Did Jesus Predict His Own Death And Resurrection?

Did Jesus Predict His Own Death And Resurrection?

Bodie Hodge, M.Sc., B.Sc., PEI

Biblical Authority Ministries, October 13, 2026 (Donate)

When Jesus began His public ministry at about the age of 30 (Luke 3:23), we suddenly get amazing insights from Him. Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John records specifics and any who read these gospels accounts should be left in awe at the wisdom of God.

One piece of predictive knowledge that Jesus revealed was about His life. He said that He would be put to death, but that He would also rise on the third day. Jesus repeatedly and explicitly predicted both His death and His resurrection from the dead. 

Christ and the two thieves on their respective Crosses; Image requested by Bodie Hodge*

Jesus Predicted His Own Death and Resurrection

Let’s take look at the passages where Jesus prophesied about His own excruciating death. It makes you wonder why the disciples were in such a gloom after His death. Did they really not understand that Jesus said He would rise? Not long before this, they saw Jesus raise Lazarus form the dead!

Christ spoke to the apostles openly about this resurrection. It shows the nature of our feeble, sinful minds caught up in broken moments where fear takes hold. But Christ Conquered nonetheless. Let’s start with Matthew’s account.

From that time Jesus began to show to His disciples that He must go to Jerusalem, and suffer many things from the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be killed, and be raised the third day. (Matthew 16:21, NKJV)

Jesus was clear! Yet Peter’s reaction (via Satan’s influence) immediately after this was to rebuke Jesus. Not only did disciples like Peter disbelieve it, but this also shows that Satan knew God’s plan!

Satan must’ve have believed Jesus could come back to life either. As we know, the devil continued in his attempt to destroy Christ using Judas to betray Him. Even so, Satan had no power to stop the resurrection of Jesus.

Now while they were staying in Galilee, Jesus said to them, “The Son of Man is about to be betrayed into the hands of men, “and they will kill Him, and the third day He will be raised up.” And they were exceedingly sorrowful. (Matthew 17:22-23, NKJV)  

Here, they were sorrowful—very sorrowful! But at the crucifixion, this sorrow turned to loss of hope and fear set in.

“Behold, we are going up to Jerusalem, and the Son of Man will be betrayed to the chief priests and to the scribes; and they will condemn Him to death, “and deliver Him to the Gentiles to mock and to scourge and to crucify. And the third day He will rise again.” (Matthew 20:18-19, NKJV)  

This seemed to fall on deaf ears—as the mother of Zebedee's sons immediately asked if her sons could sit next Christ on His throne in His kingdom. Did they really not hear what He said. Christ answers graciously, pointing out that she didn’t know what she was asking.

Of course, James and John were not worthy to sit on the throne of God—the throne that Jesus sits. This shows an earthly focus, where Christ was talking about something far greater.

And He began to teach them that the Son of Man must suffer many things, and be rejected by the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be killed, and after three days rise again. He spoke this word openly. And Peter took Him aside and began to rebuke Him. But when He had turned around and looked at His disciples, He rebuked Peter, saying, “Get behind Me, Satan! For you are not mindful of the things of God, but the things of men.” (Mark 8:31-33, NKJV)  

This is parallel of the Matthew 16 passage already discussed. But note, it points out that Jesus spoke this word openly—there should have been no mistaking that He would be put to death and rise.

For He taught His disciples and said to them, “The Son of Man is being betrayed into the hands of men, and they will kill Him. And after He is killed, He will rise the third day.” But they did not understand this saying, and were afraid to ask Him. (Mark 9:31-32, NKJV)  

Notice something here. Although they were exceeding sorrowful before, this shows they didn’t understand. They were afraid to ask for clarification, and yet, Jesus often spoke of this openly! Were they expecting Jesus to be a mere earthly king—who can’t die yet—as opposed to the King of King who sits on an eternal heavenly throne? Sadly, they probably had their sights set far too low.

“Behold, we are going up to Jerusalem, and the Son of Man will be betrayed to the chief priests and to the scribes; and they will condemn Him to death and deliver Him to the Gentiles; “and they will mock Him, and scourge Him, and spit on Him, and kill Him. And the third day He will rise again.” (Mark 10:33-34, NKJV)  

Jesus again predicted His death and again, it would come from the chief priests, scribes, and the gentiles doing their bidding. The high priest also got involved and delivered Jesus to sacrificed. The ultimate Passover Lamb—Jesus Christ—was being led like lamb to the slaughter on Passover.

saying, “The Son of Man must suffer many things, and be rejected by the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be killed, and be raised the third day.” (Luke 9:22, NKJV)  

Again, Jesus predicted His own death as recorded by Luke.

Then He took the twelve aside and said to them, “Behold, we are going up to Jerusalem, and all things that are written by the prophets concerning the Son of Man will be accomplished. “For He will be delivered to the Gentiles and will be mocked and insulted and spit upon. “They will scourge Him and kill Him. And the third day He will rise again.” (Luke 18:31-33, NKJV)  

All 12 disciples were told that He would suffer, die, and rise again. This includes Judas—who knew! It also included the disciples who struggled with doubts—even after the Resurrection (e.g., Matthew 28:17; John 20:24-29)

Jesus Also Used Figurative Language

There were also instances where Jesus wasn’t as direct. In other words, he used figurative language sometimes as well—but He was still discussing His death and resurrection. Let’s take a look at the power of some of these passages.

Jesus answered and said to them, “Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up.” Then the Jews said, “It has taken forty-six years to build this temple, and will You raise it up in three days?” But He was speaking of the temple of His body. Therefore, when He had risen from the dead, His disciples remembered that He had said this to them; and they believed the Scripture and the word which Jesus had said. (John 2:19-22, NKJV)

Here Christ figuratively compared the Temple to His body. And in parallel, when we receive Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior, our bodies become the Temple of the Holy Spirit (1 Corinthians 6:19).

But He answered and said to them, “An evil and adulterous generation seeks after a sign, and no sign will be given to it except the sign of the prophet Jonah. “For as Jonah was three days and three nights in the belly of the great fish, so will the Son of Man be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth. (Matthew 12:39-40, NKJV)  

Notice this simile as a comparison to Jonah (a type of metaphorical language; see the link for an extended discussion).

“Therefore My Father loves Me, because I lay down My life that I may take it again. “No one takes it from Me, but I lay it down of Myself. I have power to lay it down, and I have power to take it again. This command I have received from My Father.” (John 10:17-18, NKJV)  

Christ willingly and lovingly (John 3:16-18) laid down His life to save mankind from their sins and the punishment we deserve from an infinite and eternal God for our sin and thus, high treason, against Him.

“And I, if I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all peoples to Myself.” This He said, signifying by what death He would die. (John 12:32-33, NKJV)  

Being lifted up is discusses the manner of death he would die—being lifted up ion the cross, was horrible way to die by the way…It is excruciating—even the word excruciating has the same root as crucifixion, showing the painful nature of this suffering and death.

But another point needs to be made. Jesus would draw all people unto Himself. No on has an excuse.  All people are drawn to Christ (see also John 6:44)—every Muslim, every person on a remote Island, Kings and politicians, murderers, Hindus, cultists…everyone. See What about those who never hear the gospel?

Then Jesus said to them, “All of you will be made to stumble because of Me this night, for it is written: ‘I will strike the Shepherd, And the sheep of the flock will be scattered.’ “But after I have been raised, I will go before you to Galilee.” (Matthew 26:31-32, NKJV)  

Quoting from Zechariah 13:7, here Jesus uses both figurative language and direct language. The point is that Jesus repeatedly predicted His death and resurrection. And this time He point out the timing, “this night”—which is when they later captured Him and began His suffering, trials, and crucifixion.  

Conclusion

Jesus didn’t merely predict that He would eventually die. He foretold His rejection, betrayal, suffering, crucifixion, and resurrection on the third day. These predictions were made before the events occurred. This also shows that His death wasn’t an unexpected defeat but part of God's redemptive plan the whole time (e.g., John 10:17-18; Acts 2:23-24).

Importantly, Jesus also revealed that His resurrection would also be bodily, not merely spiritual (e.g., Luke 24:39; John 2:19-22). In the same way He resurrected Lazarus, He too would return to life. But unlike Lazarus, Jesus would be glorified in body and eternal, all-powerful kingship.

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Bodie Hodge, Ken Ham's son in law, has been an apologist defending 6-day creation and opposing evolution since 1998. He spent 21 years working at Answers in Genesis as a speaker, writer, and researcher as well as a founding news anchor for Answers News. He was also head of the Oversight Council.  

Bodie launched Biblical Authority Ministries in 2015 as a personal website and it was organized officially in 2025 as a 501(c)(3). He has spoken on multiple continents and hosts of US states in churches, colleges, and universities. He is married with four children.

Mr. Hodge earned a Bachelor and Master of Science degrees from Southern Illinois University at Carbondale (SIUC). Then he taught at SIUC for a couple of years as a Visiting Instructor teaching all levels of undergraduate engineering and running a materials lab and a CAD lab. He did research on advanced ceramic materials to develop a new method of production of titanium diboride with a grant from Lockheed Martin. He worked as a Test Engineer for Caterpillar, Inc., prior to entering full-time ministry.

His love of science was coupled with a love of history, philosophy, and theology. For about one year of his life, Bodie was editing and updating a theological, historical, and scientific dictionary/encyclopedia. Mr. Hodge has over 25 years of experience in writing, speaking and researching in these fields.

*Image by generative program as requested by Bodie Hodge

 

What Spices Were Used In Jesus' Burial?

What Spices Were Used In Jesus' Burial?

Bodie Hodge, M.Sc., B.Sc., PEI

Biblical Authority Ministries, October 9, 2026 (Donate)

When someone is sentenced to be put to death on a cross, those who cared were already preparing for their death and burial.[1] Jesus was different. There were indeed many who cared—even if they were fearful for their own lives.

But because of the sudden arrest, judgment, and immediacy of the cross. Many weren't prepared for the sudden burial of Christ. Even so, the burial of Jesus Christ involved a remarkable quantity of aromatic spices, particularly myrrh and aloes. This was because a wealthy and respected man stepped in at the last moment—Nicodemus.

Dried Myrrh Saplings; Image requested by Bodie Hodge*

These spices, like myrrh and aloes, were hard to come by and thus, they were expensive. But they were fragrant, which helps mask the smell of a rotting corpse. So certain spices were traditionally associated with the dead.

What Does The Bible Say?

The Gospel of John probably provides the clearest account of the spices used in preparing Jesus' body for burial. John 19:39-40 (NKJV) records:

"And Nicodemus, who at first came to Jesus by night, also came, bringing a mixture of myrrh and aloes, about a hundred pounds. Then they took the body of Jesus, and bound it in strips of linen with the spices, as the custom of the Jews is to bury."

The passage reveals two main burial spices: myrrh and aloes. However, it doesn't specify how much of each was used but we can do some estimates.

How Much Was Used?

Nicodemus brought approximately 100 Roman pounds (Greek: litras) of myrrh and aloes combined. A Roman pound weighed approximately 327 grams, making the total about 32.7 kilograms, or 72 modern American pounds—if the conversion ratios are correct historically.

This was an extraordinary quantity of burial aromatics. Such an abundance meant it was costly. Nevertheless, the exact proportions are unknown. For example, the mixture could have contained 50 Roman pounds of myrrh and 50 Roman pounds of aloes; it could have been 90 Roman pounds of aloes and 10 Roman pounds of myrrh. But Scripture simply doesn’t say.

The 100 pounds refers to the combined weight of the aromatic burial spices. They may have a variety of dried resins, oils (e.g., Song of Solomon 5:5), powdered aromatics, and fragrant wood.

Then there are the spices that were never used—later brought but Christ had already resurrected. Consider Luke 23:56a (NKJV): 

Then they returned and prepared spices and fragrant oils.

We also read in Luke:

Now on the first day of the week, very early in the morning, they, and certain other women with them, came to the tomb bringing the spices which they had prepared. (Luke 24:1, NKJV)

Mark 16:1-4 (NKJV) also reveals:

Now when the Sabbath was past, Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of James, and Salome bought spices, that they might come and anoint Him.  Very early in the morning, on the first day of the week, they came to the tomb when the sun had risen. And they said among themselves, “Who will roll away the stone from the door of the tomb for us?” But when they looked up, they saw that the stone had been rolled away — for it was very large.

So the women came back to Christ’s tomb on early Sunday morning bringing spices to anoint His body. After his initial burial, they prepared spices and oils (remember, they were initially unprepared). Then, they came to the gravesite early in the morning with the spices they prepared.

We don’t know the quantity of spices they brought—it could have been a lot. The ladies bought more spices besides what they initially mustered. Did they carry the spices, did they use wheeled cart, did they use a donkey? We simply don’t know.

Did the women know that Nicodemus already used spices at the last moment when Christ was wrapped in linens? Did they think they needed to bring the full portion to treat a body? Or were they bringing supplemental spices because the initial spices used may not have been enough since the job was rushed as Sabbath approached? These are all good questions to which we may not know the answer this side of heaven!

What Was Myrrh?

Myrrh is an aromatic gum resin (i.e., harvested and dried sap). We get it from certain trees of the genus Commiphora, especially Commiphora myrrha. These trees grow in northeastern Africa and Arabia. So getting myrrh was rare in Israel and had to be imported as great cost. Can you see why it was an expensive gift given to Christ at His birth?

Myrrh has a distinctive bittersweet fragrance and was used in perfumes, incense, for medicines (e.g., pain dulling), and obviously burial practices. Its pleasant aroma helped mask the odors associated with death and decomposition of the body.

Myrrh was very valuable and often associated with wealth and royalty. Interestingly, myrrh appears at both the beginning and end of Jesus' earthly life.

• Matthew 2:11: The Magi presented the young Jesus with gold, frankincense, and myrrh.
• Mark 15:23: Jesus was offered wine mixed with myrrh before His crucifixion, but He refused it.
• John 19:39: Nicodemus brought myrrh for Jesus' burial.

The myrrh presented by the Magi has traditionally been understood as foreshadowing Christ's suffering and death, and specifically the Office of the Prophets, who were often wrongly shamed and put to death.

What did Mary and Joseph do with Christ’s myrrh? Great question. Is it possible it was saved and used for Christ’s burial? Though it is a nice thought, the shelf life of dried myrrh is usually less than 5 years.

What Were The Aloes?

The aloes mentioned in John 19:39 were probably aromatic wood, often identified with Agarwood (also called aloeswood ) or Aquilaria, rather than the succulent Aloe vera commonly used today.

Aloeswood or Agarwood is an aromatic wood; Image requested by Bodie Hodge*

As a fragrant wood, it was highly prized. It could be ground or shaved and was used in perfumes and burial preparations. Its smelly, delicate fragrance complemented the aroma of myrrh.

Psalm 45:8 lists myrrh, aloes, and cassia with royal garments. Cassia is groups of flowering trees and some associate cinnamon-producing trees to this name as well. This shows an interesting biblical connection between fragrant substances and kingship or wealth. Christ is King of Kings after all. 

Ground Cassia spice; Image requested by Bodie Hodge*

Why Were These Spices Significant?

The spices are a way of honoring Jesus in death. Joseph of Arimathea provided a new, unused tomb, while Nicodemus supplied an unusually large quantity of costly burial spices.

The abundance of spices could be appropriate for someone of royal importance. Whether the Romans realized it or not, as Jesus was mocked as the King of the Jews during His crucifixion (Matthew 27:29, 37), His burial included honors that could be considered royal and with dignity.

These preparations show that Christ’s followers genuinely expected to bury a dead body and it remain in the grave. They weren’t preparing for His resurrection.

The fact that spices were prepared and/or put on the body also reveals the state of mind that the apostles and Jesus’ followers anticipated. Yet, they failed to remember! Jesus Christ bodily rose from the dead on the third day, just as He had foretold (e.g., Luke 24:6-7).

The burial spices reveal the love shown to Jesus in honoring His body. But His empty tomb reveals His love for us and testifies to His victory over death.

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Bodie Hodge, Ken Ham's son in law, has been an apologist defending 6-day creation and opposing evolution since 1998. He spent 21 years working at Answers in Genesis as a speaker, writer, and researcher as well as a founding news anchor for Answers News. He was also head of the Oversight Council.  

Bodie launched Biblical Authority Ministries in 2015 as a personal website and it was organized officially in 2025 as a 501(c)(3). He has spoken on multiple continents and hosts of US states in churches, colleges, and universities. He is married with four children.

Mr. Hodge earned a Bachelor and Master of Science degrees from Southern Illinois University at Carbondale (SIUC). Then he taught at SIUC for a couple of years as a Visiting Instructor teaching all levels of undergraduate engineering and running a materials lab and a CAD lab. He did research on advanced ceramic materials to develop a new method of production of titanium diboride with a grant from Lockheed Martin. He worked as a Test Engineer for Caterpillar, Inc., prior to entering full-time ministry.

His love of science was coupled with a love of history, philosophy, and theology. For about one year of his life, Bodie was editing and updating a theological, historical, and scientific dictionary/encyclopedia. Mr. Hodge has over 25 years of experience in writing, speaking and researching in these fields.

*Image by generative program as requested by Bodie Hodge

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[1] Although many poor criminals were likely short of those who cared for them and their grave was likely a common pit as disposed of by the Romans.

Who Else In The Bible Died And Were Brought Back (Besides Jesus)?

Who Else In The Bible Died And Were Brought Back (Besides Jesus)?

Bodie Hodge, M.Sc., B.Sc., PEI

Biblical Authority Ministries, October 8, 2026 (Donate)

I sometimes feel for Lazarus! He died, and it was likely a painful death. Then he comes out of the grave alive by the power of Christ. I often wondered if one of the first things running through his mind was, “you’ve got to be kidding me, I have to die twice!”

Lazarus wasn’t alone in his resurrection. The Bible records at least nine distinct accounts of people being restored to life after death. Nevertheless, these other resurrections include three Old Testament accounts and six New Testament accounts, one of which involves an unspecified number of people. This excludes the resurrection of Jesus Christ, whose resurrection bears a significance not worthy of being in a mere list next to others.

Lazarus after his resurrection was probably hungry! Image requested by Bodie Hodge*

God has power over death and these miraculous events prove it. However, an important distinction must be made between being restored to ordinary physical life, as Lazarus was, and being resurrected into a glorified, immortal body, as Jesus Christ was (e.g., Romans 6:9; 1 Corinthians 15:42-49).

This general resurrection is what we look forward to for an eternity with God through the blood of Jesus Christ. This is when we will have new resurrected bodies (e.g., 1 Corinthians 15:52). The instances in Scripture are largely that of returning to physical life as we currently know it. Let’s begin with the Old Testament and flow through chronologically.

Old Testament Accounts

1. The Widow of Zarephath's Son (1 Kings 17:17-24)

In Elijah's day, a widow's son where he was lodging became very sick and died. Elijah carried the boy upstairs, prayed to the Lord, and stretched himself over the child three times. God answered his prayer, and the boy’s soul returned and miraculously came back to life. This is the first explicitly recorded resurrection back to life after death in Scripture.

2. The Shunammite Woman's Son (2 Kings 4:18-37)

A young boy died suddenly after complaining about his head. His mother sought the prophet Elisha, who returned to her home, laid his staff over him, prayed, and then he stretched himself over the boy. The child became warm, sneezed seven times, and opened his eyes.

3. The Man Who Touched Elisha's Bones (2 Kings 13:20-21)

After Elisha died, another deceased man was hastily placed in Elisha's tomb because of approaching Moabite raiders. When the man's body touched Elisha's bones, he revived and stood on his feet. One can’t help but see hints of the double portion of Elijah’s spirit placed on Elisha (2 Kings 2:9). Where Elijah was used by God to resurrect the widow’s son, Elijah was used by God to bring two back to life!

New Testament Accounts

4. Jairus's Daughter (Matthew 9:18-26; Mark 5:35-43; Luke 8:49-56)

As we flip to the New Testament, Jesus restored a twelve-year-old girl to life after her death. Taking her by the hand, He commanded her to arise. She immediately stood up and walked.

5. The Widow of Nain's Son (Luke 7:11-17)

Jesus encountered a funeral procession in the city of Nain carrying the only son of a widow. Moved with compassion, Jesus approached the bier and commanded the young man to arise. He sat up and began speaking.

6. Lazarus of Bethany (John 11:1-44)

Lazarus had been dead for four days when Jesus arrived. Despite concerns about decomposition, Jesus commanded Lazarus to come out of the tomb. Lazarus emerged alive, still wrapped in burial cloths. This miracle powerfully demonstrated Jesus' authority over death.

Note in the instances of Jesus raising people from the dead, He did it by His power and authority, since He is God.

7. The Saints Raised Following Jesus' Death (Matthew 27:52-53)

God’s Word records that many bodies of deceased saints were raised and subsequently appeared to people in Jerusalem after Jesus' resurrection. This was surely a shock to many, who might recognize them, but to others, they may not even have been noticed—especially if they were saints from long ago. Also, we don’t know the precise number of resurrectees, nor do we know their names. Their ultimate fate isn’t explained either! So Scripture doesn’t explicitly establish whether they later died again or were taken into heaven as “first fruits”.

8. Tabitha (Dorcas) (Acts 9:36-42)

Tabitha, a Christian woman known for her charitable works, became sick and died. Peter prayed to the Lord and then commanded her to arise, and presented her alive to the believers.

9. Eutychus (Acts 20:7-12)

While Paul was preaching, Eutychus fell asleep and tumbled from a third-story window. This is why we shouldn’t fall asleep in church! The Bible records that he was dead. Paul embraced him, and the young man was subsequently brought back to life. I wonder if he had one of those dreams where you are falling, though I digress!

What About Jesus Christ?

Jesus' resurrection stands apart from these accounts. Jesus laid down His life willingly on our behalf. Furthermore, Lazarus and the others were restored to mortal life, whereas Jesus rose bodily, glorified, and immortal, never to die again (Romans 6:9; Revelation 1:18).

Our Lord has all authority on heaven and earth and He ascended into heaven and with His glorified, resurrected body. He sits at the right hand of power on the Throne of God ruling over heaven and earth as the King of Kings and Lord of Lords.

Crown of our suffering Savior and King; Image requested by Bodie Hodge*

Conclusion

You would think that when the Pharisees and chief priests heard about Lazarus[1] being raised to life, that they would recognize the power of God in Jesus Christ—because of the Old Testament instances of God raising people back to life. But they didn’t. Instead, they plotted to kill Lazarus! Oh, the murderous thoughts of those who opposed Christ.

Shortly after Lazarus was raised, the Jews arrested Jesus and began the torturous process of his beatings and crucifixion by the hands of the Romans. But Christ had the power to lay down His life and take it up again.

The Bible recorded nine different accounts of people being restored to life, including the many saints mentioned in Matthew 27. Thus, the number of individuals is greater than nine, and the exact total is simply unknown. But we will all be raised at the general resurrection.

The power of God unto resurrection should give a taste of how amazing our God of Life is. And these should obvious shadows pointing to the resurrection of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ (John 11:25-26; 1 Corinthians 15:20-22).

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Bodie Hodge, Ken Ham's son in law, has been an apologist defending 6-day creation and opposing evolution since 1998. He spent 21 years working at Answers in Genesis as a speaker, writer, and researcher as well as a founding news anchor for Answers News. He was also head of the Oversight Council.  

Bodie launched Biblical Authority Ministries in 2015 as a personal website and it was organized officially in 2025 as a 501(c)(3). He has spoken on multiple continents and hosts of US states in churches, colleges, and universities. He is married with four children.

Mr. Hodge earned a Bachelor and Master of Science degrees from Southern Illinois University at Carbondale (SIUC). Then he taught at SIUC for a couple of years as a Visiting Instructor teaching all levels of undergraduate engineering and running a materials lab and a CAD lab. He did research on advanced ceramic materials to develop a new method of production of titanium diboride with a grant from Lockheed Martin. He worked as a Test Engineer for Caterpillar, Inc., prior to entering full-time ministry.

His love of science was coupled with a love of history, philosophy, and theology. For about one year of his life, Bodie was editing and updating a theological, historical, and scientific dictionary/encyclopedia. Mr. Hodge has over 25 years of experience in writing, speaking and researching in these fields.

*Image by generative program as requested by Bodie Hodge

 

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[1] I’ve always pondered if there was connection between Lazarus and the one mentioned in Luke 16:19-31. Though I seriously doubt they are the same for good reasons not discussed here, one can’t help but draw the parallel that someone named Lazarus was the one in both instances that was the center point of a resurrection after he died.

Three Days And Three Nights Or The Third Day?

Three Days And Three Nights Or The Third Day?

Bodie Hodge, M.Sc., B.Sc., PEI

Biblical Authority Ministries, October 6, 2026 (Donate)

Some people suggest there is a contradiction in the counting for duration of Christ’s body in the grave. But this allegation fades when you understand it properly.[1] But it concerns Christ's crucifixion and resurrection and specifically, how long He was in the grave. 

So why is this an issue? It has to do with the Jonah passage.

Then some of the scribes and Pharisees answered, saying, “Teacher, we want to see a sign from You.” But He answered and said to them, “An evil and adulterous generation seeks after a sign, and no sign will be given to it except the sign of the prophet Jonah. “For as Jonah was three days and three nights in the belly of the great fish, so will the Son of Man be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth. “The men of Nineveh will rise up in the judgment with this generation and condemn it, because they repented at the preaching of Jonah; and indeed a greater than Jonah is here. (Matthew 12:38-41, NKJV).

Some interpret “three days and three nights” as requiring three complete 24-hour periods, or 72 hours. This has led some Christians to argue for a Thursday crucifixion (a few even say Wednesday) rather than the traditional Friday crucifixion.

However, Scripture repeatedly says Christ would rise/rose "the third day" (Luke 18:33; Luke 24:46; Acts 10:40; 1 Corinthians 15:4). A strict 72-hour interpretation creates a perceived difficulty: after three complete days and nights have elapsed, the resurrection would seemingly occur on the fourth day rather than the third day. See the alleged difficulty now?

The body of Christ was laid in a new grave to which no one had been laid before. Image requested by Bodie Hodge*

How To Count The Days

One of the key issues is how days were counted in biblical culture. Ancient Jewish reckoning could count part of a day as belonging to that day.

For instance, in the Bible’s book of Esther, it provides an important Old Testament example. Esther requested that the Jews "neither eat nor drink for three days, night or day" before she approached the king (Esther 4:16). Yet Esther 5:1 says that she went before the king "on the third day," rather than waiting until three complete 24-hour periods had expired.

Another example occurs in Matthew 27:63-64. The chief priests and Pharisees remembered Jesus saying, "After three days I will rise." Yet they asked Pilate to secure the tomb "until the third day." Apparently, they understood "after three days" and "the third day" as compatible and equivocal expressions.

We still do this today to a certain degree. If I said I left on Monday and arrived on Saturday, I would have no problem saying that it took me six days to arrive. Does this mean I took six full days of nights and days to arrive and actually made it to my destination on the seventh day? No. Yet, the way I wrote this (“it took me six days”) is inclusive of days and nights (e.g., a 24-hour day).  

Consequently, expressions such as "three days and three nights," "after three days," and "the third day" aren’t in contradict with one another. So any alleged difficulty is solved when you understand the meaning behind the phrases as used culturally at the time.

Even so, this now brings us to the issue of what day Jesus was crucified.

Count Backwards: Sunday (3^rd), Saturday (2^nd), Friday (1^st)

On the Friday-crucifixion understanding, Friday counts as the 1^st day, even though Jesus died around the ninth hour (~3 pm by our modern reckoning) and was buried later that day. Saturday was the 2^nd day. Sunday was the 3^rd day, and Christ rose early that morning.

·       Friday - Day 1: Crucifixion and burial

·       Saturday - Day 2: Christ remained in the tomb

·       Sunday - Day 3: Resurrection

This also fits the statements that Jesus died on the Preparation Day before the Sabbath (Mark 15:42; Luke 23:54) which is Friday. Furthermore, the women discovered the empty tomb on the 1^st day of the week (Matthew 28:1; Luke 24:1). So the traditional Friday-Sunday aligns consistently with Scripture.

Guards were guarding until the third day; Image requested by Bodie Hodge*

Furthermore, it goes back to the earliest church records too. Early Christian writers such as Ignatius and Irenaeus also understood Christ as rising on the third day while accepting the language of "three days and three nights." Their writings aren’t Scripture, but they show that early Christians didn’t necessarily understand Matthew 12:40 as demanding precisely 72 hours.

What About Wednesday Or Thursday Crucifixion That Some Suggest?

For those pushing the full three days and three nights, one must arrive at a Thursday crucifixion (others push it as far back as Wednesday, but I’ve met precious few who would  argue for that).  

The Wednesday or Thursday models are attempts to reconcile Jonah’s comparison in another way. Those pushing for a Thursday crucifixion usually try to interpret John 19:31, as having an extra Sabbath, so that you also have a second Preparation Day for that week.

They call the approaching alternate Sabbath a "high day," as referring to an additional festival Sabbath rather than simply the ordinary weekly Sabbath that fell on the Passover/Feast of Unleavened Bread festival (making it a high Sabbath or high day already).

Even so, these views attempt to provide additional nights between Christ's burial and resurrection in an attempt to have 3 full days and nights (per the comparison to Jonah) between Christ’s death and resurrection.

Such an interpretations is held by respected Christians committed to biblical authority, and the issue shouldn’t be a reason to go start anew church! Nevertheless, there are difficulties with these alternatives. Scripture never states that an additional Sabbath occurred between the crucifixion and the regular weekly Sabbath.

Image from Presentation Library

The biggest problem with this view is that Christ would have risen on the fourth day in that scenario. Moving the crucifixion earlier makes it more difficult to deal with the chronology because of the numerous passages that say that Christ rose or would rise on "the third day" (Matthew 16:21; 17:22-23; 20:18-19; 27:63-64; Mark 8:31; 9:31; 10:33-34; Luke 9:22; 13:32; 18:31-33; 24:6-7, 21, 46; John 2:19-22; Acts 10:40; 1 Corinthians 15:3-4). Consider also that Jesus, said He would raise in three days when compared to the temple’s destruction (John 2:19-22). So instead of dealing with the interpretive understanding of the Jonah passage, now you have to deal with a new understanding of a whole bunch of passages!

It’s better to use clear and repeated passages to help interpret a passage that may initially appear difficult (interpret Scripture with Scripture). Matthew 12:40 (Jonah passage) should therefore be understood alongside the many "third day" passages rather than used to overturn or reinterpret all of them.

So why is the Jonah passage the one that seems to stick out. There is an obvious reason that we haven’t discussed yet—but now it’s time!

Be Careful Of Metaphorical Language

Jesus' comparison to Jonah in Matthew 12:40 is metaphorical and functions as a simile: "For as Jonah was...so will the Son of Man be."

The point of the comparison is the correspondence between Jonah's experience and Christ's death, burial, and resurrection, not necessarily a requirement that every chronological detail be mathematically identical. Jonah was as good as dead being swallowed by a specially prepared fish. Yet he came out of watery beast and lived and preached in Nineveh.

And the scribes and Pharisees believed in the account of Jonah! They knew such a task was all too easy for God to accomplish. Yet, here they were arguing over and over with Jesus, who is God.

But take special note…the phraseology comparing Christ’s situation to Jonah’s situation is metaphorical, not literal. Thus, when we read “three days and three nights, we need to understand that this is an allegorical comparison, where the many passages about Christ raising on the third day are founded in historical narrative. So, the third day is the key to understanding Christ’s resurrection for specific timing. Again, use the clear passages for a proper understanding and let the similes be similes.  

The expression "three days and three nights" should therefore be interpreted in harmony with the much more frequent and explicit biblical expression "the third day." So they are complimentary.

Besides, Esther, similar third-day language occurs throughout historical narratives (Genesis 22:4; Genesis 42:18; Exodus 19:11, 16; Joshua 9:16-17; 1 Samuel 30:1; 2 Kings 20:5). Thus, Jesus' Jonah comparison shouldn’t be isolated from the ordinary biblical manner of counting days or from Christ's repeated declarations that He would rise "the third day" (Matthew 16:21; Luke 18:33; 24:46).

Conclusion

The third day being equivalent to the three days and three nights phraseology was a normal expression in biblical accounts when there was a three-day sequence, even when three complete 24-hour periods had not elapsed. With this in mind, the Friday crucifixion and Sunday resurrection makes the most sense biblically and can be easily defended without contradiction.

"Three days and three nights" is best understood according to biblical Jewish reckoning rather than a modern stopwatch calculation of exactly 72 hours. Most importantly, the debate over the precise number of hours shouldn’t overshadow the doctrine on which Scripture is unmistakably clear: Christ truly died, was buried, and "rose again the third day according to the Scriptures" (1 Corinthians 15:3-4, NKJV).

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Bodie Hodge, Ken Ham's son in law, has been an apologist defending 6-day creation and opposing evolution since 1998. He spent 21 years working at Answers in Genesis as a speaker, writer, and researcher as well as a founding news anchor for Answers News. He was also head of the Oversight Council.  

Bodie launched Biblical Authority Ministries in 2015 as a personal website and it was organized officially in 2025 as a 501(c)(3). He has spoken on multiple continents and hosts of US states in churches, colleges, and universities. He is married with four children.

Mr. Hodge earned a Bachelor and Master of Science degrees from Southern Illinois University at Carbondale (SIUC). Then he taught at SIUC for a couple of years as a Visiting Instructor teaching all levels of undergraduate engineering and running a materials lab and a CAD lab. He did research on advanced ceramic materials to develop a new method of production of titanium diboride with a grant from Lockheed Martin. He worked as a Test Engineer for Caterpillar, Inc., prior to entering full-time ministry.

His love of science was coupled with a love of history, philosophy, and theology. For about one year of his life, Bodie was editing and updating a theological, historical, and scientific dictionary/encyclopedia. Mr. Hodge has over 25 years of experience in writing, speaking and researching in these fields.

*Image by generative program as requested by Bodie Hodge

 

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[1] I’ve commented on this before with my colleague and brother in Christ, Paul Taylor: Was Jesus In The Grave For Three Days And Three Nights? Paul Taylor and Bodie Hodge, Biblical Authority Ministries, April 19, 2025, https://www.biblicalauthorityministries.org/2025/04/was-jesus-in-grave-for-three-days-and.html; Paul Taylor and Bodie Hodge, A Matter of Days, Biblical Authority Ministries, March 20, 2026, https://www.biblicalauthorityministries.org/2026/03/a-matter-of-days.html;