Jesus declared to the Pharisees that the only sign to absolutely prove the truth of His message would be His time in the grave. He stated that He would be exactly three days and three nights in the tomb, dead and unable to resurrect Himself. If God the Father resurrects Him after precisely this duration, it would be undeniable proof that He is the Messiah. He reiterated this sign to various audiences with similar phrasing, emphasizing that after three days He would rise again. Even the chief priests and Pharisees recalled this sign, mentioning to Pilate after the crucifixion that He had said, "After three days I will rise." Examining the timeline, it is clear that fitting three full days between a Friday evening burial and a Sunday morning resurrection is impossible. Jesus remained dead in the tomb for exactly 72 hours, as any deviation would render the sign a failure. Since He was buried at sunset, and the duration was precisely 72 hours, He was also resurrected at sunset, not at dawn. Further details confirm that Jesus was crucified and buried on a Wednesday, with two Sabbaths occurring within that 72-hour period. The women rested on the high day Sabbath of the first day of Unleavened Bread, which followed the Passover, and again on the weekly Sabbath two days later. The sequence of events, supported by the gospel accounts, shows that after the holy day Sabbath on Thursday, the women prepared spices on Friday, and our Savior was resurrected at sunset on the Sabbath as the day ended. This timeline aligns with the plain evidence that His resurrection occurred exactly 72 hours from His burial, fulfilling the sign He gave.

Abraham embarked on a journey from Beersheba to the land of Moriah, a trip spanning thirty miles uphill, taking the remainder of the first day, all of the second day, and part of the third day to reach close to the destination. If God had given the command to sacrifice Isaac the evening before Abraham set out, and the offering occurred at the end of the third day, Isaac would have been considered dead in Abraham's mind for three days and three nights. This duration mirrors a significant pattern, reflecting a period of profound emotional and spiritual weight for Abraham as he contemplated the command during this time. The journey's timing underscores the depth of Abraham's internal struggle and faith, as he carried the burden of God's instruction over these three days and three nights before reaching the place of sacrifice.

Jesus provided a crucial sign to prove His identity as the Messiah, as recorded in Matthew 12:38-40. He declared that just as Jonah was three days and three nights in the belly of the great fish, so would the Son of Man be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth. This timing of His burial and resurrection, a full 72 hours, serves as the sole sign of His Messiahship, bearing no connection to establishing which day God set apart as holy. The timing of His resurrection is vital to confirming whether He is the Savior. If the Father did not resurrect Him at the foretold time, there is no salvation. Many theologians claim He died on a Friday afternoon and was resurrected on a Sunday morning, yet this does not align with the sign of Jonah. It is impossible to fit three days and three nights between a Friday afternoon and a Sunday morning, thus challenging the validity of the sign He gave. Further examination reveals that Jesus 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 before sunset on Wednesday, as 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, from Wednesday night through Saturday, totaling 72 hours, and He arose on Sabbath afternoon before sunset. His resurrection on the Sabbath does not establish it as holy; rather, He was resurrected by God on a day already set apart as holy.