He did not go into the tomb until near 'sun set' on Passover DAY. The next day that began at sunset was a 'high' sabbath, NOT the routine 7th day sabbath. So IF given the times we are told that took place during that Passover day does not amount to a 'day' in the tomb, would be measured in maybe hour or even minutes. And he was not even in the tomb, when the women came before the sun rose on Sunday. NO part of Sunday or the 'first' day of the week is even in the calculation for a 'day'. Because the counting begins when HE was placed in the tomb. And we know without any question he was not in the tomb before the sun rose on the first day of the week.
AND what gets ignored in the 'counting' is that there is the 'high' sabbath that began at sunset on Passover day... and then of course the weekly 7th day sabbath, that would be ended at sunset when the marking of the first day of the week began.
Usually the accurate way of counting begins at the 'time' when the flesh body was placed in the tomb. NOT because tradition decided that the 6th day of the week was made holy and good. It was not from God or His son that made the 6th day of the week a holy day.
We know that the soldiers went around breaking the legs of those crucified because it was the evening of the "preparation day". See:
John 19:39-42 (New International Reader's Version)
Nicodemus went with Joseph. He was the man who had earlier visited Jesus at night. Nicodemus brought some mixed spices, about 75 pounds. The two men took Jesus' body. They wrapped it in strips of linen cloth, along with the spices. That was the way the Jews buried people's bodies.
At the place where Jesus was crucified, there was a garden. A new tomb was there. No one had ever been put in it before. That day was the Jewish Preparation Day, and the tomb was nearby. So they placed Jesus there.
There was always a day of preparation prior to a Sabbath. This was because travel was not allowed on the Sabbath. So if the next day (Thursday) was the extra Sabbath due to Passover it would have been necessary to not have to be burying someone on that day. That is why it was expedient for Jesus to hurriedly be buried on Wednesday evening so that preparation for the Sabbath could be done. That takes care of Thursday, then Friday was a normal Preparation Day for the Saturday sabbath. That is why the women could not return to the tomb until Sunday. Good discussion, thanks.
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I think what we are seeing here is the hard and fast hold "religion" has on people so that, even in the face of strong evidence, they will not let go of their customs. I think what probably started out as a reason for a three-day weekend (combining all the days of the Passion), has now become a stubborn excuse for rejecting anything that might prove a "religion" could have made a mistake.
The important thing, of course, is that Jesus really DID die on the cross, he was buried and he rose again from the grave fully alive. Similar to December 25 being the celebration of Jesus' birth. We really don't know what day he was born, so that day is as good as any, I guess.