How do you get 3 nights with a Friday afternoon burial and a Sunday morning resurrection?
Nihilist Virus,
re: "Even in modern society, if you were arrested on a Friday evening and immediately sentenced to three days of incarceration, you would likely be let out on Sunday at dawn."
If by days you mean calendar days, then there is no problem because at least parts of three calendar days would be involved. But what if you were specifically sentenced to three daytimes and 3 night times of incarceration?
Nihilist Virus,
re: "Jesus, according to the legend, did not spend three days and nights being dead."
That's an issue for a different topic.
re: Of all the problems with Christianity, why is this the thing that's getting you?"
A number of things in scripure 'get' me.
Nihilist Virus,
re: "I'm not sure what the topic is then."
I can see why. I was having a senior moment by forgetting that this was not one of my topics. Sorry.
Matthew 12:38-42You originally asked,
"How do you get 3 nights with a Friday afternoon burial and a Sunday morning resurrection?"
The short answer is that you don't. But I don't recall anyone ever saying that Jesus spent three nights in the tomb. And even if this was a central claim of Christianity and turned out to be false, it would have no real impact on whether or not Jesus rose from the dead.
If Jesus really did rise from the dead, then all valid criticisms of the Bible become moot. It wouldn't matter if the miracles and/or sayings attributed to Jesus are mostly false. It wouldn't matter how many contradictions and terrible commandments exist in the Bible. Christianity would still be the one true religion. Conversely, if Jesus definitively did not rise from the dead, then it wouldn't matter if every other miracle attributed to him was actually authentic. It wouldn't matter how accurate the Bible is or how well it could predict the future. Christianity would still be false.
There is not definitive evidence in either direction, and that is enough to reject the resurrection because of where the burden of proof rests. We aren't expected to prove a negative.
As for your issue, I'm totally lost on the significance of it.
Jesus allegedly made a claim about his death and resurrection -- one that was not apparently fulfilled. That claim includes both 3 days and 3 nights.38Then some of the Pharisees and teachers of the law said to him, “Teacher, we want to see a sign from you.”
39He answered, “A wicked and adulterous generation asks for a sign! But none will be given it except the sign of the prophet Jonah. 40For 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. 41The men of Nineveh will stand up at the judgment with this generation and condemn it; for they repented at the preaching of Jonah, and now something greater than Jonah is here. 42The Queen of the South will rise at the judgment with this generation and condemn it; for she came from the ends of the earth to listen to Solomon’s wisdom, and now something greater than Solomon is here.
Matthew 12:38-42
Jesus allegedly made a claim about his death and resurrection -- one that was not apparently fulfilled. That claim includes both 3 days and 3 nights.
Even when I was a Christian I was never satisfied with the answers. There were two forms. The first we've seen here already -- he was in the grave on Friday, Sat., Sun.--That's 3. This answer simply ignores the 3 nights.Oh, good catch. I guess it is an actual issue. What are the apologetics on this?
Nihilist Virus,
re: "You originally asked 'How do you get 3 nights with a Friday afternoon burial and a Sunday morning resurrection?' The short answer is that you don't. But I don't recall anyone ever saying that Jesus spent three nights in the tomb."
My question was directed to Shahab, the OP, who lists himself as a Christian in his profile. It is my experience that Christians generally believe that the crucifixion took place on the 6th day of the week with a 1st day of the week resurrection.
As was touched on by Tinker Grey, the Messiah states in Matthew 12:40 that He would be spending 3 days and 3 nights in the "heart of the earth. I was taking a chance that Shahab may be a 6th day of the week crucifixion/1st day of the week resurrection believer, thus my question to him - How do you get 3 nights with a Friday afternoon burial and a Sunday morning resurrection? However, it looks like Shahab has left the building.
What knowledge are you missing from the big picture that is bothering you? From the beginning of the world to eternity. From small to large. Hell and heaven. Good and evil. What would you like clarified?