of the Jewish day of Preparation, since the tomb was close at hand, they laid Jesus there” (John 19:42 ESV). In biblical reckoning, full ‘days’ (the 24-hour combination of night & daylight hours) begin, not at midnight (per Roman reckoning), but at sunset: http://www.ucg.org/booklet/sunset-sunset-gods-sabbath-rest/sabbath-beginning/when-sabbath-day-be-kept/ Note the ‘Sabbath’ being referred to here is the annual Festival of Unleavened Bread’s first holy day (John 19:31)—“which, in A.D. 31, fell on a Thursday”: http://www.ucg.org/bible-faq/when-was-jesus-christ-crucified-and-resurrected-did-he-really-die-good-friday-and-come-bac Also see: http://www.ucg.org/doctrinal-beliefs/centuries-old-documents-show-evidence-wednesday-crucifixion/ Similarly, another annual holy day, Atonement, is also called a ‘Sabbath’ (Lev. 23:32 ESV)—even though it falls on a Wednesday in 2015: http://www.ucg.org/holy-day-calendar/ Now, count “three days and three nights” (Mat. 12:40 ESV) forward: http://www.ucg.org/tags/three-days-and-three-nights/
  • debrajoy
    debrajoy
    Where in the Bible does it state Jesus rose near sunset? Did He just hang out near the tomb until Mary saw Him the next day?

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