May I make a slight correction here? The way the Hebrews counted days was that the next day started at sundown of the previous day. You have it right that Jesus died the day before Passover which was the 14th. The 15th is Passover which is the 1st day of the Feast of Unleavened Bread. That was the "High day" or the annual Sabbath. The 14th was the preparation day, but the last supper and the death of Christ was actually the same day. Counting 3 days and 3 nights in the tomb, compared with Jonah, brings us to the setting of the sun ending the 7th, or weekly Sabbath day. The setting of the sun started the first day of the week, and Mary was at the tomb before the sun rose of that first day.
John 20:1 (KJV)
[SUP]1 [/SUP]The first day of the week cometh Mary Magdalene early, when it was yet dark, unto the sepulchre, and seeth the stone taken away from the sepulchre.
You are sure the Passover was the next day, the 15th? Let's read a little...
Lev 23:5 In the
fourteenth day of the first month at even is the LORD'S passover.
The fifteenth was the First Day of Unleavened Bread...
Lev 23:6 And on the fifteenth day of the same month is the feast of unleavened bread unto the LORD: seven days ye must eat unleavened bread.
Lev 23:7 In the first day ye shall have an holy convocation: ye shall do no servile work therein.
The 15th is a holy convocation. A high day. Now let's go to the gospels and read...
Joh 19:28 After this, Jesus knowing that all things were now accomplished, that the scripture might be fulfilled, saith, I thirst.
Joh 19:29 Now there was set a vessel full of vinegar: and they filled a spunge with vinegar, and put it upon hyssop, and put it to his mouth.
Joh 19:30 When Jesus therefore had received the vinegar, he said, It is finished: and he bowed his head, and gave up the ghost.
Joh 19:31 The Jews therefore, because it was the preparation, that the bodies should not remain upon the cross on the sabbath day, (for that sabbath day was an high day,) besought Pilate that their legs might be broken, and that they might be taken away.
So, Christ died here and then had to be taken down off of the stake because the next day was a high day. This high day is the First Day of Unleavened Bread. (the weekly Sabbath is not referred to as a high day)
so Christ was crucified on Wednesday, April 25, 31AD and was placed in the tomb just before sunset. At sunset the Frist Day of Unleavened Bread began. Wednesday night + Thursday day = 1st day in the tomb. Thursday night + Friday day = 2nd day in the tomb. Friday night + Saturday day = 3rd day in tomb. Christ is now resurrected at/about sunset on the Sabbath.
The resurrection was not on Sunday morning. That was a totally different Feast day...
Lev 23:9 And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying,
Lev 23:10 Speak unto the children of Israel, and say unto them, When ye be come into the land which I give unto you, and shall reap the harvest thereof, then ye shall bring a sheaf of the firstfruits of your harvest unto the priest:
Lev 23:11 And he shall wave the sheaf before the LORD, to be accepted for you: on the morrow after the sabbath the priest shall wave it.
Christ was the Wave Sheaf, the very first of the firstfruits. He ascended on Sunday morning just as the Wave Sheaf Feast shows.