Why a day and a half equals "three days and three nights."
"On the third day he rose again."
But have you ever wondered how it works out to three days, when the chronology of Jesus' death and resurrection--Friday afternoon to the early hours of Sunday morning--only takes 36 hours or so? And doesn't Jesus compound the problem when he foretells his death and resurrection in Matthew's gospel: "For just as Jonah was three days and three nights in the belly of the great fish, so will the Son of Man be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth"?
Over at Zondervan's Koinonia blog, Walter C. Kaiser Jr. explains that "three days and three nights was a stereotypical phrase that allowed the full day and night to be counted when any part of that time was included."
Posted by Ted Olsen on April 13, 2009 1:18PM
Comments
Many people have that question and I used to believe the three parts of three days explanation too. Bit we must ask why was Jesus so specific in saying just as Jonas was three days and three nights...so shall the son of man be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth. Perhaps we could consider that the scriptures say he died the day before the Sabbath and we quickly assume it had to be Friday. But, consider that there were feast days that were "Sabbath days" regardless of what day of the week that feast day fell on. Just like inn our time, Christmas can fall on a Tuesday and it would be a holiday, or a holy day. Maybe next year on my blog http://www.ConfidenceAndJoy.com I will put a lot of information to consider on this topic, because there is plenty to consider. Perhaps we should just not be to quick to explain it away in a simple sentence. But, the good news is, He is risen!
Posted by: Mike Verdicchio at April 13, 2009
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