.
A preponderance of textual evidence indicates that Christ wasn't deceased
for a full three days and a full three nights, i.e. 72 hours. Instead his
crucified dead body was restored to life during the third day rather than
after the third was completely over and done with.
● Matt 17:22-23 . . Jesus said unto them: The Son of man shall be betrayed
into the hands of men: and they shall kill him, and the third day he shall be
raised again.
● Matt 20:18-19 . . Behold, we go up to Jerusalem; and the Son of man shall
be betrayed unto the chief priests and unto the scribes, and they shall
condemn him to death, and shall deliver him to the Gentiles to mock, and to
scourge, and to crucify him: and the third day he shall rise again.
● Mark 9:31 . . He taught his disciples, and said unto them: The Son of man
is delivered into the hands of men, and they shall kill him; and after that he
is killed, he shall rise the third day.
● Luke 9:22 . .The Son of Man must suffer many things and be rejected by
the elders, chief priests and teachers of the law, and he must be killed and
on the third day be raised to life.
● Luke 18:33 . . He will be handed over to the Gentiles. They will mock him,
insult him, spit on him, flog him and kill him. On the third day he will rise
again.
● Luke 24:5-8 . . In their fright the women bowed down with their faces to
the ground, but the men said to them: Why do you look for the living among
the dead? He is not here; he has risen! Remember how he told you, while he
was still with you in Galilee: "The Son of Man must be delivered into the
hands of sinful men, be crucified and on the third day be raised again."
● Luke 24:21-23 . .We trusted that it had been he which should have
redeemed Israel: and beside all this, today is the third day since these
things were done. Yea, and certain women also of our company made us
astonished, which were early at the sepulcher; and when they found not his
body, they came, saying, that they had also seen a vision of angels, which
said that he was alive.
● Luke 24:46 . . He said unto them: Thus it is written, and thus it behooved
Christ to suffer, and to rise from the dead the third day
● John 2:19 . . Jesus answered and said to them: Destroy this temple, and
in three days I will raise it up.
● Acts 10:40 . . God raised him up the third day
● 1Cor 15:4 . . he rose again the third day
NOTE: There is some controversy regarding Matt 27:63 and Mark 8:31 due
to the word "after".
To begin with, those verses are outnumbered 11 to 2.
Plus; the Greek word translated "after" is somewhat ambiguous. It can
indicate moments following the conclusion of an event, but it can also
indicate moments within an event. I suggest letting the 11 to 2 majority
decide how best to interpret the intent of Matt 27:63 and Mark 8:31.
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