Still Scheming
“The next day, that is, after the day of Preparation, the chief priests and the Pharisees gathered before Pilate and said, “Sir, we remember how that impostor said, while he was still alive, ‘After three days I will rise.’ Therefore order the tomb to be made secure until the third day, lest his disciples go and steal him away and tell the people, ‘He has risen from the dead,’ and the last fraud will be worse than the first.” Pilate said to them, “You have a guard of soldiers. Go, make it as secure as you can.” So they went and made the tomb secure by sealing the stone and setting a guard.” (Matthew 27:62-66 ESV)
The very next day, after the burial of Christ, which would have been the Sabbath day, the Pharisees, still unbelieving, went to Pilate to have Pilate secure the tomb to prevent the body from being removed. Pilate conceded to do so, I imagine ensuring there would be not further uprisings because of Jesus.
There is no scripture regarding the movements of the apostles at this time. I can only imagine what the apostles were going through at this point. The death of Jesus was crushing. They lacked an understanding of what was to come. They were faced with what they most likely saw as the end of their religious movement.
So, wait, how could Jesus be crucified and in the tomb for three days if we celebrate Good Friday as the crucifixion day? I think the following is a great argument for what was essentially a unique 48-hour Sabbath:
The Idea, in brief
I spent time in scripture and this timeline with my Pastor who agreed with the flow of time based on the Hebrew dates, and the Hebrew beginning and ending of a day where we typical use our calendar and day beginning and end. We will always celebrate Good Friday and its meaning. But if questioned about the 72 hours, this is an argument that supports Jesus' prophesy and reflection of Jonah is correct.
Finally, Jesus ate the Passover with his disciples in the early hours of the Day of Preparation, which was late evening (because this the Hebrew day had begun at sunset). During the midnight hours, He was betrayed and arrested. That is, within 12 hours (on the same Day of Preparation) He was hanging on the cross, where He died before sunset began the actual Passover. Please see the illustration below:
The Thursday here was the Day of Preparation, and therefore the Passover (which starts the First Day of the FEAST of Unleavened Bread and is considered an automatic Sabbath day) began at sunset on Thursday and continued until Friday evening when the "normal" Sabbath had begun. Thus, the Passover (First Day of the FEAST of Unleavened Bread) combined with the "normal" Sabbath created a 48-hour Sabbath since the Passover on this particular year had occurred on the very day just before the "normal" Sabbath. In other words, the body of Jesus lay in the grave for three days and three nights, while at the same time, his soul remained in Sheol/Hades for three days and three nights.[1]
I think this is pretty clear as to how Jesus was actually in the ground for three days as He prophesied. There will be disagreement and arguments to the contrary, but scripture is clear that actual trial and crucifixion occurred on the day of preparation which was the first day of the Feast of Unleavened Bread, the day of preparation, which began the Passover, which by Hebrew tradition initiated a Sabbath Day.
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