Beloved Rabbi Did Not Rise After Three Nights: When the famous Rabbi Schneersohn from Brooklyn died in 1994, many of his followers expected him to rise again like Jonah, after three nights and three days. Thousands of posters of the famous Rabbi had been distributed, boldly captioned with statements such as "We want Messiah now!" "To some, Messianism undermines the first line of defense against Christian missionizing which has always been that Judaism cannot accept a Messiah who dies in the midst of his redemptive mission. To others, Rabbi Schneersohn is the one who will be resurrected to complete a process of redemption for the Jewish people." (Encyclopedia Judaica Jr.)

Jesus Prophesied about Three Nights – but Christians Calculate Only Two Nights of Jesus’ Death: For the Jews, as well as for the Christians, the example of Jonah being swallowed by a great fish for three days and three nights is a symbol of atonement or at least that the Messiah would rise from the dead. Yet, the three nights and three days of Jesus’ interment and living again is still not recognized by the Jews as a sign of his Messiahship. One major reason for this may be that the account of his death and resurrection simply is not known, and if it is known it is not accepted. Many Christians struggle with the symbolism due to a "mainstream" Christian tradition of Good Friday as the crucifixion day and Easter Sunday as the resurrection day. That, according to the scriptural way of calculating twenty-four hour days, still is only two nights and two days. "Then certain of the scribes and of the Pharisees answered . . . Master, we would see a sign from thee. But he answered and said unto them, An evil and adulterous generation seeketh after a sign; and there shall no sign be given to it, but the sign of the prophet Jonas: For as Jonas was three days and three nights in the whale's belly; so shall the Son of man be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth . . ." (Matthew 12:38-42)

Countdown – Mock Trial of Jesus by Caiphas Began During the Night Before Passover: Jesus was betrayed, arrested, and taken to Caiaphas the High Priest by his soldiers. The incarceration and interrogation were . Both were illegal under the circumstances. That night was the beginning of the Preparation Day, a holiday by itself; that is why there was no formal charge against Jesus. Caiaphas and some powerful elders conspired to trap Jesus by his own words. "But Jesus held his peace . . ." (Matthew 26:63)

Blasphemy Backfires: The priestly wordsmiths, who would not even utter the name of God, used phrases such as, "He that comes in the clouds of Heaven," "He that sits on the right hand of Power," or "Blessed is His name." In anger, the High Priest challenged Him, in the name of God, ". . . tell us whether thou be the Christ, the son of God." Jesus simply replied, "Thou hast said: nevertheless I say unto you, hereafter shall ye see [this] Son of man sitting at the right hand of power, and coming in the clouds of heaven." (Matthew 26:63-64) The High Priest, perhaps stung by the realization that he himself had invoked God’s name, cried out, "He hath spoken . What think ye? They answered and said, he is guilty of death." (Matthew 26:65)

Jewish Executions Only Allowed for Temple Violations: Under the Roman political system, the Jewish priests were not to carry out executions except for temple violations. (Their executions would have been by stoning--throwing the victim over a high cliff and then covering him with stones they threw.) The priests bound and led Him to Pontius Pilate, who at first did not want to be troubled with the case. However, he soon realized a potential . He taunted the priests with Jesus’ release. Maddened by Pilate’s reluctance to favor them with an execution, they cried out, ". . . crucify him." Pilate said, "Shall I crucify your King? The chief priests answered, ." The political gain was achieved (the priests publicly acclaimed Caesar to be their king). "Then delivered he him . . . to be crucified." (John 19)

Countdown – (1^st Night) – The Crucifixion and Burial: Jesus, bearing His cross (probably just the cross beam, as the upright post was most likely already at the crucifixion place), ". . . went forth into a place called the , which is called in the Hebrew, Golgotha." (John 19:17) Daylight had progressed about six hours. It was close to noon, but, ". . . there was darkness over the whole land until the ninth hour." (Mark 15:33) The Jewish priests did not want the crucified bodies hanging on the cross on Sabbath days (for that evening was the beginning of an extra Sabbath day, a High Day – Passover). Before nightfall, a disciple of Jesus, with the help of Nicodemus, took the Lord’s body to a nearby Garden Tomb, ". . . There laid they Jesus therefore because of the Jews’s preparation day; for the sepulchre was nigh at hand." (John 19:40-42)

Countdown – 2^nd Night – Two Sabbaths in a Row: It is probable that there were that year; the Passover Sabbath and the regular seventh day of the week (Friday night) Sabbath. In that sense, Jesus was crucified on what we call a Thursday. (This fits in the time reckoning of Palm Sunday being five days before the Passover).

Countdown – 3^rd Night – Then in fulfillment of prophecy, He really was in the tomb Thursday, Friday and Saturday, and on the third day He arose: ". . . and be raised again the third day." (Matthew 16:21;17:23, Mark 9:31)