So, here’s how I presently see it (I hope that your brains don’t cramp up).
According to God’s actual calendar, the evening comes first, and then the morning:
“And the evening and the morning were the first day.” (Gen. 1:5)
“And the evening and the morning were the second day.” (Gen. 1:8)
“And the evening and the morning were the third day.” (Gen. 1:13)
“And the evening and the morning were the fourth day.” (Gen. 1:19)
“And the evening and the morning were the fifth day.” (Gen. 1:23)
“And the evening and the morning were the sixth day.” (Gen. 1:31)
Although it’s not explicitly stated in scripture, it stands to reason that the evening and the morning were the seventh day as well.
With this understanding before us, I personally don’t think that it’s too hard to calculate exactly when Jesus was crucified.
I propose that Jesus was crucified on Thursday afternoon on Passover which would actually have been the second part of “the fifth day” of the week because, again, the evening comes first.
They needed to get his body into the tomb before sunset, or before the beginning of Friday or “the sixth day” of the week (again, the evening comes first), and here is why:
“And if a man have committed a sin worthy of death, and he be to be put to death, and thou hang him on a tree: His body shall not remain all night upon the tree, BUT THOU SHALT IN ANY WISE BURY HIM THAT DAY; (for he that is hanged is accursed of God) that thy land be not defiled, which the LORD thy God giveth thee for an inheritance.” (Deuteronomy 21:22-23)
To this end, we read:
“The Jews therefore, because it was the preparation, that the bodies should not remain upon the cross on the sabbath day, (for that sabbath day was an high day) besought Pilate that their legs might be broken, and that they might be taken away.” (John 19:31)
“BECAUSE IT WAS THE PREPARATION”, or because this was the day before “that sabbath day” which “was an high day”, or because Passover was the day before the first day of the Feast of Unleavened Bread which was a special Sabbath day (Leviticus 23:7), Jesus couldn’t remain on the cross lest the land be defiled (Deuteronomy 21:22-23), so he was buried THAT DAY.
With such being the case, I see it like this:
Jesus was in the grave the second part of Passover Thursday or the second part of “the fifth day” of the week which was the “day” part of that day (the evening part of that day had already come first and passed), and which was a day of preparation because the next day, the first day of the Feast of Unleavened Bread, was a “high day” or a special Sabbath, and the evening on Friday or the evening of “the sixth day” of the week which, again, comes first, and was the first part of the Feast of Unleavened Bread special Sabbath as well.
Thursday day and Friday night.
There is our first day and night.
Jesus was also in the grave Friday day which was the second part of “the fifth day” of the week, and which was also the second part of the Feast of Unleavened Bread special Sabbath, and Saturday evening or the evening part of “the sixth day” of the week which comes first, and which was the first part of the regular weekly Sabbath.
Friday day and Saturday night.
There is our second day and night.
Jesus was still in the grave Saturday day which is the second part of “the seventh day” of the week, and which was the second part of the regular weekly Sabbath, and Sunday evening which was the first part of “the first day” of the week.
Saturday day and Sunday night.
There is our third day and night.
Jesus arose from the grave Sunday morning WHICH IS THE SECOND PART OF SUNDAY OR THE SECOND PART OF “THE FIRST DAY” of the week.
In doing so, Jesus not only fulfilled the type of the Passover Lamb by being crucified on the Feast of Passover, and not only fulfilled the type of the feast of Unleavened Bread by giving us the ability to remove all leaven or sin which it represents from our lives (I Cor. 5:7-8), but he also arose from the dead on the Feast of Firstfruits on Sunday day and fulfilled that type as well.
In relation to the Feast of Firstfruits, we read:
“Speak unto the children of Israel, and say unto them, When ye be come into the land which I give unto you, and shall reap the harvest thereof, then ye shall bring a sheaf of the firstfruits of your harvest unto the priest: And he shall wave the sheaf before the LORD, to be accepted for you: ON THE MORROW AFTER THE SABBATH THE PRIEST SHALL WAVE IT.” (Leviticus 23:10-11)
All 4 gospels record that Jesus was raised from the dead “on the morrow after the Sabbath” or on Sunday:
“IN THE END OF THE SABBATH, AS IT BEGAN TO DAWN TOWARD THE FIRST DAY OF THE WEEK, came Mary Magdalene and the other Mary to see the sepulchre.” (Matt. 28:1)
“AND WHEN THE SABBATH WAS PAST, Mary Magdalene, and Mary the mother of James, and Salome, had bought sweet spices, that they might come and anoint him. AND VERY EARLY IN THE MORNING THE FIRST DAY OF THE WEEK, THEY CAME UNTO THE SEPULCHRE AT THE RISING OF THE SUN.” (Mark 16:1-2)
“And they returned, and prepared spices and ointments; AND RESTED THE SABBATH DAY ACCORDING TO THE COMMANDMENT. NOW UPON THE FIRST DAY OF THE WEEK, VERY EARLY IN THE MORNING, they came unto the sepulchre, bringing the spices which they had prepared, and certain others with them.” (Luke 23:56-24:1)
“THE FIRST DAY OF THE WEEK COMETH MARY MAGDALENE EARLY, WHEN IT WAS YET DARK, unto the sepulchre, and seeth the stone taken away from the sepulchre.” (John 20:1)
REMEMBER, when we read how “in the end of the sabbath, AS IT BEGAN TO DAWN TOWARD THE FIRST DAY OF THE WEEK”, “AND VERY EARLY IN THE MORNING, the first day of the week…AT THE RISING OF THE SUN”, “upon the first day of the week, VERY EARLY IN THE MORNING”, and “the first day of the week…WHEN IT WAS YET DARK”, we are reading about THE SECOND HALF OF THE DAY ON SUNDAY OR THE SECOND HALF OF “THE FIRST DAY OF THE WEEK” BECAUSE THE EVENING COMES FIRST.
Anyhow, Jesus rose from the dead “on the morrow after the sabbath” (Lev. 23:11), thereby perfectly fulfilling the type in the Feast of Firstfruits, and for this reason the Apostle Paul twice referred to Christ as the “firstfruits”.
In relation to the same, we read:
“But now is Christ risen from the dead, AND BECOME THE FIRSTFRUITS OF THEM THAT SLEPT.” (I Cor. 15:20)
Again:
“But every man in his own order: CHRIST THE FIRSTFRUITS; afterward they that are Christ's at his coming.” (I Cor. 15:23)
There are the fulfillments of the first 3 Springtime feasts, and here is the fulfillment of the 4th:
“And ye shall count unto you from the morrow after the sabbath, from the day that ye brought the sheaf of the wave offering; seven sabbaths shall be complete: Even unto the morrow after the seventh sabbath shall ye number fifty days; and ye shall offer a new meat offering unto the LORD.” (Lev. 23:15-16)
Fifty days after the Feast of Firstfruits came the Feast of Pentecost.
With such in mind, please consider the following:
Acts chapter 1
[1] The former treatise have I made, O Theophilus, of all that Jesus began both to do and teach,
[2] Until the day in which he was taken up, after that he through the Holy Ghost had given commandments unto the apostles whom he had chosen:
[3] To whom also he shewed himself alive after his passion by many infallible proofs, BEING SEEN OF THEM FORTY DAYS, and speaking of the things pertaining to the kingdom of God:
[4] And, being assembled together with them, commanded them that they should not depart from Jerusalem, but wait for the promise of the Father, which, saith he, ye have heard of me.
[5] For John truly baptized with water; BUT YE SHALL BE BAPTIZED WITH THE HOLY GHOST NOT MANY DAYS HENCE.
Jesus was seen of his disciples for 40 days after his resurrection from the dead or for 40 days after the Feast of Firstfruits. He instructed his disciples to remain in Jerusalem before his ascension while telling them that they would “be baptized with the Holy Ghost NOT MANY DAYS HENCE. The disciples remained in Jerusalem for 10 days, which brings us to 50 days needed to reach the Feast of Pentecost, and here is what transpired that day:
Acts chapter 2
[1] AND WHEN THE DAY OF PENTECOST WAS FULLY COME, they were all with one accord in one place.
[2] And suddenly there came a sound from heaven as of a rushing mighty wind, and it filled all the house where they were sitting.
[3] And there appeared unto them cloven tongues like as of fire, and it sat upon each of them.
Again, another feast perfectly fulfilled on its literal calendar day.
In summary, this is how I see it:
Jesus was in the grave the day part of Thursday, and the night part of Friday.
He was also in the grave the day part of Friday, and the night part of Saturday.
Finally, he was also in the grave the day part of Saturday, and the night part of Sunday.
Again, there are the required three days and three nights.
For whatever that’s worth…