Note 1 at Mt. 12:40: It has been traditionally taught that Jesus was crucified and buried on a Friday and resurrected on a Sunday, the first day of the week (Mt. 28:1; Mk. 16:2; Lk. 24:1; Jn. 20:1). However, Jesus here prophesied being three days and three nights in the heart of the earth. That would mean the crucifixion took place at least on Thursday and possibly on Wednesday depending on when you believe Jesus was resurrected. John 20:1 shows that Mary Magdalene found that Jesus was already resurrected while it was still dark. That means Jesus actually rose from the dead some time during the night prior to sunrise. If you interpret Jesus' statement here in Matthew 12:40 as meaning three complete nights, then Saturday night could not be included and would thus push the crucifixion and burial back to Wednesday. At any rate, Friday could not have been the day Jesus was crucified.

The reason the crucifixion was traditionally set on Friday is because of a misunderstanding of verses like Luke 23:54 that speak of the Sabbath as being the day after the crucifixion. However, as can be clearly seen in John 19:31, the Sabbath spoken of was a high (or special) Sabbath--specifically the feast of the passover. These special feasts were called Sabbaths also, regardless of the day of the week on which they fell (cp. Mk. 15:42 with Jn. 19:14).

Note 2 at Mt. 12:40: A Mediterranean fish has been caught, whose head alone weighed six tons, and whose jaws had an opening of eight feet. In the April 4, 1896 Literary Digest, a story was recounted of a whale in the Mediterranean Sea that destroyed a harpoon boat and swallowed a sailor named James Bartley. A day and a half later, Bartley was found alive in the whale's belly with only his skin tanned by the gastric juices. Another fish, caught off the coast of Florida, weighed 15 tons and had a 1,500 pound fish in its belly (Dake's Annotated Reference Bible).

Note 3 at Mt. 12:40: In between the crucifixion and the resurrection, Jesus went into the heart of the earth for three days and three nights. Psalm 16:9-10 with Acts 2:25-32 show that this was actually hell which Jesus descended into. The word used for "hell" in Acts 2:27 corresponds directly with the Old Testament word "sheol" (see note 13 at Mt. 5:22, p. 75). Sheol was divided into two parts, one part being a place of torment and the other a place of blessing with a great gulf between the two (Lk. 16:26). Jesus led the spirits of the godly dead out of this region at His resurrection (Ps. 68:18 with Eph. 4:8-10) leaving only the wicked dead in this place of torment which we call hell. At the last judgment, death and hell will deliver up the dead which are in them, and then they will be cast into a lake of fire where they will be tormented forever (Rev. 20:11-15).