Two views will be shown here. (1) A Friday crucifixion and a Sunday Resurrection. (2) And Wednesday crucifixion and a Sunday Resurrection. I pray that the Holy Spirit be with all who study this.
Most Christians believe in a Friday crucifixion and a Sunday Resurrection. The bible tells us Jesus was in the grave Three Days and Three Nights. Does that mean He was in the grave 72 hours or less than 48 hours?
Genesis 1:5 God called the light "day," and the darkness He called "night." And there was evening and there was morning, one day.
If we understand that a day = evening and the morning, then we can conclude that:
Thursday evening Friday morning - Day 1.
Friday evening, Saturday morning - Day 2.
Saturday evening, Sunday morning - Day 3.
Three evenings and three mornings. Three Days and Three Nights
So, we know that a day starts with evening first and that day is completed when the next evening arrives.
When the Bible says "day" it means one cycle of night and day, NOT one cycle of day and night like the world does today. Just because the sun was coming up making it light enough to see did not make it a new day. The fourth day was not going to start until Sunday EVENING. Remember also it says Jesus would rise ON the third day, not after the third day. That means ANYTIME between Saturday evening and Sunday EVENING. And He DID!
Thursday night would be when Friday started for the Jews. They started their day at sundown. So from Thursday night to Friday night is one day. Friday night to Saturday night is the second day. Saturday night to Sunday morning is the third day because even a portion of the day is still considered a day to them. So even though Jesus died on Friday afternoon that portion of the rest of the day is considered one day and also Sunday the day he rose is considered a day. With that in mind it's biblical to show Jesus was in the grave Three Days and Three Nights which does not mean 72 hours.
Some may ask "How we get 3 days and 3 nights between Thursday sunset and Sunday sunrise?"
When the bible says Three Days and Three Nights does it mean 72 hours? Good Friday (crucifixion) to Easter Sunday is less than 48 hours.
Man has changed the cycle of a day. 12 midnight to 12 midnight. (a day is one cycle of day followed by night.) This brings Daniel 7:25 to mind.
Many claim it is not clear when He died, but in part two, I will show it was the ninth hour which would make it 3pm worldly time. At the time of Jesus' crucifixion it was Passover week, which has two Sabbaths, Something to seriously think about and cannot be ignored. This will continue in part 2. Jesus did make it very clear saying Three Days and Three Nights. It was the RCC that created "Good Friday" to fit their purposes. The name is not biblical but the resurrection was defiantly on the first day which was Sunday and that is Biblical!
Let's compare a few verses.
Mark 8:31 And He began to teach them that the Son of Man must suffer many things and be rejected by the elders and the chief priests and the scribes, and be killed, and after three days rise from the dead.
Was this 72 hours?
Jesus Foretells His Death
Matthew 16:21 From that time Jesus began to point out to His disciples that it
was necessary for Him to go to Jerusalem and to suffer many things from the
elders, chief priests, and scribes, and to be killed, and to be raised up on the
third day.
Genesis 42:17-18 So he put them all together in prison for three days. 18 Now Joseph said to them on the third day, "Do this and live, for I fear God:
Was this 72 hours?
Matthew 12:40 for just as Jonah was in the stomach of the sea monster for three days and three nights, so will the Son of Man be in the heart of the earth for three days and three nights.
Was this 72 hours?
Are we saying this might have been less than 48 hours. Who is telling us to believe three days and three nights does not mean 72 hours? Are we not understanding this. Are we saying there was not 24 hours in a day in the Jewish days? Was not a day from 6pm to 6pm a 24 hour day?
Was a day 12 hours of darkness (night) and 12 hours light (day)?
Consider this, if a Jewish Christian in the 1st century worked 3 days and 3 nights. Would he get paid for 72 hours or somewhere around 48 hours?
If we see three days and three nights as being 72 hours in every other aspect in the bible, how can we change three days and three nights in the grave to 48 hours?
Think about this. Was Lazarus in the tomb for three days before they went to check on Him on the fourth day. On day three would it have been 72 hours? Yes! and we know Lazarus was in the tomb for more than 72 hours.
From sundown to sundown is 1 day, 24 hours! I believe Jesus was crucified on a Wednesday for this very reason, to equal 72 hours.
Easter is not Holy. The feast or festivals are holy.
Am I bickering?
We are showing two different views as to the three days and three nights. We are not a putting anyone down. Nor is this even important to our salvation and our relationship with Christ. In fact no matter what we believe the bible is very clear Jesus rose on the first day of the week. And He became our Temple.
When we grow in the wisdom of God, we not only grow in His relationship but
in other relationships with humans. Remember, Jesus came to this earth as
a lowly person with no status. He gave His earthly life teaching us about
love. And then He laid down His life for ours. He teaches us to
humble ourselves before God and man. We are not to lord over others.
Remember Humility, kindness, love, patience, perseverance, long-suffering?
those are the things that allow us to grow in Christ Jesus our Lord.
In this view (one)
The Jewish day begins at sunset. (Genesis 1 & 2) About 6pm. And any part of that
date is considered one day. So Jesus died on Friday (day 1) Saturday (day
2) Sunday (day 3) The Nights were Thursday Night, Friday night and
Saturday night. (Three nights)
The phrase three days and three nights in Greek and in Hebrew does not mean three days and three nights. It represents three days as the Jewish people understood it. It meant any part of the 24 hour period. See the book of Esther chapter 4:16 it mentions that Esther fasted for three days and three nights. Then in chapter 5:1 she fasted for three days. We need to read the bible in its cultural context. It definitely does not literally mean 3 days and three nights or three 24 hour periods.
This is a pretty good argument for view one, isn't it?
Can we explain away Jesus, being VERY specific, that it would be 3 NIGHTS and
3 DAYS? Not a few hours before sunset on Friday. Again, are we defending it
because the Roman Catholics decided Good Friday fit Constantine's pagan holiday
schedule, the same one that gave Resurrection Day named after a pagan goddess,
Easter. I actually don't care if people call it Easter, but I know that is NOT a
Godly term.
I don't care for Easter or the Easter bunny. Christ died on the day
before Passover which was the 14th of Nissan. It's in the bible. And
He was raised on the Lords day which was Sunday.
We were taught Jesus died on Friday because of John 19:31
John 19:31 Care of the Body of Jesus
31 Now then, since it was the day of preparation, to prevent the bodies from
remaining on the cross on the Sabbath (for that Sabbath was a high day), the
Jews requested of Pilate that their legs be broken, and the bodies be taken
away.
We were taught that Jesus was crucified the day before the Sabbath.
But Did you know there were two Sabbaths that week? Passover does not always fall on Friday, and it is considered a Sabbath.
Does "the day of preparation" always refer to Friday? No! which I will show in part 2
I believe Jesus Christ died on a Wednesday 14th of Nissan in 34AD. I will show why in our next study.
The bible does not keep us guessing what day the crucifixion took place. The bible tells us it was the 14th of Nissan and the day before Passover.
Here are the possible dates with the day of Passover for every year. Passovers 30 A.D. Fri. Apr.7,/ 31 A.D. Wed. Apr. 25/ 32 A.D. Mon. Apr. 14 /33 A.D. Sun. May 3 /34 A.D. Thurs. Apr. 22.
I believe Jesus was crucified on Wednesday 14th of Nissan in 34AD, the day before Thursday April 22.
See Part two for continued truth.