Jesus Christ declared that He would remain in the grave for three days and three nights following His crucifixion. According to I Corinthians 15:3-4, Christ died for our sins, was buried, and rose again on the third day as foretold in the scriptures. It is emphasized that He, Jesus Himself, was entirely buried, not merely His body, indicating He was dead for those three days before coming to life and arising. John 19:41-42 confirms that Jesus was laid in a new sepulchre in a garden near the place of crucifixion, underscoring that it was Jesus, not just His body, who was placed in the tomb. Acts 2:31 further clarifies that His soul was not left in the grave, nor did His flesh see corruption, proving that during this period, Jesus was in the grave, not in Paradise. Since Jesus did not enter Paradise on the day of His crucifixion, the repentant malefactor crucified with Him could not have entered it that day either, as Christ holds preeminence in all things. The resurrection of Jesus marks Him as the firstborn from the dead, and only after His rising could the promise of Paradise be fulfilled in due time.

Jesus Christ's resurrection holds critical significance as the sign proving His identity as the Messiah. He declared in Matthew 12:38-40 that the only sign given would be like Jonah's three days and three nights in the belly of the great fish, so the Son of Man would be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth. This timing of His resurrection validates His claim to be the Son of Man and the Messiah, bearing no connection to establishing which day God set apart as holy. The precise timing of His burial and resurrection reveals that He was crucified on the day of Passover, a preparation day for an annual Sabbath, not the weekly Sabbath. His body was placed in the grave late Wednesday afternoon before the high-day Sabbath of the first day of the Feast of Unleavened Bread began. He remained in the grave for three days and three nights, totaling 72 hours, from Wednesday night through Saturday, and He arose on Sabbath afternoon before sunset. This resurrection on the Sabbath does not establish the day of worship, as the Sabbath was already holy and set apart by God. Despite claims by some theologians that His resurrection justifies worship on the first day of the week, there is no indication that God intended such a change. The timing of His resurrection either proves or disproves His Messiahship, but it does not alter the day God sanctified. Even if it did influence the day of worship, it would still point to the seventh day, as He was resurrected on the Sabbath. Jesus' resurrection made no change in the day of worship; it remains a tradition of men to observe another day without regard to God's Word.

Jesus Christ's Resurrection stands as a pivotal event, challenging the timing and traditions upheld by many. Jesus Himself declared that He would be in the grave for three days and three nights, mirroring Jonah's time in the fish's belly, which totals 72 hours, as a day and a night together equal 24 hours with twelve hours each for day and night. He affirmed this duration as a sign of His messiahship, stating that in three days He would raise up the temple of His body after its destruction. The timing of His Resurrection was precise, occurring at the very end of 72 hours, not a moment too soon or a blink of the eye too late, fulfilling Scripture. God the Father, as the ultimate Timekeeper, resurrected Christ, unbound by human traditions or measures of time such as rabbinical customs or Roman sentry watches. Scripture details that Jesus was crucified on Wednesday, the fourteenth of Abib/Nisan, and laid in the tomb by Joseph close to sunset on the Preparation Day as the Sabbath drew near. After 72 hours, He rose from the dead as the Sabbath ended, not on Sunday as widely believed. Mary Magdalene found the tomb empty early on the first day of the week while it was still dark, confirming that Jesus had already been resurrected, disproving the notion of a Sunday morning resurrection. If He had risen on Sunday, He would not have fulfilled the sign of three days and three nights in the tomb, essential to His role as Savior. Instead, He rose on the true seventh-day Sabbath, the day of which He declared Himself Lord.

The resurrection of Jesus Christ is a cornerstone of our faith, equally vital to our salvation as His death. It is not merely a fact to accept, but a truth to deeply consider, as it offers us hope of our own resurrection and assures us of a living Savior. While our focus often rests on His death and the covering of our sins during Passover and the Days of Unleavened Bread, we must not overlook that He rose from the dead, demonstrating His triumph over death and His divine authority. No human witnessed the moment Jesus awoke from death in the darkness of the tomb, with the stone sealing the entry. Yet, the disciples and others recorded His post-resurrection appearances, testifying that He was dead, entombed by Joseph and Nicodemus, and later seen alive—walking, speaking, eating, preaching, and commanding in a glorious state. They saw Him with their own eyes, touched Him with their hands, and heard His voice giving instructions during the forty days following His resurrection. His appearances were not mere visions but real interactions, as they walked with Him, talked with Him, touched His wounds, and shared meals with Him on multiple occasions. The empty tomb, discovered by the women on Sunday morning, stands as a powerful testimony. The stone was rolled away, and His body was gone, with only the linen wrappings remaining. Mary Magdalene and the other Mary, along with the guards, witnessed the earthquake, saw the stone moved, and heard the angel's message, confirming that the tomb had been sealed and guarded until that moment. This proves that no theft occurred, and His departure from the tomb was a divine act, as He passed through the walls, unbound by physical barriers. Multiple witnesses, including over five hundred people at one time as well as the apostles, saw Him alive after His death, providing overwhelming evidence of His resurrection. These accounts, recorded in twenty-seven documents by eight or nine men—eyewitnesses or close associates—were written within a generation of the events, often between fifteen and forty years after they occurred. Their candidness, even including details that could embarrass them, underscores their dedication to truth, affirming the reality of what they saw and experienced. The transformation of the disciples from fearful and doubting to bold preachers, even in the face of persecution and martyrdom, further attests to the reality of His resurrection. They proclaimed in the very heart of opposition that Jesus Christ had died, was buried, and was no longer in the tomb but alive, working through His church. Their unwavering courage and willingness to die for this truth reveal that they had seen and felt the risen Jesus Christ, knowing beyond doubt that He lives. Finally, the resurrection of Jesus Christ opens the way to eternal life for all who believe and confess Him as Savior. Because He did not remain in the tomb but lives in heaven, working on our behalf, we hold the hope of our own resurrection when our resurrected Lord and Savior returns.

Jesus Christ, our Savior, our Redeemer, the Messiah, died 1,964 years ago on the day of the Passover, Nisan 14. Three days later, at the end of the Sabbath, He was resurrected to eternal life by our Father in heaven. This resurrection occurred as the weekly Sabbath was ending, exactly seventy-two hours from His burial, symbolizing God reaping the best and the first of His spiritual harvest. Jesus became the perfect wavesheaf offering, the perfect Firstfruit, entering His rest on the Sabbath, a day that commemorates God as Creator and looks forward to the Kingdom of God. The following morning, on the day of the wavesheaf offering, Jesus ascended to heaven as our High Priest and Savior, accepted before God at a time corresponding to the waving of the sheaf, early after sunrise. His resurrection on the Sabbath and ascension shortly after fulfill the types and symbolism of the Old Testament, demonstrating His role as the perfect antitype of the wavesheaf cutting and waving.

In I Corinthians 15, the central issue is the bodily resurrection of Jesus Christ, a concept that caused much confusion among the Gentiles in Corinth. This confusion necessitated clear teaching to ensure they understood whom they worshipped. Denying Christ's bodily resurrection undermines His significance to this profound truth, which was a new and debated idea in those times. The gospel affirms that He was seen bodily by many after His resurrection, providing substantial evidence against the prevailing disbelief in bodily resurrection during that era. Paul emphasizes in I Corinthians 15:20 that Jesus Christ indeed experienced a bodily resurrection, a truth vital to remove all doubt among believers. This event is not merely about rising from the grave but underscores the reality of a physical resurrection witnessed by numerous individuals, reinforcing the certainty of this foundational belief.