# Why did it take Jesus 3 days to rise from the dead? **URL:** \ **Category:** Great Debates\ **Created:** [December 28, 2008, 2:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-did-it-take-jesus-3-days-to-rise-from-the-dead/478959 "2008-12-28T14:56:53Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![panache45](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/panache45/32/64_2.png) [@panache45](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/panache45)\ **Post date:** [December 28, 2008, 6:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-did-it-take-jesus-3-days-to-rise-from-the-dead/478959/21 "2008-12-28T18:00:15Z")
So this whole resurrection thing is based on the integrity of some nameless guard, who could have been asleep or drunk or bribed while the body was stolen? ---
**Author:** ![Aswan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/c68b51/32.png) [@Aswan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Aswan)\ **Post date:** [December 28, 2008, 6:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-did-it-take-jesus-3-days-to-rise-from-the-dead/478959/22 "2008-12-28T18:26:23Z")
According to Matthew, the guard was asleep. Peter suggests that the guard was a Roman–for which sleeping on duty was punishable by death–but Matthew is silent on this point and the guard could have been Jewish, since it was a request by the chief priests. ---
**Author:** ![Der\_Trihs](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/der_trihs/32/233_2.png) [@Der\_Trihs](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Der_Trihs)\ **Post date:** [December 28, 2008, 6:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-did-it-take-jesus-3-days-to-rise-from-the-dead/478959/23 "2008-12-28T18:32:08Z")
> [@Czarcasm](#): > > We know when the stone was rolled away, but he could have arisen ten minutes after the tomb was sealed, and walked out-he _was_ a ghost, y’know. Zombie, since he had a physical body. Or possibly a vampire. ---
**Author:** ![dalej42](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/67e7ee/32.png) [@dalej42](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dalej42)\ **Post date:** [December 28, 2008, 7:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-did-it-take-jesus-3-days-to-rise-from-the-dead/478959/24 "2008-12-28T19:13:41Z")
The apocryphal Gospel of Peter has an explanation of how the resurrection occurred: ``` And in the night in which the Lord's day was drawing on, as the soldiers kept guard two by two in a watch, there was a great voice in the heaven; and they saw the heavens opened, and two men descend from thence with great light and approach the tomb. And that stone which was put at the door rolled of itself and made way in part; and the tomb was opened, and both the young men entered in. When therefore those soldiers saw it, they awakened the centurion and the elders; for they too were hard by keeping guard. And, as they declared what things they had seen, again they see three men come forth from the tomb, and two of them supporting one, and a cross following them: and of the two the head reached unto the heaven, but the head of him that was led by them overpassed the heavens. And they heard a voice from the heavens, saying, Thou hast preached to them that sleep. And a response was heard from the cross, Yea. ``` Full [article.](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gospel_of_peter) ---
**Author:** ![Jackmannii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jackmannii/32/311_2.png) [@Jackmannii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jackmannii)\ **Post date:** [December 28, 2008, 7:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-did-it-take-jesus-3-days-to-rise-from-the-dead/478959/25 "2008-12-28T19:16:17Z")
[QUOTE=Czarcasm] Why did it take Jesus 3 days to rise from the dead? [/QUOTE] He was on his cellphone. And text messaging took a lot longer in those days, since you had to rearrange tablets. ---
**Author:** ![Malacandra](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@Malacandra](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Malacandra)\ **Post date:** [December 28, 2008, 7:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-did-it-take-jesus-3-days-to-rise-from-the-dead/478959/26 "2008-12-28T19:59:53Z")
> [@panache45](#): > > So this whole resurrection thing is based on the integrity of some nameless guard, who could have been asleep or drunk or bribed while the body was stolen? Bribery is an accusation that cuts two ways, you know: > [@](#): > > Matthew 28:11-15 > > **The Soldiers Are Bribed** > > 11 Now while they were going, behold, some of the guard came into the city and reported to the chief priests all the things that had happened. 12 When they had assembled with the elders and consulted together, they gave a large sum of money to the soldiers, 13 saying, “Tell them, ‘His disciples came at night and stole Him away while we slept.’ 14 And if this comes to the governor’s ears, we will appease him and make you secure.” 15 So they took the money and did as they were instructed; and this saying is commonly reported among the Jews until this day. Note that “guard”, though a singular noun, need not refer to a single man; when they change the guard at Buckingham Palace, the entire work detail is changed over. As for what “the whole resurrection thing” is based on, the appearances of the Risen Christ are inconsistent with the theft of a dead body. ---
**Author:** ![Sage\_Rat](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sage_rat/32/399_2.png) [@Sage\_Rat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sage_Rat)\ **Post date:** [December 28, 2008, 8:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-did-it-take-jesus-3-days-to-rise-from-the-dead/478959/27 "2008-12-28T20:05:20Z")
> [@Malacandra](#): > > As for what “the whole resurrection thing” is based on, the appearances of the Risen Christ are inconsistent with the theft of a dead body. Not heard of that spate of taxidermist puppeteers going round? ---
**Author:** ![Malacandra](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@Malacandra](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Malacandra)\ **Post date:** [December 28, 2008, 8:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-did-it-take-jesus-3-days-to-rise-from-the-dead/478959/28 "2008-12-28T20:18:11Z")
> [@Sage\_Rat](#): > > Not heard of that spate of taxidermist puppeteers going round? As plausible as the next conspiracy theory, I’d opine. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![detop](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/bcef8e/32.png) [@detop](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/detop)\ **Post date:** [December 28, 2008, 8:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-did-it-take-jesus-3-days-to-rise-from-the-dead/478959/29 "2008-12-28T20:27:08Z")
> [@Aswan](#): > > \ Jesus had to be dead long enough to convince His followers that He was really, really dead and that He had conquered Death completely and convincingly. \ Maybe he was just **mostly** dead ? ---
**Author:** ![Musicat](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/musicat/32/20189_2.png) [@Musicat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Musicat)\ **Post date:** [December 28, 2008, 8:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-did-it-take-jesus-3-days-to-rise-from-the-dead/478959/30 "2008-12-28T20:45:34Z")
Look, arguing about details in this story would be like arguing about what happened at Harry Potter’s birthday party. If it happened 2000 years ago, and the only eyewitnesses couldn’t read or write, there was no way to record the events except oral history, no one tried to record them for 30 years anyway, and, since the scientific method hadn’t been developed, the only stories then were equivalent to today’s conspiracy theories as mangled by retelling, assumptions of paranormal events as common occurances, in a time of a total lack of discrimination as to validity or veracity, using highly unreliable accounts which may be total fiction to begin with. After J.K. Rowling dies, how worthwhile would it be to argue about the color of Harry’s socks at his 12th birthday party unless she wrote it down somewhere? ---
**Author:** ![Bosda\_Di\_Chi\_of\_Tricor](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bosda_di_chi_of_tricor/32/16845_2.png) [@Bosda\_Di\_Chi\_of\_Tricor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bosda_Di_Chi_of_Tricor)\ **Post date:** [December 28, 2008, 9:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-did-it-take-jesus-3-days-to-rise-from-the-dead/478959/31 "2008-12-28T21:34:15Z")
> [@](#): > > Why did it take Jesus 3 days to rise from the dead? He was driving through Atlanta, on his way back from Florida (why else would old people go to Florida? Heaven is a shorter trip.), and he forgot to take the bypass. ---
**Author:** ![TWDuke](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/e495f1/32.png) [@TWDuke](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TWDuke)\ **Post date:** [December 28, 2008, 10:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-did-it-take-jesus-3-days-to-rise-from-the-dead/478959/32 "2008-12-28T22:34:48Z")
[He had a hell of a weekend](http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/07143d.htm). ---
**Author:** ![Voyager](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/voyager/32/133_2.png) [@Voyager](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Voyager)\ **Post date:** [December 28, 2008, 11:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-did-it-take-jesus-3-days-to-rise-from-the-dead/478959/33 "2008-12-28T23:42:21Z")
> [@TWDuke](#): > > [He had a hell of a weekend](http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/07143d.htm). One hell of a shortcut. And the ad on that page is for Hellboy II 😛 ---
**Author:** ![BobLibDem](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/boblibdem/32/3149_2.png) [@BobLibDem](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BobLibDem)\ **Post date:** [December 28, 2008, 11:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-did-it-take-jesus-3-days-to-rise-from-the-dead/478959/34 "2008-12-28T23:44:53Z")
It seems to me a Friday resurrection would have been too early and some may not have believed he really died. Plus after sundown would be the sabbath and all. Ditto for Saturday. Sunday being the first non-Sabbath full day after the crucifixion seems about the right timing. ---
**Author:** ![Voyager](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/voyager/32/133_2.png) [@Voyager](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Voyager)\ **Post date:** [December 28, 2008, 11:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-did-it-take-jesus-3-days-to-rise-from-the-dead/478959/35 "2008-12-28T23:47:05Z")
> [@BobLibDem](#): > > It seems to me a Friday resurrection would have been too early and some may not have believed he really died. Plus after sundown would be the sabbath and all. Ditto for Saturday. Sunday being the first non-Sabbath full day after the crucifixion seems about the right timing. But he promised longer. I suspect that this was written after Sunday became the new Sabbath, and the time was shortened to have him pop up on the appropriate day of the week. ---
**Author:** ![The\_Second\_Stone](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/bbe5ce/32.png) [@The\_Second\_Stone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Second_Stone)\ **Post date:** [December 29, 2008, 1:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-did-it-take-jesus-3-days-to-rise-from-the-dead/478959/36 "2008-12-29T01:06:24Z")
He was crucified on a Friday afternoon. At sunset on Friday, even God takes a full day’s rest, because it is the Sabbath, and Jesus was, as we all know, Jewish. He resurrected himself first thing Sunday morning because that was as soon as he could do it after the day of rest. Duh. ---
**Author:** ![Alex\_Dubinsky](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/dbc845/32.png) [@Alex\_Dubinsky](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Alex_Dubinsky)\ **Post date:** [December 29, 2008, 1:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-did-it-take-jesus-3-days-to-rise-from-the-dead/478959/37 "2008-12-29T01:32:27Z")
> [@Sage\_Rat](#): > > Not heard of that spate of taxidermist puppeteers going round? I saw [something like this](http://blogs.villagevoice.com/runninscared/berniewwek.jpg), and it was _really believeable._ ---
**Author:** ![Bryan\_Ekers](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bryan_ekers/32/183_2.png) [@Bryan\_Ekers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bryan_Ekers)\ **Post date:** [December 29, 2008, 1:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-did-it-take-jesus-3-days-to-rise-from-the-dead/478959/38 "2008-12-29T01:41:16Z")
> [@detop](#): > > Maybe he was just **mostly** dead ? No, he was really dead. Really most sincerely dead. ---
**Author:** ![GuanoLad](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guanolad/32/42_2.png) [@GuanoLad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GuanoLad)\ **Post date:** [December 29, 2008, 1:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-did-it-take-jesus-3-days-to-rise-from-the-dead/478959/39 "2008-12-29T01:47:57Z")
I had thought it wasn’t so much as he rose on the third day, as they came back to the cave on the third day and he wasn’t there. Grave robbing didn’t seem to occur to them, they all assumed the obvious explanation was resurrection. ---
**Author:** ![TWDuke](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/e495f1/32.png) [@TWDuke](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TWDuke)\ **Post date:** [December 29, 2008, 1:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-did-it-take-jesus-3-days-to-rise-from-the-dead/478959/40 "2008-12-29T01:54:23Z")
Not so. Thomas, for one, didn’t believe it until Christ appeared before him in the flesh and allowed Thomas to touch his wounds (or so the story goes). [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-did-it-take-jesus-3-days-to-rise-from-the-dead/478959.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-did-it-take-jesus-3-days-to-rise-from-the-dead/478959.md?page=3)