Rev. Fr. Kelvin Ugwu, a Nigerian Catholic priest serving in Gambia, has provided clarification on the controversy surrounding Good Friday. The controversy arose from a question posed to him on Facebook, which asked if Christ was buried on Friday and rose on Sunday, did it give a complete three days and three nights as Christ said, “as Jonah was in the belly of fish for three days and three nights so shall he be in the grave?”
Ugwu explained that Jesus did not spend a literal three days and three nights in the grave, but rather rose on the third day. He said that the Bible’s use of “three days and three nights” is a figurative expression and not literal. Ugwu went on to explain the chronology of events surrounding Jesus’ death and resurrection, noting that the way ancient people understood time and calculated days was different from the way we do today.
Ugwu pointed out that the ancient people counted parts as a whole. For example, if someone was born at 3 pm on Friday, and since the new day usually begins in the evening around 6 PM, even though the person was born three hours before the beginning of a new day (3 pm to 6 pm), once it gets to 6 PM of the new day, the person is considered a day old.
Ugwu explained that Jesus died at around 3 pm, which means the first day of his death was the remainder of the day of preparation, between 3 pm and sunset. The second day then began at sunset and lasted through the entire Sabbath (i.e., it was Friday night and Saturday daytime). The third day then began at sundown on the Sabbath and lasted until sunset on the first day of the week (i.e., it was Saturday night and Sunday daytime).
Ugwu went on to explain the chronology of events surrounding Jesus’ death and resurrection, noting that the ancient people counted parts as a whole.
