‘Then some of the Pharisees and teachers of the law said to him, “Teacher, we want to see a sign from you.” He answered, “A wicked and adulterous generation asks for a sign! But none will be given it except the sign of the prophet Jonah. For as Jonah was three days and three nights in the belly of a huge fish, so the Son of Man will be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth”’. – Mathew 12:38-40
In giving ‘the sign of the prophet Jonah’, was Jesus relating to (A) his future ‘crucifixion, burial and resurrection’ as what the Christians believe OR (B) a future event where he was not killed nor was he crucified, but ‘was made to appear so’ as what the Muslims believe ?? Whichever you tend to lean to (A or B), where are your scriptural proofs to support your belief ?
Some context is in order I think....
Matthew 12:33-41....In speaking of the Pharisees, Jesus said....
“Either you make the tree fine and its fruit fine or make the tree rotten and its fruit rotten, for by its fruit the tree is known. 34 Offspring of vipers, how can you speak good things when you are wicked? For out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks. 35 The good man out of his good treasure sends out good things, whereas the wicked man out of his wicked treasure sends out wicked things. 36 I tell you that men will render an account on Judgment Day for every unprofitable saying that they speak; 37 for by your words you will be declared righteous, and by your words you will be condemned.”
38 Then as an answer to him, some of the scribes and the Pharisees said: “Teacher, we want to see a sign from you.” 39 In reply he said to them: “A wicked and adulterous generation keeps on seeking a sign, but no sign will be given it except the sign of Joʹnah the prophet. 40 For just as Joʹnah was in the belly of the huge fish for three days and three nights, so the Son of man will be in the heart of the earth for three days and three nights. 41 Men of Ninʹe·veh will rise up in the judgment with this generation and will condemn it, because they repented at what Joʹnah preached. But look! something more than Joʹnah is here."
In context these wicked men wanted Jesus to perform some miraculous sign for them, but he refused, instead telling them that the only sign they would see was the fact that he would be "in the heart of the earth" for three days and nights, just as Jonah was in the belly of the fish for the same period of time.
Jonah was confined in the belly of that fish, just as Jesus was confined in the tomb (donated by Joseph of Arimathea) dispelling the idea that he was resurrected before that third day.
His resurrection took place three days after his death, because it was not according to belief in an immortal soul, (not a Bible teaching) but a true resurrection that Jesus experienced. People have lost the meaning of that word IMO. It means a restoration of life...not a continuation of such. For parts of three days and nights therefore, Jesus was dead.
When Jesus raised his friend Lazarus who had died, Lazarus had been dead for 4 days. His "soul" had not gone anywhere as Jesus said that he was "sleeping". (John 11:11-14) Lazarus was not conscious of being anywhere during those 4 days. Jews believed that the dead were "conscious of nothing". They have no ability to think or plan or to do anything. They are in an unconscious state. (Ecclesiastes 9:5, 10) As a Jew, Jesus also believed this.