WHAT DAY WAS CHRIST CRUCIFIED?

(This article is based on one by Grady Daniel, but has been edited and additional added material by Cooper Abrams)

No one disputes that Jesus arose on Sunday morning, but there is much debate as to what day He was crucified. Most of us were taught Friday was the day Jesus was crucified and this has been widely accepted as the traditional day of crucifixion. But if Christ was crucified on Friday, how was He in the grave for three days and three nights as Jesus said in Matthew 12:40 He would be? Some of people began to say that Jesus was the son of David, which is a term for the Messiah, after He had cast a demon out of a man. However, the scribes and Pharisees being alarmed that the people would think Jesus was the Messiah began to openly criticize Him saying He had cast the demon out by the power of Beelzebub meaning Satan. Jesus then rebuked them for their unbelief and blasphemy. Blasphemy is attributing the work of the Holy Spirit to the Devil and that is what they did by saying that Jesus casting out the demon was the work of Satan. They showed the hardness of their hearts by then sarcastically demanding that Jesus would give them a sign of who He was. They had just witnessed a sign in the casting out of the demon, but they would not accept it. Jesus them rebuked them by saying no sign would be given by the sign of the Jonah who was three days and three nights in the "heart of the earth." The phrase "heart of the earth" referred to dying and being buried. This passage is the key to understanding when Jesus was actually crucified.

"38Then certain of the scribes and of the Pharisees answered, saying, Master, we would see a sign from thee. 39 But he answered and said unto them, An evil and adulterous generation seeketh after a sign; and there shall no sign be given to it, but the sign of the prophet Jonas: 40 For as Jonas was three days and three nights in the whale's belly; so shall the Son of man be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth."

The traditional explanation mistakenly says that Jesus was crucified on Friday. Trying to justify that Friday was the day of the crucifixion those that whole this view say that the Jews counted any part of a day as a full day. That is, part of Friday is day one; Saturday, day two; and if arose sometime Sunday morning - day three. This explanation has some serious problems.

The Jews did not reckon time the way we do. This is one of the first considerations.

1. The Jewish day ended at sundown (6:00 PM) and the new day began at sunrise (6:00 AM). 2. Their Sabbath Day began at sundown Friday (about 6 p.m.) and ended at sundown Saturday. In Genesis 1:5 after the first day of creation, God said ". . . the evening and the morning were the first day." After the completion of each day of creation the Lord states the ". . . the evening and the morning were the ______day."

3. The word "day" used by itself only refers to a period of time. The word has to be modified to specify what period of time it means. Example: Acts 10:40 "Him God raised up the third day, and shewed him openly." The word day is modified by the word "third" and we know it refers specifically to only the third day. (See Acts 20:7 which refers to Sunday...the "first day" of the week.) Romans 2:16 "In the day when God shall judge the secrets of men by Jesus Christ according to my gospel." (This refers to the judgment day).

The modifier makes is specific as to the period of time. Grammatically three days and three nights means three twenty four hour periods of time.

If Jesus was crucified on the traditional Friday and rose again anytime after 6 p.m. Saturday (the Jewish Sunday) He could not have been in the tomb ("heart of the earth") three full days and three full nights as He said He would be. Some might try to dismiss the importance of Jesus' statement, but He said it would be a sign to the Jews that He was the Messiah. If He was not actually in the grave three full days and three full nights there would be no way to authenticate the sign, so He had to be in the tomb the full time as He stated.

In the Jewish way of reckoning time, from Friday at 6 p.m. to Saturday as 6 p.m. would have only been twenty four hours if Jesus was buried before 6 p.m. From Saturday at 6 p.m. until Sunday morning at day break would have been a maximum of twelve hours. That gives a total of only thirty six hours, not the seventy two hours the Bible records that He was in the grave. Jesus said He would be in the grave for seventy two hours and therefore He could not have been crucified on Friday.

Friday afternoon to Saturday 6 PM = 24 hours. Saturday 6 PM to Sunday 6 AM = 12 hours. Total 36 hours. (Not enough time) WERE THESE THREE LITERAL DAYS/NIGHTS?

Some mistakenly refer to the passage where in John 11:9 Jesus asked, " . . . Are there not twelve hours in the day" to explain away the problem with the time. In creation God divided the day and night. The evening and the morning = 1 day. If there were twelve (12) hours in a day then there must have been twelve (hours) in a night and the total would be twenty four hours. Also, anytime in the Bible when the word "day" is preceded by a number, it means whatever number of days is denoted by that number. Day can also be used in the Bible to mean an unspecified period of days such as Day of the Lord.

Dr. Charles Halff, Director of the Christian Jew Foundation, in writing "The Fallacies of Easter" stated:

"Sometimes people ask, 'Didn't the Jews count part of a day as a whole day or part of a night as a whole night?' Let me say this, beloved. Whenever you have the expression 'day and night' mentioned together in the Hebrew Scriptures, it always means a full day and a full night. . . For instance, if you will turn to Esther 4:16; 5:1; 1 Samuel; 30:12-13, and of course Jonah 1:17, you will find the expression 'three days and three nights.' And in every instance it means full days and full nights - not part of a day and part of a night."

From Friday to Sunday is not three 24-hour days. Jesus said he would be resurrected after three (3) days. (Mark 8:31: "And he began to teach them, that the Son of man must suffer many things, and be rejected of the elders, and of the chief priests, and scribes, and be killed, and after three days rise again." Counting backwards from Sunday three days, you will not arrive at Friday. Remember to count the way the Jews did.

From Saturday 6 p.m. to Friday 6 p.m. = 1 day; From Friday 6 p.m. to Thursday 6 p.m. = 1 day; From Thursday 6 p.m. to Wednesday 6 p.m. = 1 day. Total 3 days.

But if He was crucified the day before the Sabbath, how could He have been crucified on Wednesday? The answer lies in the fact that the Jews celebrated more Sabbaths than just the weekly Sabbath. They had a number of feast days that were "High Sabbaths," or high days. He arose on the first day of the week after the Sabbaths* (plural). Sometime after 6 p.m. Saturday, end of the Jewish day, in Matthew 28:1 we read; "In the end of the Sabbath, as it began to dawn toward the first day of the week, came Mary Magdalene and the other Mary to see the sepulchre."

The Scofield Reference Bible (1917 ed.) has a center column note which reveals that "Sabbath" in this verse is plural; from the Greek word "sabbata." (Also in Yough's Analytical Concordance) The day after the crucifixion was not the regular (Saturday) Sabbath but a Special ("High" - Greek, "megas", large) Sabbath.

John 19:31 states, "The Jews therefore, because it was the preparation, that the bodies should not remain upon the cross on the Sabbath day, (for that Sabbath day was an high day,) besought Pilate that their legs might be broken, and that they might be taken away."

The Jews observed several "high" Sabbaths ("holy convocations") in their seasons. Leviticus 23:3-6; "Six days shall work be done: but the seventh day is the Sabbath of rest, an holy convocation; ye shall do no work therein: it is the Sabbath of the LORD in all your dwellings. These are the feasts of the LORD, even holy convocations, which ye shall proclaim in their seasons. In the fourteenth day of the first month at even is the Lord's passover. And on the fifteenth day of the same month is the feast of unleavened bread unto the LORD: seven days ye must eat unleavened bread."

The first Jewish month (Nisan or Abib) is our April. The Feast of the Passover (a high Sabbath) and the Feast of the Unleavened Bread (another high Sabbath) were celebrated on April 14th and 15th respectively.

The day Jesus died was the preparation day (Wednesday) of the Passover celebration on Thursday (John 19:14, 31: "And it was the preparation of the passover, and about the sixth hour: and he (meaning Pilate) saith unto the Jews, Behold your King!" This was the morning of the crucifixion day. Verse 31 states, "The Jews therefore, because it was the preparation, that the bodies should not remain upon the cross on the Sabbath day, (for that Sabbath day was an high day,) besought Pilate that their legs might be broken, and that they might be taken away."

Therefore, Passover (Nisan 14) was on Thursday, that year, the Feast of Unleavened Bread began on Friday (seven day feast last to Nisan 21), and the regular weekday Sabbath was on Saturday. Jesus was crucified in the morning on Wednesday and placed in the tomb before 6 P.M. He arose from the grave sometime after 6 P.M. on Saturday, which would be early Sunday morning, the first day of the week, according to Jewish time-keeping. This explanation fits Jesus' prophecy in Matthew 12:40 that He would be "three days and three nights in the heart of the earth."

The women purchased spices "after the Sabbath" or the Passover (Nisan 14 - Thursday) which would have been Friday as Mark 15:42 and Luke 23:52-54 state. They would not have broken the Law and purchased anything on the Day of the Passover, or the regular Sabbath on Saturday. Luke 23:56 says they returned and prepared the spices and "rested on the Sabbath" which was the regular Sabbath on Saturday. Then on the first day of the week, Sunday morning they went to the tomb to prepare the body.

If Jesus was born in 5 BC (The Bible Almanac, Thomas Nelson Publishers, 1980) and if He died about at 33 years of age, that would fix his death around 29 AD. The first Roman calendar was off four (4) years. Today's calendar is a product of the Julian & Gregorian calendars. There was a 1 BC and a 1 AD but there was no "0" between BC and AD. Counting 33 years forward from His birth in 5 BC would fix his death in 29 AD.

Herod the Great, who ordered the murder of all the babies less that two years old in Bethlehem, died in 4 BC. Therefore Jesus had to be born prior to his death and therefore Jesus probably was born in 5 BC or earlier. (Matt. 2:13-16)

Those special Sabbaths, Feast of the Passover and Feast of the Unleavened Bread, occurred on the 14th and 15th of the first month of the Jewish calendar (about our April). Leviticus 23:5, 6 states, "In the fourteenth day of the first month at even is the Lord's passover. And on the fifteenth day of the same month is the feast of unleavened bread unto the LORD: seven days ye must eat unleavened bread."

According to Encyclopedia Britannica the 14th day of Nisan ( also called Abar "green ears of corn") (Easter 3:7), corresponding to parts of March and April in the year of Christ's crucifixion was the same as our April 7 on our calendar. ( Julian and Gregorian calendars) The Perpetual Calendar [also from Encyclopedia Britannica] shows that the 14th day of Nisan, 29 AD (Passover), fell on Thursday. Hence, it would be followed by the Feast of the Unleavened Bread on the 15th (Friday), and the regular weekday Sabbath (Saturday). Jesus would have therefore been crucified on Wednesday the 13th. (Information sources were many, including commentaries of the late Evangelist Dr. Oliver B. Greene; Dakes's Annotated Reference Bible, and the article "Sabbaths All In A Row" by Maret H. Dinsmore, Litt. D., Th.D., in The Bibilcal Evangelist, Vol. 18, No. 8, April 13, 1984, along with research by this writer.)

Passover was on 14th day of the first month of the Jewish calendar, or Nisan (Abib) 14th no matter what day in the week it fell on as the follow passages attest:

Exodus 23:15 Thou shalt keep the feast of unleavened bread: (thou shalt eat unleavened bread seven days, as I commanded thee, in the time appointed of the month Abib; for in it thou camest out from Egypt: and none shall appear before me empty:) Exodus 34:18 The feast of unleavened bread shalt thou keep. Seven days thou shalt eat unleavened bread, as I commanded thee, in the time of the month Abib: for in the month Abib thou camest out from Egypt.

Deuteronomy 16:1 Observe the month of Abib, and keep the passover unto the LORD thy God: for in the month of Abib the LORD thy God brought thee forth out of Egypt by night.

Leviticus 23:5 In the fourteenth day of the first month at even is the LORD'S passover.

Numbers 9:5 And they kept the passover on the fourteenth day of the first month at even in the wilderness of Sinai: according to all that the LORD commanded Moses, so did the children of Israel.

Numbers 28:16 And in the fourteenth day of the first month is the passover of the LORD.

Joshua 5:10 And the children of Israel encamped in Gilgal, and kept the passover on the fourteenth day of the month at even in the plains of Jericho.

2 Chronicles 35:1 Moreover Josiah kept a passover unto the LORD in Jerusalem: and they killed the passover on the fourteenth day of the first month.

CONCLUSION: This is the only view that fits the biblical account is that Jesus was crucified on Wednesday and buried before 6:00 PM that day. The Jewish day began at 6:00 PM which was the Passover (Nisan 14). Therefore the Passover began on Wednesday after 6:00 PM which would actually be Thursday as the Jews reckoned time. The women brought the spices on Friday, rested on Saturday and went on Sunday morning after 6:00 AM and found the Lord was resurrected. This is the series of events and is accord with Jesus' states of Matthew 12:38-40. Jesus was in the grave three full days and three nights. Any other view violates the biblical account and the historical facts.

since Christ had to stay in the tomb 3 days and 3 nights, right?

Correct! There are four verses which absolutely prove the 72 hour time period. They are Matthew 27:63. This cannot be anything less than 72 full hours. Mark 8:31 also can be nothing less than 72 full hours.

Mark 9:31 says it must be at least 48 hours....but no more than 72.

And John 2:19-21 says the same....no more than 72 hours...and at least 48.

When you compare this to what He said about Jonah in Matthew 12:40, three days and three nights was the exact period of time in the tomb. If you accept the traditional church story of a Friday afternoon/Sunday morning affair you can come up with no more than 36 hours.

I believe the preparation day, the 14th, would have been Wednesday. (see my calendars in post #14) Jesus would have been crucified at about 9:00 in the morning and died about 3:00 in the afternoon as the lambs were being slaughtered in the temple in preparation for the Passover Feast.

He would have been placed in the tomb shortly before the First Sabbath of Unleavened Bread began, Wednesday evening/Thursday daytime....Luke 23:53-54. The women would have rested that Sabbath....Mark 16:1 and would have purchased the spices on Thursday evening/Friday daytime, the non Sabbath day between the High Sabbath and the weekly Sabbath. They then would, after preparing the spices, rest again according to the commandment....Luke 23:56 for the weekly Sabbath, Friday evening/Saturday daytime. Shortly before sundown on the weekly Sabbath, 72 hours after being entombed on Wednesday afternoon, The Lord resurrected.

It is true we are not under the law, as was pointed out to me the Saturday to Sun-day change came under Constantine as I said a little leaven leaventh the whole lump. It was good enough for 400 years to meet on Saturday for the underground church.

Sunday was the day that the Pagans worshipped on it was an easy compromise to make just like oh you have a holiday in December and worship the Sun we have on too and we worship the Son. From that to cakes and this that another.

A good read is the Two Babylon’s written in the 1800’s a chap named Hysop I do believe. Read the unabridged edition it is a real eye opener.

I don't worry about it. I am a pastor, and I have to work on Sunday. If I were a 7th day pastor, I'd have to work on Saturday. And don't anyone tell me it isn't work.

14:5 One man considers one day more sacred than another; another man considers every day alike. Each one should be fully convinced in his own mind. 6 He who regards one day as special, does so to the Lord. He who eats meat, eats to the Lord, for he gives thanks to God; and he who abstains, does so to the Lord and gives thanks to God.

2:16 Therefore do not let anyone judge you by what you eat or drink, or with regard to a religious festival, a New Moon celebration or a Sabbath day. 17 These are a shadow of the things that were to come; the reality, however, is found in Christ.

26 In the days of Abiathar the high priest, he entered the house of God and ate the consecrated bread, which is lawful only for priests to eat. And he also gave some to his companions." 27 Then he said to them, "The Sabbath was made for man, not man for the Sabbath. 28 So the Son of Man is Lord even of the Sabbath."

Much, much, much simpler explanation, without having to join any whacko cults like the people who publish this nonsense.

Jesus died on a Friday. Still a few hours to go in Day one.
He was in the ground all day Saturday. Day Two.
He rose on Sunday morning. Since, as the poster knows, the day starts at 6PM the previous evening in Hebrew culture, this is fully half-way through the third day, not just barely into it as one might think.

If you insist that Jesus was dead three FULL days, then he must be raised on the FOURTH day.

But doesn't scripture say both "dead for three days" AND "raised on the third day"? How was we reconcile this contradiction?

I'm not teaching official doctrine here, but I think there's an apparent answer in scripture:

As Jesus died, the sky blackened, and day became night. The sun was eclipsed, but this was no ordinary eclipse for it lasted three hours. In a sense, a night and a day passed, in about three hours each.

Hence, two apparently contradictory prophecies ("third day" vs. "in three days") are both fulfilled, in a way that no-one had thought possible!

HOW COULD WEDNESDAY BE THE DAY BEFORE THE SABBATH?

Well, that's not exactly the right question to ask. THe right question is, "Why do the gospels tell us Jesus was killed the day AFTER the evening he celebrated Passover, but the Jews had him killed BEFORE they celebrated Passover?"

Answer: The author's answer doesn't address this but it's really quite simple: There actually was disagreement between the Pharisees and the Essenes as to when to have a passover. Jesus celebrated the Essene passover, as indicated by the reference to a man carrying water (which was considered women's work by the Pharisees, but which the Essene men did themselves.)

Regardless, he did not die until just before the Pharisee's passover.

Incidentally, the sacrifice is made on passover. For an earthly passover, the lambs must be slaughtered the day before they are offered as sacrifice, because it is sinful to do such work on a festival. For the divine passover, such preparation is unnecessary; it is the slaughtering of the lamb which fulfills the sacrifice.

Jesus was the true passover lamb.

Out of the flock, in his first year (30 not 33), without sport or blemish, and no bone broken.

Find out when passover was and when they killed the symbolic lamb and you'll have the answer as to when Jesus was slain.

If Jesus died Wednesday afternoon, then he has that night, Thursday night, and Friday night in the tomb. God raises him from the dead Saturday after sunset and he appears to the women on the next morning, Sunday.

That fits with scripture perfectly but it shatters tradtion all to heck.

BTW, how many times did Peter really deny Jesus?

Here's a scenario I find compelling:

The Last Supper was on Wednesday night. He was then taken prisoner.

He was shuttled back and forth between rulers and crucified Thursday.

He was in the grave Thursday night, Friday night, and Saturday night. He was in the grave a piece of Thursday day, all of Friday day, and all of Saturday day.

Sometime before dawn on Sunday morning, He Arose. That's 3 days and 3 nights.

And that's what makes it compelling.

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