Why did it take three days?

The fact that Jesus was dead for three days after his crucifixion proves that he was really dead.  The three days gave sufficient time (1) for his body to be prepared for burial and placed in the rock tomb, (2) for the disciples to realize the numbing effect of his passing and to mourn their loss, and (3) for the Jewish leaders to persuade Pilate to seal the tomb and guard it (John 20:38-42; Luke 24:10-11, 24; Matthew 27:52-66).    

If Jesus had come out from the tomb earlier, then skeptics might claim that Jesus did not die but only “swooned” on the cross.  They would assert that he revived a few hours later in the cool, dark tomb and came out of it.  Some skeptics accept that Jesus was in the tomb for three days but they advocate that he was not really dead.  They say that he revived himself, rolled the stone away, slipped past the guards and appeared to his disciples.  This theory does not accord with the facts: (1) The Roman soldiers were professional executioners who would not be fooled by someone faking death; (2) A soldier plunged a spear into Jesus’ side and water and blood came out.  The blood was already separating from the water signifying death (John 19:31-35); (3) Joseph and Nicodemus saw that Jesus was dead.  They took the body off the cross, wrapped it in cloths with 75 pounds of spices and buried it (19:38-42); and (4) It seems incredible that a scourged, beaten and crucified Jesus, whose body had been dehydrated on the cross from loss of blood, could revive himself in the tomb, roll away the stone that weighed a thousand pounds or more, slip past the soldiers guarding the tomb, and convince his disciples that he was raised from the dead.