In Matthew 12:38-41, we read about how some of the scribes and Pharisees asked Jesus for a sign that he really was who he said he was: the Messiah. Jesus responded that only one sign would be given to them: the “sign of the prophet Jonah.”
For just as Jonah was three days and three nights in the belly of the great fish, so will the Son of Man be three days and three nights in the heart of the Earth.
Here’s the problem: If Jesus died on Good Friday and rose on Easter Sunday, that doesn’t add up to 3 days and 3 nights. At most it adds up to 2.5 days and 2 nights.
So… does that mean that Jesus didn’t stay in the grave long enough to fulfill his own prophecy?
Nope. Jesus really was in the grave three days and three nights, which is why the early Christians also taught that he was raised on the third day (Acts 10:40, 1 Corinthians 15:4). Let me explain how it adds up, but be prepared: it’s going to change the way you think about “Good Friday.”
Some Basics to Start With
- The Jewish calendar is lunar (based on the cycles of the moon), whereas the Roman calendar (which we use) is solar (based on the rotation of the Earth around the Sun). As a result, they don’t always correspond, hence the reason why the date of Easter changes every year. Today in Western Christianity, Easter is celebrated on the Sunday following the Paschal Full Moon. For more on why the date of Easter changes each year, click here.
- We tend to think of the new day beginning when we wake up, but in the Jewish mindset, the new day begins at sunset. So, when the sun sets on Monday, it is not considered Monday evening, it is considered the beginning of Tuesday.
- We know that Jesus resurrected on a Sunday, “the first day of the week” (Matthew 28:1; Mark 16:2,9; Luke 24:1)
What is a “Sabbath”?
The word sabbath means “rest,” and it refers to a holy day when no work is to be done.
Every Saturday is a sabbath, but there are other sabbaths as well – also known as “special Sabbaths.” Some of these “special Sabbaths” are celebrated on a specific calendar date, no matter what day of the week that date falls on – kind of like how we in the USA celebrate Independence Day on the 4th of July, and we observe that holiday no matter what day of the week it falls on.
In John 19:31, we read this about the day when Jesus was crucified:
Now it was the day of Preparation, and the next day was to be a special Sabbath. Because the Jewish leaders did not want the bodies left on the crosses during the Sabbath, they asked Pilate to have the legs broken and the bodies taken down.
The special Sabbath referred to here was the Feast of Unleavened Bread, a holiday which is always observed on the 15th day of Nisan according to the Jewish calendar.
According to Leviticus 24:4-14, there are three special holidays in the month of Nisan: Passover (the 14th of Nisan), the Feast of Unleavened Bread (15-22 of Nisan) and the Feast of First Fruits which was held on the Sunday following the Passover.
Let’s Sum This Up
Jesus actually died on a Thursday. Friday and Saturday were both sabbaths: Friday was the first day of the Feast of Unleavened Bread, and Saturday was the weekly sabbath.
How can we be sure that this is what happened?
Several decades ago, the London Royal Observatory took on the challenge that since they could theoretically identify the position of the planets and start on any date in history, to figure out if around the time of Jesus there was such a time when Passover fell on a Thursday. Since the Jewish calendar is lunar, there is always a full moon on Passover, so this is pretty easy to figure out. Not surprisingly, there were several years around the time of Jesus when this took place. It’s really not that uncommon – just like how Christmas falls on a Tuesday every few years.
Even More Interesting…”Coincidences”?
According to Exodus 12:1-13, God told the Israelites that they were to select the Passover Lamb on the 10th day of Nisan. They were to examine it from the 11th to the 13th to make sure it was without blemish, and they were to sacrifice it on the 14th.
If the 14th was Thursday – and Jesus was crucified on “the day of Preparation” (Matthew 27:62, Mark 15:42, Luke 23:54, John 19:31) which was the day when Passover began and the celebration began with the eating of the Passover meal (Jesus and his disciples then would have eaten the last supper Passover meal on Wednesday evening). Then what this means is that when Jesus entered Jerusalem on Palm Sunday, that was on the 10th of Nisan – the day when the Passover lambs were to be selected!
Furthermore, remember that the Sunday after Passover was the Feast of First Fruits (Leviticus 23:9-11) – which means that Jesus resurrected on the Feast of First Fruits. This is what Paul the Apostle is making direct reference to in 1 Corinthians 15:20-23, where he says:
But in fact Christ has been raised from the dead, the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep. For as by a man came death, by a man has come also the resurrection of the dead. For as in Adam all die, so also in Christ shall all be made alive. But each in his own order: Christ the firstfruits, then at his coming those who belong to Christ.
So there you have it:
Jesus was indeed in the grave for three days and three nights. It really wasn’t that much of an anomaly, but it resulted in two sabbaths back to back – something which regularly happens every few years.
So “Good Friday” was actually on Thursday, “Maundy Thursday” was actually on Wednesday, and “Holy Saturday” was actually two days long.
However, it is incredible to see how God orchestrated and prepared for this to happen as it did for thousands of years before it happened. In reality, the Bible tells us that God had planned this whole thing out from eternity past (see Revelation 13:8) – and all of it so that you may have life in His name by believing! (John 20:31)
Note: this post draws largely from the work of Jack Kelley, “Solving the Three Day Three Night Mystery”
Theology for the People 
Wow, this has to be most concise explanation I have read. Good job! Love also the visual representation of Jesus’ only sign of his messiahship!
I’m glad it’s helpful! Thanks for reading and commenting.
I could be wrong, but this looks very similar to the post by Jack Kelley and you have also included his wife’s graphic – so, any chance you could footnote that and give them credit.
Just a thought.
You’re not wrong. I’ve added the footnote.
If Sunday is the 3rd day when Jesus was resurrected, which days are the 1st and 2nd ?
Friday and Saturday. Essentially, what this post is saying is that Jesus died on Thursday afternoon.
It is the metaphor of the 12 disciples and the Son of God, aka, the 12 disc, the 12 posts of apostles of the Sun of God.
That is why easter is always refer back to the planetary movement of the Sun and moon.
The 1st sign is Aries, the Lamb of God, the head, that controls the 11 parts of the body. It is period of celebration after the Sun crosses the March Equinox every year, away from the death of winter. Lamb is specifically chosen instead of sheep as the metaphor, because the people born in this period are child-like, and the season of Spring is full of activities, it is the beginning of spring, the start of the period where people sow their seeds and reap it in the month of Virgo.
That is why Matthew 18:4
“Whoever then humbles himself as this child, he is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven.
Why child? It is refering to the head, Aries, the 1st sign. That is why we metaphorically say “He is the head of the sales department” or “He is the head of the company”, the no 1. The lamb of God, not the sheep. Lamb is young child of sheep.
All ancients texts describe in metaphor. When you say, “It is raining cats and dogs”, it is NOT literally having cats and dogs raining from the sky. It means raining heavily. When you say, “Hold your horses”, it is not literally grabbing or holding a horse. It means to stop being impulsive and observe the situation before making a decision.
But what literalists have done is corrupting the truth by understanding it literally.
Why do they always carrying or sacrificing lamb at this period or replacing it with turkey for convenience? They have lost its way by sacrificing animals unnecessarily. It is a metaphor. When the Sun transit between 21st March and 19th April, Aries, the lamb of God is sacrificed. It is not literal sacrifice.
It is a metaphor of the Ram, the zodiac Aries aka, Arise, where, the 30 degree Aries is attributed to Sun on March Equinox as well as Arise at 6am to 8am or 7am to 9am, depending on your geographical location.
No animal sacrificed required. In fact the people who were working at the ancient churches and temples were all vegetarian. They raised their beautiful Christos oil right up to their head to awakened their mind.
Ra is the Sun in ancient Egypt. That is why we use words like RAys, RAdiant, RAinbow, RAising, rising and right. It is refering that the archtype, metaphor & the meaning of the Sun.
It is all happening worldwide as well. Sri Rama is held on every year on the 15th of april on many Asian countries, while Songkran, the Water festival in Sankrit means passing, is to signify the cleansing and celebration on every 13th April till 15th April before the Sun passes into the tropic of Cancer for 6 months in Spring and Summer. See the path of the Sun in any Analemma photos, that shows the figure 8 of the Sun in the sky. Just google it.
In fact, Easter will ALWAYS be held on the first Sunday after the 1st Full Moon, and on or after the march/vernal equinox. It is astrological. If it us not astrological, then why Easter follow the phase of the moon? The bible is pure metaphor and stories of the astrological understanding, just like any other worldwide. Wake up & learn the truth.
The kingdom of God is refering to the Animal kingdom, the zoo, the ZOdiac. It is called Mazzaroth in your bible. Sunset is refering the metaphor of Set-an as in Satan in darkness. The opposition of Ra, the Sun is Set in ancient egypt. Google it. While, SunRise is attributed to Ra, the Sun, the Raising, the Rising, the right path of the Sun that moves from left to right always.
It is clearly astrotheology. Time to wake up. That is why when you or your parents write a will, it cannot be changed. The will of God is the “wheel” of God, the wheel of the zodiac, where your characters, habits and temperament don’t changed. It can only be reduced or increased, minimized or expanded, revealed or hidden, based on your on “wheel” written in the Zoodiac, in the sky, the heavens.
Go and think. Why Nissan has its logo of the RAising Sun on the horizon, on the 1st month of Nisan of the ecclesiastical year in Jewish calendar around March & April? Aries, the Lamb of God, the head, the no 1 in the zodiac sign.
What I comment is just the tip of the iceberg as there is no way to write a complete library here in a comment. All of us need to wake up collectively. Check out the works of Bill Donahue & Santos Bonacci and open your mind to understand.
Yep, that’s just about the wackiest thing I’ve ever read. How about instead of wild speculation about astrology, you just study the scriptures? Btw: there neither is nor ever has been anything called “Astro-theology”.
Your paragraph toward the end, beginning “If the 14th was Thursday,” is confusing because that first sentence doesn’t end, the “If” creating a condition that is not completed. Possibly it is supposed to be via the second sentence following all your parentheses, which begins with “Then.” If that is how you intended it, then you need to get rid of the period at the end of the first sentence and use a comma before “Then.” This is all about dependent clauses (the “If” part) vs independent ones (the “Then” part), which, in this case, need to be linked via the comma if “Then” completes “If.”
In what year did this occur? AD 30, 31, 32, 33? Thank you!
Why then do we continually use the word Easter which doesn’t have anything to do with death and resurrection of Christ but pagan in itself?
But is it pagan? Probably not actually: https://nickcady.org/2018/04/12/does-easter-come-from-ishtar/
nice explanation but isn’t 1 day still missing, in the grave (the way jews calculate) friday night / day friday, saturday night / day saturday , sunday night / resurrection morning to you hence 3 nights and 2 day?
Shalom. It seems to me that you are missing something here … something that seems very obvious to me, and many others. To step back, I had to look at this timing as if I had not been taught anything about good friday or sunday sunrise. The wording seems to say that His body was in the ground before the High Sabbath … the first day of Unleavened, as you mention. This would be Wednesday night/Thursday day. They then rested on the that High Sabbath. The next day was the weekly preparation day … what is known as Thursday night/Friday day. This is when the ladies prepared the spices. They then rested on the weekly Sabbath … Friday night/Saturday day. At the end of the Sabbath, when the first day of the week was dawning or beginning, they went to the grave and found it empty. This would have been Saturday night, not Sunday morning. Having lived in Israel, it is similar today. People rest on the Sabbath but as soon as the Sabbath is over, everything busts loose on Saturday night. I can not fathom that these people would wait until morning, when the Sabbath was over Saturday night. So, count with me … Wednesday evening to Sabbath evening is exactly three days and three nights … just as the Messiah said.
Tom, you make a good argument. However, the text of the Gospels says that it took place on the morning of the first day of the week (Sunday). Here’s what it says:
“And very early on the first day of the week, when the sun had risen, they went to the tomb.” (Mark 16:2)
“But on the first day of the week, at early dawn, they went to the tomb, taking the spices they had prepared.” (Luke 24:1)
You’re correct. I put too much emphasis on when they came to the tomb, based on modern activities. The point we all agree on is that the Messiah had risen before they got there. I still can’t see how you can get three days and three nights if He was killed on Thursday afternoon/evening. The end of Friday afternoon/evening would be one full day. The end of “Sabbath” afternoon/evening would be two complete days. The end of Sunday afternoon/evening would be the third day. What you are saying would only be two days and two nights, or am I missing something?
1) Thursday (day and night), 2) Friday (day and night), 3) Saturday (day and night).
Don’t let your (correct) insight that Jews consider a day (such as the Sabbath) to begin at sunset to take away from the simple reading of 3 days and 3 nights.
Thank you for your response. But you are saying that He wasn’t in the ground during the day of Thursday. If he was put in the grave at the end of Thursday day, 72 hours later would be the end of Sunday day. In addition, if Friday and “Saturday” were both sabbaths, you don’t have a preparation day that the ladies prepared the spices … after resting on the sabbath.
Good point about the day of preparation. I don’t see a conflict though with him being in the grave on Thursday.
The problem is that he couldn’t be in the ground on Thursday, with a “High Sabbath day” … a prep day … and then the weekly sabbath day. Counting backwards, that would have him in the ground at the end of Wednesday day. Believe me, many people have had to work through this … myself included … and have come to different conclusions.
And he wasn’t there
The reason we live is due to the ressurection, where’s the difficulty? 2000 years ago Jesus was crucified and raised on the 3rd day. 3 days 3 nights, everyone understood it then.
He died on Easter Friday, was buried on the cusp of the Sabbath and rose on the other cusp the 1st day.
He rested the full Sabbath then rose. That’s our Easter 1 day one night in the grave
Day 1 Friday died
Day 2 Saturday rested
Day 3 rose to life
Simple he was one day and one night in the grave give or take a minute or two either side.
The bible is wrong Jesus is wrong or… Go back 2 days get a Jewish calender or simply ask a Jew….
If he rose on the third day he was buried on the cusp of Wednesday making Thursday 1 day, Friday one day Saturday one day. That’s 3days and 3 nights. He rose on Saturday evening making Sunday the 4th day when the grave was empty, being a cusp and a Hebrew idiom he rose on the completion of day 3,
Destroy this temple and in after? 3 days
Sunday, is the 1st day of a new life new age new covenant new beginning for those who believe…
He returned and destroyed the unrepentant stubborn stiff necked Israelites who rejected him and destroyed the temple and it’s unrighteous cult, “once and for all” saving only the elect, which were the faithful Jews to whom repentant gentiles Chose to be grafted in.
Is it that same mob?, that wicked generation of old, who filled the cups of their fathers. Will they like dogs return to their own vomit and build a third temple? Are Christians going to pitch in with them?
Is this wicked generation hoping and expecting a saviour, as they did in ad 70. To rescue them.
Who is he coming to judge. Who can be saved?
The word DAY was added in the kjv.
Also if it’s on a Thursday, when did the women go buy and prepare spices?
Passover on a Wednesday is all that fits scripture.
I have 2 studies on YouTube to prove it.
He rose Saturday night, on Sunday morning he was gone
Nisan 10 is lamb selection day which corresponds to Jesus triumphal entry on what we call Palm Sunday. That put Nisan 14 on Thursday. That means both Fri and Sat were a Sabbath. Luke 23:56 doesn’t read well with no time except Sat evening after sundown to prepare the spices and so forth for Jesus’ body.
Thursday and sat?
Passover details: Nisan 10 lamb chosen, Exodus 14:6 “Take care of them until the fourteenth day of the month”
Lev 23:5 “The Lord’s Passover begins at twilight [sunset of Nisan 13, sunrise of nisan 14] on the fourteenth day of the first month.” [Jewish day begins at sunset.]
First Nisan 14 roasted the lamb, ate Passover meal, spread lambs blood on door. At midnight first born of Egyptian houses and animals were slain “THE PASSOVER!” Nisan 15 starts at the next sunset.
Jesus details: Nisan 10 Sunday Triumphal Entry Palm Sunday, Christ the chosen lamb. Nisan 13 Wednesday before sunset Passover lamb prepared (not Jesus at this point). After sunset Nisan 14 Wednesday ate Passover meal, instituted communion, pray in Gethsemane, Jesus arrested Nisan 14 Thursday before sunrise 2 trials by Jewish leaders, Nisan 14 Thursday at sunrise Leaders deliver Jesus to Pilate [Roman Government oversees Jesus till Sunday sunrise] Pilate releases Jesus to guards (at noon per John 19:14). Jesus under guard watch till Nisan 15 Friday after sunrise, when he is taken to the crucifixion site. Nisan 15 Friday before sunset, crucifixion, and Jesus placed in tomb. Nisan 16 Saturday after sunset all day Saturday till Nisan 17 Sunday before sunrise Jesus is in the tomb.
Nisan 17 Sunday at sunrise the tomb is empty. He has risen
Jesus details: Nisan 10 Sunday Triumphal Entry Palm Sunday, Christ the chosen lamb. Nisan 13 Wednesday before sunset Passover lamb prepared (not Jesus at this point). After sunset Nisan 14 Wednesday ate Passover meal, instituted communion, pray in Gethsemane, Jesus arrested Nisan 14 Thursday before sunrise 2 trials by Jewish leaders, Nisan 14 Thursday at sunrise Leaders deliver Jesus to Pilate [Roman Government oversees Jesus till Sunday sunrise] Pilate releases Jesus to guards (at noon per John 19:14). Jesus under guard watch till Nisan 15 Friday after sunrise when he is taken to the crucifixion site. Nisan 15 Friday before sunset Jesus placed in tomb. Nisan 16 Saturday after sunset all day Saturday till Nisan 17 Sunday before sunrise Jesus is in the tomb.
Nisan 17 Sunday at sunrise the tomb is empty. He has risen
ANSWERS
1 Jesus was under the watch of the Roman Government, Thursday sunrise till Sunday sunrise. 3 days and 3 nights
[in the tomb ??]
2. John 19:14 It was the day of Preparation of the Passover; it was about noon. Why would John write this? Thr other
4 gospels failed to give the trial an end time [seems correct to me]
3 Matt 20:19 “and will hand him over to the Gentiles to be mocked and flogged and crucified. On the third day he will
be raised to life!”
Gentiles crucified Jesus Friday. He rose Sunday “on the third day”
4. Mark 8:31 He then began to teach them that the Son of Man must suffer many things and be rejected by the
elders, the chief priests and the teachers of the law, and that he must be killed and after three days rise again.
Elders, Priests, Teachers handed him over, Thursday at sunrise, to be killed . So after 3 days Jesus rose.
5 Jesus ate the Passover meal Nisan 14 Wednesday after sunset.
What should be done
In my opinion we [church] should teach these basics so we have a reason for a united belief.
I apologize for my cryptic post of Feb 19, 2022 above. I copied it from my email summarizing my excel file on the four
crucifixion scenarios- 1.Thursday trial / Friday crucifixion, 2.Friday crucifixion, 3.Thursday crucifixion, 4.Wednesday crucifixion
The file consists of the 5 following tabs:
Tab 1. Why I did this study. (I read John 19:14 “about the 6th hour” My ?How could that be?)
Tab 2 compares Jonah situation to Jesus situation (very similar start to end)
Tab 3 5 days Nisan 13-17 Passover meal to Resurrection.
Tab 4 Four crucifixion scenarios. (side-by-side for Nisan 10-17 )
Tab 5 The 4 verses starting trial with Pilate and 4 verses ending trial (possible reason why John wrote John 19:14)
I will forward this excel file to anyone who requests it and provides their email address
Hello Charies, I would very much appreciate a copy of your file if still available. Although no day of the crucifixion is named in Scripture, perhaps, so that the ill informed don’t make an idol of it, I believe it must be able to be determined by the wise, given the specificity of the sign given by Jesus. God does not lie and God does not make mistakes, although we do both quite regularly. Blessings and thanks, Trev
Hello Charies, I would also very much appreciate a copy of your file if still available. I’m doing a study now on this subject and feel your file would be very helpful.
to: Cecil Toy
Hay, I just saw this. I have to go to the top and catchup on what has gone on before 5/27/2022
The file is available. 1. Tell me a little about yourself. 2. what do you know about my study. 3. When did you begin your study? 4. what day do you believe Jesus was crucified? 5. what questions are driving you to do this study?
To better provide the info you may be looking for.
send “chucktebow@aol.com” me an email address I can send the file to.
chuck tebow 82 year old account
chucktebow@aol.com
I am supprised NICKCODY did not comment on either Feb 19 or 20 comment by me
Not sure who Nick Cody is. I didn’t see a need to respond to your comments besides giving you a forum to post your ideas for others to consider.
Blessings,
Nick Cady
Sorry Nick, I cannot claim it was a typo since the keys are far apart, so I guess I must have been lazy. Initally I had ask Mike Strand to discuss my study. He sent me to you blog where I posted. You were interacting with others so i assumed you would interact with my post. There are 2 people interest in my study file but I do not know they contact me or I them. Probably not good to have followers contacting each other. So I will wait. thanks for the exposure.
this 82 year old needs spell checker
Mike Strand is a good man. I’ll get back to you.
Charles, I think it’s cool that you’ve taken the time to analyze all the possibilities. Having done that, which scenario do you consider most likely?
Friday. “LOOKING BACK SCENARIO” Look at Luke 24:1 It is the first day of the week. luke 24:7 ‘The Son of Man must be delivered over to the hands of sinners, be crucified and on the third day be raised again.’ ” said by angles. luke 24:21 “but we had hoped that he was the one who was going to redeem Israel. And what is more, it is the third day since all this took place”. 2 desciples had been with the others. they could remember when the crucifixion took place. sunday day 3, saturday day 2, friday day 1. to me NOW it is obvious at 82years.
Luke had good sources and gives a name. How could this have been missed for 2000 years? people did not have computer instant access to all info.
Friday “LOOKING FORWARD SCENARIO” USE EX 12 1-13, for Passover dating Nisan 10-15, then use gospels to get day of week palm sunday nisan 10. Wed sunset begins Nisan 14 .
It is Friday from forward looking to backward looking. I can send you my excel file if I have an email address to foward it to. you know my email.
Enjoyed reading your interpretation above. There is another interesting interpretation I read recently. I’ll share the link below if you’re interested.
It’s interesting how the word “week” in all the texts referring to His resurrection is actually sabbaton in the Greek which the definition means the Sabbath i.e. the seventh day of the week. It’s translated 59 times as Sabbath and only 9 times as week with four of those being the day of His resurrection.
Also the words “first day” is actually mia in the Greek and the definition means one. Out of 321 times mia is used only 9 times is it translated first day. Same as sabbaton above.
The translation should actually be, “one Sabbath” or “one of the Sabbaths” .
It appears that translators had a bias to make Christ’s resurrection on Sunday.
Here is a link with a very comprehensive look at the Greek words.
https://bible-menorah.jimdofree.com/english/resurrection-on-sabbath/%CE%BC%CE%B9%CE%B1-%CF%84%CF%89%CE%BD-%CF%83%CE%B1%CE%B2%CE%B2%CE%B1%CF%84%CF%89%CE%BD/
Here is the link that has a pretty comprehensive study on the three days and three nights in the heart of the earth.
https://characterofgod.org/heart-of-the-earth/
Thank you so much for this easy breakdown and exciting connection to his triumphal entry and the selection of the Passover lamb. My question is this: how have Christians gotten this timeline so wrong over the last 2000 years? Was it because they just wanted to distance themselves from the Jews? It’s so very sad to me that Christians know nothing about the Jewish feasts as they were obviously very important to God, and the Passover connections would have been very obvious and confirming to the early Jewish converts. Now we’ve created a timeline that doesn’t even make sense, especially to nonbelievers who can easily do math and then use that to discredit Christianity altogether.
I’m not sure – but I know that it isn’t a totally novel view, but one that has been held and expressed by many people over the years.
Good morning!
I have William F. Cook’s book JESUS’S FINAL WEEK which introduced me to the “Silent Wednesday” theory,
held by many today, to support the Friday crucifixion. It made me ask, when, why and how did these different
crucifixion timings come about. The following is my SPECULATION.
For 30-40 years after Jesus was crucified the number of Jews and gentiles following the WAY increased
greatly. This was accomplished by the eye witness accounts of those that had spent time with Jesus and telling of his
many teachings and the healing’s he did.. Only the disciples and a few select others knew all the details of Lazarus’
resurrection, Jesus’ entry into Jerusalem, the observance of the Passover, the Last Supper, the arrest, the two Jewish
trials, midnight till dawn, the very early morning trial before Pilate, the Friday crucifixion and burial, the glorious
Sunday resurrection, and the 40 days learning from the risen Jesus.
THE THURSDAY CRUCIFIXION STORY BEGAN
Near the end of this 30-40 year period, Matthew, Mark, and Luke, each wrote separate accounts of their three
years spent with Jesus. They put into writing the details of Lazarus’ resurrection, Jesus entry into Jerusalem, the
observance of the Passover, the Last Supper, the arrest, the two Jewish trials midnight till dawn, the very early morning
trial before Pilate, the Friday crucifixion and burial, and the glorious Sunday resurrection.
These writings allowed the Jewish and Gentile Christians to study and ponder the events leading up to and including the
crucifixion, burial and the glorious Sunday resurrection. They discovered Jesus’ entry was Sunday Nisan 10, the
day the Passover lamb was to be chosen, that Jesus had observed the Passover on the evening of Wednesday
Nisan 14, as directed in Exodus 12. They also found that the trial before Pilate was on a Thursday and they
concluded Jesus was crucified and buried that same day based on the writings.
Matt 27:26-31
26 Then he released Barabbas to them. But he had Jesus flogged, and handed him over to be crucified. 27 Then
the governor’s soldiers took Jesus into the Praetorium and gathered the whole company of soldiers around him.
28 They stripped him and put a scarlet robe on him, 29 and then twisted together a crown of thorns and set it on his head.
They put a staff in his right hand. Then they knelt in front of him and mocked him. “Hail, king of the Jews!” they said. 30
They spit on him, and took the staff and struck him on the head again and again. 31 After they had mocked him, they took
off the robe and put his own clothes on him. Then they led him away to crucify him.
[Assumption was Jesus was crucified that Thursday. Therefor the “Thursday crucifixion idea was born.]
[actually John 19:14 states the trial ended at noon Thursday, Jesus was actually crucified the next morning, Friday]
Mark 15:15-20
15 Wanting to satisfy the crowd, Pilate released Barabbas to them. He had Jesus flogged, and handed him over to be
crucified. 16 The soldiers led Jesus away into the palace (that is, the Praetorium) and called together the whole
company of soldiers. 17 They put a purple robe on him, then twisted together a crown of thorns and set it on him.
18 And they began to call out to him, “Hail, king of the Jews!” 19 Again and again they struck him on the head with a staff
and spit on him. Falling on their knees, they paid homage to him. 20 And when they had mocked him, they took off the purple
robe and put his own clothes on him. Then they led him out to crucify him.
THE “SILENT WEDNESDAY” STORY BEGAN
Something had to be done to correct /top the “Thursday crucifixion” idea.
If Jesus did not observe Passover on Wednesday but observed Passover on Thursday, and then arrested, the trial,
crucifixion and burial would all be on a Friday. Nothing in Mathew, Mark, or Luke writings indicated Jesus observed
Passover on Wednesday.
Because the idea that nothing special was written about Jesus for Wednesday, it was then promoted that Jesus
did some teaching and rested on Wednesday in order to observe the Jewish National Passover event, the evening
of Thursday Nisan 15. It follows then that the trial, crucifixion and burial happened on Friday Nisan 15, as the
leaders knew it had. [Passover was Wednesday, Nisan 14. What the Jewish community celebrated on, Thursday evening
Nisan 15, was “The Feast of Unleavened Bread”, a holy day.]
GOOD BY TO “THURSDAY CRUCIFIXION” AND GOOD BY TO “SILENT WEDNESDAY”
John had read Matthew, Mark, and Luke writings and was aware of the Thursday vs Wednesday crucifixion controversy.
John was led to write his gospel to include John 13:1-2
1 “It was just before the Passover Festival. Jesus knew that the hour had come for him to leave this world and go to the
Father. Having loved his own who were in the world, he loved them to the end.2 The evening meal was progress.”
. [ Indicating the day just before the Passover (Wednesday Nisan 13) observance. Passover began at sunset Wednesday
Nisan 14, so Jesus did observe the Passover on Wednesday Nisan 14. So he was on trial Thursday morning Nisan 14. ]
John was also led to include in his gospel John 19:13-16
13 “When Pilate heard this, he brought Jesus out and sat down on the judge’s seat at a place known as the Stone
Pavement (which in Aramaic is Golgotha). 14 It was the day of Preparation of the Passover, it was about noon,
“Here is your king,” Pilate said to the Jews. 15 But they shouted, “Take him away! Crucify him!” “Shall I crucify
your king?” Pilate asked. “We have no king but Caesar,” the chief priests answered. 16 Finally Pilate handed
him over to them to be crucified.
[Day of “Preparation of the Passover” was really “The Feast of Unleavened Bread” not really “The Passover”]
(How did John know it was about noon? The Roman guards were at their duty station for 3 hour shifts. These
shifts ended at the 3rd hour, the 6th hour, the 9th hour and 12th hour or sunset. In effect, the Roman guards, in effect,
told the disciples what times the various events took place— trial end at the 6th hour, Jesus crucified at the 3rd hour,
it became dark over all the land at the 6th hour, and Jesus death was at the 9th hour — with the ending of their shifts.
These six verses by John, show Jesus observed the Passover on Wednesday, and the trial was on Thursday, but
it ended too late for crucifixion that Thursday. So the crucifixion happened the next day, Friday just as the four writers
knew it had.
Any and all corrections, comments, or ideas are requested and welcome.
My apologies to the “Wednesday crucifixion” advocates, but this timing does not include that option.
chuck tebow
chucktebow@aol.com
So when did the resurrection occur? 20 The first day of the week cometh Mary Magdalene early, when it was yet dark, unto the sepulchre, and seeth the stone taken away from the sepulchre. 1st day of the week is Sunday. But it was still dark, with a lunar day wouldn’t the new day start at sunrise? When it’s light?
The Jewish day goes from sunset to sunset. nisan13 till sunset, then Nisan 14 dusk/twilight/even for about 1 hr, night about 11 hrs. dawn about an hour, day about 11 hrs. end of Nisan 14 at sunset.
Well explained. Thank you!!!