For follow-up discussion and general commentary on the topic. Comments are sorted chronologically.
Richard Mukasa
The day doesn't matter. What matters is that an empty grave is there to prove that our saviour lives.
Phil noble
In one sense what really counts is that Jesus was crucified and rose from the dead. On the other hand we would not want to be accused of teaching a lie about a Friday crucifixion would we?
What a number of Christians do not know is on what day the Passover occurred in the week prior to Jesus resurrection. Is this relevant? Yes I think it is. Can it be determined exactly? Possibly yes. A very detailed study of the gospel accounts helps.
I cannot give the full exposition as it requires 12 A4 pages but here is a summary:
1. Jesus said He would be 3 days and 3 nights in the belly of the earth, the grave, or help by death. Part of a day may actually be ok to count as a day also.
2. This was literally days- daylight and night -no daylight in the Greek. The idea of a Jewish day starting at sunset through to sunset is not what Jesus had in mind. Read the Greek for yourself.
3. Jesus did not eat the passover, He was the passover and died 3pm on the passover afternoon in a twilight of an eclipse. There was then about 3 hours or so for Him to be buried. Read John chap 18 and 19 and see how many times it is mentioned 'before the passover'.
4. Jesus rose before full sunrise on the Sunday- read all the passages carefully and that is the conclusion you draw. .
5. The two disciples on the road to Emmaus said ' it has been three days since these things happened' What things? Jesus death on the cross. So Thursday is crucifixion day, Friday full Passover day. With Friday death there is a missing night