Jesus rose in 2 days, why do they say 3?

Dear Chaplain: I’m Muslim and I’ve always been curious about why Christians say Jesus rose in 3 days when no matter how you look at it, it was 2

days, Friday to Saturday is 1 day and Saturday to Sunday is 2. — Signed, Risen When

Dear Risen When: Thanks so much for your question. It’s one that sometimes confuses people, but the answer is quite simple. When Christians say that Jesus rose in 3 days, it’s not 3 days according to a 24-hour day calendar. It’s actually 3 days according to the Jewish calendar which begins at nightfall one day and ends at nightfall the next. This goes all the way back to when God created time, when he created evening and morning, and called it “one day”, Genesis 1:5. Therefore, according to the Jewish calendar, Thursday evening to Friday evening (the afternoon Jesus died), was day 1. Friday evening to Saturday evening, was day 2. Saturday evening to Sunday morning (the day Jesus rose) was day 3. The reason Sunday is considered a day is because any part of a day in Judaism is considered 1 day. Similar to if we said we went to church 1 day this month, we wouldn’t actually mean went to church for a 24-hour period this month, but rather for some portion of 1 day.

Ask the Chaplain is written by Rev. Dayna Spence, an ordained minister, licensed evangelist, and chaplain who’s served as a hospital and hospice chaplain and is currently a chaplain in the Chester County area. Please email or write “Ask the Chaplain” at 4thechaplain@gmail.com or 1109 Saunders Ln, West Chester, PA 19382.