This is one of the most commonly asked questions about the Easter story—and it is a genuinely great one. If Jesus was crucified on Friday afternoon and the tomb was found empty before sunrise on Sunday, that is barely a day and a half. So how does the Bible say He rose "after three days" or "on the third day"?
Is this a contradiction? A miscalculation? Or is there something deeper going on?
What the Bible Actually Says
The Bible uses two slightly different phrases when referring to this timeline, and understanding both is the key to answering this question:
- "After three "days"—Matthew 27:63, Mark 8:31
- "On the third day"—Matthew 16:21, Luke 9:22, 1 Corinthians 15:4
These phrases sound contradictory to a modern reader, but in the original context they mean exactly the same thing. Here is why.
The Jewish Way of Counting Days
In 1st-century Jewish culture, any part of a day was counted as a full day. This is called inclusive reckoning—a method of counting time that was completely standard and universally understood in the ancient Near East.
So the count looked like this:
| Day | What Happened |
|---|---|
| Day 1 | Friday—Jesus crucified and buried in the afternoon |
| Day 2 | Saturday—Jesus in the tomb (the Sabbath) |
| Day 3 | Sunday—Jesus rises from the dead before sunrise |
Friday counted as Day 1—even though Jesus only died in the afternoon. Saturday was Day 2. Sunday was Day 3. By Jewish reckoning, "on the third day" and "after three days" both point to Sunday—exactly where the Gospels say the Resurrection happened.
This is not a loophole or a stretch. It was the standard, everyday way people in that culture counted time—just as we might say "I'll see you in a few days" without meaning exactly 72 hours.
A Biblical Example That Proves This Rule
This counting method appears elsewhere in the Bible too. In 1 Kings 12:5 and 12:12, King Rehoboam tells the people to "come back to me after three "days"—and they return "on the third day." The Bible itself treats these two phrases as interchangeable, confirming this was normal Jewish usage.
What About "Three Days AND Three Nights"?
Some people point to Matthew 12:40, where Jesus says,
"For as Jonah was three days and three nights in the belly of a huge fish, so the Son of Man will be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth."
This has led some to suggest Jesus must have been buried on a Wednesday or Thursday, not Friday. However, most biblical scholars agree that "three days and three nights" was also a common Jewish idiom referring to the same inclusive three-day period—not a strict count of 72 literal hours. It echoes the story of Jonah as a symbolic comparison, not a precise mathematical timeline.
Why Does This Matter Theologically?
The Resurrection is the cornerstone of the Christian faith. As the Apostle Paul wrote in 1 Corinthians 15:17:
"And if Christ has not been raised, your faith is futile."
Understanding the timeline correctly removes a false stumbling block that can prevent people from trusting the Gospel accounts. The "three days" is not a mistake, a myth, or a contradiction — it is an accurate statement understood perfectly by every Jewish reader of the first century.
The Simple Timeline Summary
- 🕒 Friday Afternoon—Jesus dies on the cross and is buried → Day 1
- 🕒 Saturday—Jesus remains in the tomb → Day 2
- 🌅 Sunday Before Sunrise—Jesus rises from the dead → Day 3
"On the third day He rose "again"—exactly as He predicted, and exactly as the Gospels record.
Conclusion
There is no contradiction. Jesus rising before Sunday morning does not conflict with the "three days" prophecy—because the Jewish method of counting included any part of a day as a full day. Friday, Saturday, and Sunday = three days. The Bible is historically accurate, culturally consistent, and internally coherent on this point.
The Resurrection happened exactly when and how Jesus said it would.
"He is not here; He has risen, just as He said." — Matthew 28:6
Frequently Asked Questions
Q: Did Jesus really die on a Friday? The vast majority of biblical scholars confirm that Jesus was crucified on a Friday, the day before the Jewish Sabbath (Saturday), based on all four Gospel accounts.
Q: Why does "three days" only seem like one and a half days? Because modern readers apply a modern 24-hour counting system. In 1st-century Jewish culture, any part of a day counted as a full day—so Friday afternoon, all of Saturday, and Sunday morning = three days.
Q: Could Jesus have died on Wednesday instead of Friday? Some scholars have proposed this to allow for exactly 72 hours in the tomb. However, the Friday crucifixion is the most widely accepted view, consistent with all four Gospels and early Church tradition.
Q: What does "on the third day" mean in the Bible? It means counting the day of the event itself as Day 1, making the third day two days later—in this case, Sunday.
