How Long was Jesus Dead in the Tomb?

Matthew 12:40 and Matthew 28:1; Mark 16:2; Luke 24:1; John 20:1

1. Three days and three nights
   1. (Matthew 12:40) - "for just as Jonah was three days and three nights in the belly of the sea monster, so shall the Son of Man be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth."
2. Less than three days and three nights
   1. (Matt. 28:1) - "Now after the Sabbath [SABBATHS -PLURAL], as it began to dawn toward the first day of the week, Mary Magdalene and the other Mary came to look at the grave."
   2. (Mark 16:2) - "And very early on the first day of the week, they *came to the tomb when the sun had risen."
   3. (Luke 24:1) - "But on the first day of the week, at early dawn, they came to the tomb, bringing the spices which they had prepared."
   4. (John 20:1) - "Now on the first day of the week Mary Magdalene *came early to the tomb, while it *was still dark, and *saw the stone already taken away from the tomb."

The Jewish day was measured from sun down to sun down. If Jesus was in the grave for three 24 hour periods, then He could not have been raised on the third day because the third day had not yet been completed. He would have to be raised on fourth day for three 24 hour periods to have been completed, and that wouldn't make sense to then say He was raised on the third day. So, what is going on?

         

		DAY 1		DAY2		DAY 3
THU starts at sundown on Wed.	THU ends at sundown	FRI starts at sundown on Thu..	FRI ends at sundown	SAT starts at sundown on Fri.	SAT ends at sundown	SUN starts at sundown on Sat.	SUN ends at sundown
Night	Day	Night	Day	Night	Day	Night	Day
		Crucifixion		Sabbath		He rose

The solution is simple when we learn that according to Jewish custom any part of a day, however small, is included as part of a full day.1 "Since the Jews reckoned part of a day as a full day, the 'three days and three nights' could permit a Friday crucifixion."2 This phenomena is exemplified in scripture in the book of Esther. "Go, assemble all the Jews who are found in Susa, and fast for me; do not eat or drink for three days, night or day. I and my maidens also will fast in the same way," (Esther 4:16 ). Then, in Esther 5:1 it says, "Now it came about on the third day that Esther put on her royal robes and stood in the inner court of the king’s palace in front of the king’s rooms, and the king was sitting on his royal throne in the throne room, opposite the entrance to the palace." We can see that even though the three days and nights had not been completed, Esther went in to see the King on the third day even though she said to fast for three days and nights. We see that "on the third day" is equivalent to "after three days."  Continue at CARM