He was in the grave for parts of three days, simple as that, if someone doesn't want to accept that, so be it.
Here's why this position makes absolutely no sense. Daniel wrote that the Messiah would die on a Wednesday:
"Then he shall confirm a covenant with many for one week; but in the middle of the week he shall bring an end to sacrifice and offering. And on the wing of abominations shall be one who makes desolate, even until the consummation, which is determined, is poured out on the desolate.” -Dan. 9:27
Furthermore, the Gospel accounts shows 2 Sabbaths were observed before the resurrected Christ appeared to His followers:
"So there they laid Jesus, because of the Jews' Preparation Day, for the tomb was nearby." - Jhn 19:42
Proponents of the idea that Christ was only dead for 3 parts of a day subscribe to that position in part because they don't realize the day preceding any Sabbath is a prep day. In this particular case, it was the prep day for the first day of Unleavened Bread, which is the day after Passover:
"‘On the fourteenth day of the first month at twilight is the LORD’s Passover. ‘And on the fifteenth day of the same month is the Feast of Unleavened Bread to the LORD; seven days you must eat unleavened bread. On the first day you shall have a holy convocation; you shall do no customary work on it. " - Lev. 23:5-6
The second Sabbath is the weekly Sabbath that is mentioned in Luke:
"Then they returned and prepared spices and fragrant oils. And they rested on the Sabbath according to the commandment." - Luk. 23:56
The correct sequence of events is as follows:
Passover Afternoon - Christ died and was buried before the first day of ULB feast(Wednesday sunset to Thursday sunset) begins(Dan. 9:27, Matt. 27:50, Mar. 15:37, Luk. 23:46, 54, Jhn. 19:14, 30-31, 42)
Thursday - First day of ULB feast
Friday Day Period - Christ's female followers purchased spices and prepared them before the weekly Sabbath begins(Luk. 23:56)
Saturday Afternoon -Christ's followers keep the Sabbath(Luk. 23:56); Christ is resurrected at the same exact time He died
Sunday morning hrs -Christ's female followers go to the tomb where Christ was buried to apply the prepared spices to His corpse and are informed by angels that He was already resurrected(Matt. 28:1-6, Mar. 16:1-7, Luk. 24:1-7, Jhn 20:1-7)
As Christ prophesied, He was dead for exactly 3 days, not 3 parts of a day.
To your gentile mindset. Now try and think like a first century Jew and learn how they used euphemisms in their speech like we do in ours! Jesus is an unimpeachable source and He spoke as a jew did in the first century and used the euphemisms Jews used in the first century. You and I get confused when we see these things cuz we are gentiles in the 21st centruy reading words on a page. If we don't learn how they used words, we think with our 21st century mind.
This is such an illogical argument. The Orthodox Jews still interpret any mention of a literal day as being a full 24 hr. period now just as much as they did back in Christ's day. People are familiar with Judaism is because its adherents still believe in keeping the whole 24 hr. period of a Sabbath and not just part of it. Even the most militant atheist can read Gen. 1 and know it is referring to 6 full 24 hr. periods.
