When did Jesus rise? What day did Jesus rise?

The resurrection of Jesus Christ is the cornerstone of the Christian faith. The apostle Paul declared, “If Christ has not been raised, your faith is futile and you are still in your sins” (1 Corinthians 15:17, ESV). Understanding when Jesus rose from the dead is not only a matter of historical interest but also of theological importance. The Bible clearly teaches that Jesus rose on the first day of the week, which corresponds to Sunday.

All four Gospels affirm that Jesus rose on the first day of the week. Matthew 28:1, 6 records, “Now after the Sabbath, toward the dawn of the first day of the week, Mary Magdalene and the other Mary went to see the tomb....He is not here, for he has risen, as he said” (ESV). Mark 16:2 also states, “And very early on the first day of the week, when the sun had risen, they went to the tomb” (ESV). Luke 24:1 confirms this timing: “But on the first day of the week, at early dawn, they went to the tomb, taking the spices they had prepared” (ESV). John 20:1 adds, “Now on the first day of the week Mary Magdalene came to the tomb early, while it was still dark, and saw that the stone had been taken away from the tomb” (ESV).

While there is some debate, it is likely that Jesus was crucified on a Friday, the day before the Sabbath (Mark 15:42), and buried before sundown. The Jewish reckoning of days counted any part of a day as a full day. Therefore, Jesus was in the tomb part of Friday (day one), all of Saturday (day two), and rose early on Sunday (day three), fulfilling His own prophecy that He would rise “on the third day” (Luke 24:7). This aligns with Jesus’ words in Matthew 12:40, where He said, “For just as Jonah was three days and three nights in the belly of the great fish, so will the Son of Man be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth” (ESV). While some interpret this to require a full 72 hours, Jewish idiom allowed for any part of a day to count as a whole day and night.

The resurrection on Sunday also explains why Christians began to gather for worship on the first day of the week rather than the Sabbath. Acts 20:7 notes, “On the first day of the week, when we were gathered together to break bread, Paul talked with them” (ESV). Similarly, 1 Corinthians 16:2 refers to believers setting aside offerings “on the first day of every week.” The early church recognized Sunday as the Lord’s Day, commemorating the resurrection of Christ.

In summary, Jesus rose from the dead on Sunday, the first day of the week, just as He foretold. The resurrection of Jesus not only fulfilled prophecy but also demonstrated His victory over death. As the angel declared at the empty tomb, “He is not here, but has risen” (Luke 24:6, ESV). The resurrection is the ultimate proof of Jesus’ divinity and the guarantee of eternal life for all who believe in Him (John 11:25–26).