Jesus' sign of Messiahship was that He would be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth (Matthew 12:38-40), so the traditional Friday crucifixion and Sunday resurrection cannot be true. The source defines a day and night by Jesus' own words in John 11:9-10 (twelve hours of light and twelve of darkness) and by Genesis 1, making three days and three nights a full 72 hours. Adding "nights" rules out the idiom of parts of days, as in the sign of Jonah. The related phrases fit this: "the third day" and "in three days" set outer limits, while "after three days" (Mark 8:31; Matthew 27:63) requires at least 72 hours. Because all the gospels place the burial at sunset, the resurrection also came at sunset, not dawn. Jesus was crucified on Wednesday, Passover, and buried that evening. Thursday was the annual high-day Sabbath, the women bought spices on Friday, and He rose at the close of the weekly Sabbath. Apparent contradictions, such as the Emmaus disciples' "third day" (counted from Thursday's sealing of the tomb), the priests' request to guard the tomb "until the third day," and Mark 16:9, are explained as fitting this timing. If He rose earlier or later, the sign would fail and He would be a fraud.

In the foundational message of the gospel, as delivered to the Corinthians, the resurrection of Jesus Christ is a central truth. Paul reminds them of the gospel he preached, emphasizing that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, was buried, and rose again after three days, as also prophesied. This event is not merely a historical fact but a vital element of saving knowledge, without which the entire gospel would crumble. The resurrection after three days stands as a cornerstone, affirming that salvation is an ongoing process, with part already accomplished in justification and forgiveness, yet continuing toward completion at the future resurrection. Paul further supports this truth with overwhelming eyewitness testimony, noting that Christ, having risen after three days, was seen by Cephas, the twelve, over five hundred brethren at once, James, all the apostles, and finally by Paul himself. These accounts, many from individuals still alive at the time, provide irrefutable evidence of His resurrection, demonstrating that it occurred after three days as a real, undeniable event witnessed by many, reinforcing the certainty of this foundational truth to the Corinthians.

After His resurrection, Jesus Christ presented Himself alive to His disciples by many infallible proofs, being seen by them during forty days and speaking of the things pertaining to the kingdom of God. During this period, He emphasized the importance of the kingdom, a central theme of His teachings before His crucifixion, underscoring its significance in His post-resurrection ministry. He instructed His apostles to remain in Jerusalem until they received the Holy Spirit, commanding them to wait for the spiritual power they needed to carry out His work. Christ then ascended to heaven, promising that they would receive power from on high to be witnesses to Him, beginning in Jerusalem and extending to all nations, preaching repentance and remission of sins in His name.