Sermon Tone Analysis

We dont call this Sunday School but lets go to school

Do any of you have a strong belief about what day Jesus was crucified?

Expected to show you how it was obvious that Jesus was crucified on Wednesday.

That is not the case.

Though I lean toward a Wednesday/Thursday option.

I can be more charitable to those who believe it to be Friday.

Case for Thursday

Things we know for certain.

1. Jesus entered the vicinity of Jerusalem six days before Passover

John 12:1 “1 Then Jesus six days before the passover came to Bethany, where Lazarus was which had been dead, whom he raised from the dead.”

if the Passover was 15 Nisan then that makes this 9 Nisan

the day of preparation would be 14 Nisan

if the crucifixion was on Friday that would put Jesus' arrival in Bethany on the previous Sunday

if the crucifixion is on Wednesday then that puts His arrival in Bethany at the previous Friday

Coming to a decision matters when building a timeline.

2. Jesus was crucified on the day before Passover, what was commonly called the day of preparation

Mt 27:62  Now the next day, that followed the day of the preparation, the chief priests and Pharisees came together unto Pilate,

Mark 15.42

And now when the even was come, because it was the preparation, that is, the day before the sabbath,

Lu 23:54  And that day was the preparation, and the sabbath drew on.

John 19.14

And it was the preparation of the passover, and about the sixth hour: and he saith unto the Jews, Behold your King!

Joh 19:31  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.

Joh 19:42  There laid they Jesus therefore because of the Jews’ preparation day; for the sepulchre was nigh at hand.

3. The Jewish day does not run, like ours, from midnight to midnight, but rather from twilight to twilight

Le 23:32  It shall be unto you a sabbath of rest, and ye shall afflict your souls: in the ninth day of the month at even, from even unto even, shall ye celebrate your sabbath.

Leads to the case that Jesus was crucified on Wednesday

A. Scripture specifically says three days and three nights

Mat 12.38 Then 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.

B. 'Sabbath' in Scripture does not always mean Saturday; it means 'day of rest' and was found at the beginning of date-specific feasts regardless of what day of the week they fell on

Day of Atonement referenced earlier

Lev 16.29 ¶  And this shall be a statute for ever unto you: that in the seventh month, on the tenth day of the month, ye shall afflict your souls, and do no work at all, whether it be one of your own country, or a stranger that sojourneth among you: 30  For on that day shall the priest make an atonement for you, to cleanse you, that ye may be clean from all your sins before the LORD.

31  It shall be a sabbath of rest unto you, and ye shall afflict your souls, by a statute for ever.

Feast of Tabernacles

Le 23:39  Also in the fifteenth day of the seventh month, when ye have gathered in the fruit of the land, ye shall keep a feast unto the LORD seven days: on the first day shall be a sabbath, and on the eighth day shall be a sabbath.

Thus, those who would insist that the day of preparation had to be Friday based on a Saturday sabbath are incorrect.

The day of preparation was simply the day before Passover.

Passover was date specific (though there is some confusion as to whether that date was 14 Nisan or 15 Nisan; the Pharisees and Sadducees of Jesus' day observed it differently), and so it wasn't tied to Saturday at all.

I completely agree that Jesus died the day before the sabbath, but that sabbath was Passover, and could have been any day of the week.

C. Because the women who brought spices to anoint His body with could not have purchased them on the sabbath

Jesus was buried hastily just before the sabbath commenced.

As such, the women attending did not have time to sufficiently prepare His body as they wanted to.

They quickly did what they could and planned to return after the sabbath.

Luke 23:50-56 And, behold, there was a man named Joseph, a counseller; and he was a good man, and a just: 51 (The same had not consented to the counsel and deed of them;) he was of Arimathaea, a city of the Jews: who also himself waited for the kingdom of God.

52 This man went unto Pilate, and begged the body of Jesus.

53 And he took it down, and wrapped it in linen, and laid it in a sepulchre that was hewn in stone, wherein never man before was laid.

54 And that day was the preparation, and the sabbath drew on.

55 And the women also, which came with him from Galilee, followed after, and beheld the sepulchre, and how his body was laid.

56 And they returned, and prepared spices and ointments; and rested the sabbath day according to the commandment.

Luke 24:1 Now upon the first day of the week, very early in the morning, they came unto the sepulchre, bringing the spices which they had prepared, and certain others with them.

But the day after the Passover sabbath, Friday, was also Feast of Firstfruits as well as its own preparation day for the Saturday sabbath.

It is entirely reasonable that these women, while squeezing in enough time to purchase more spices, did not have time to go the tomb and finish preparing Jesus' body.

They could not go Saturday.

Thus we find them at the tomb on Sunday morning.

Clearly they bought additional spices between the time of Jesus' initial burial and the time they saw the empty tomb on Sunday morning.

They could not have done that if He was buried Friday night for Saturday was the sabbath.

Mark 16.1 And when the sabbath was past, Mary Magdalene, and Mary the mother of James, and Salome, had bought sweet spices, that they might come and anoint him.

2  And very early in the morning the first day of the week, they came unto the sepulchre at the rising of the sun.

Case for Thursday

After Wednesday (day 1), after Thursday (day 2), after Friday (day 3) and after Saturday (day 4), Jesus rose after four days on Sunday—too many days with a Wednesday crucifixion.

Thursday Crucifixion

In Three Days and After Three Days

Two more references to the number of days are recorded in John and Mark.

The phrases “in three days” and “after three days” are used by Jesus.

The counting method is different for each.

“In three days”—John 2

This counting method uses 6 half days– 3 evenings and 3 mornings to equal three full days.

A Thursday crucifixion fits with Jesus being raised up “in three days.”

Thursday day = ½ dayFriday night andFriday day = 1 daySaturday night andSaturday day = 1 daySunday night = ½ day

Total: six ½ days = 3 days

“After three days”—Mark 8

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.”

This counting method counts each daytime period as one day, with the resurrection taking place “after three days.”

The day was not over when Jesus died in the afternoon, so this begins with the day of the crucifixion.

A Thursday crucifixion fits with Jesus being raised up “after three days.

After Thursday (day 1), after Friday (day 2) and after Saturday (day 3), Jesus rose after three days on Sunday.

Case for Friday

Here are the traditional supports for a Friday crucifixion position.

I do not find them compelling, or even as weighty as the supports for the Wednesday position, but they are reasonable enough that I will not quarrel with someone who holds that position.

A. In original language Greek the word translated in our KJV 'preparation' in the phrase 'day of preparation' is the same word for 'Friday'

Of course, the KJV translators chose to use the word 'preparation' instead of 'Friday' for very good reasons, so this one doesn't hold a lot of weight with me.

B. The day before the sabbath was Friday

We have already discussed this, and I found it holds no merit whatsoever.

C. Church tradition in general holds a Friday crucifixion view

That is true, but there have always been, in every generation, reputable Christian leaders who held a Wednesday view.

It has never been the majority, but it has always been present.

This reason is not sufficiently weighty.

D. Because the Jews viewed any portion of a day as counting for a whole day, chronologically; thus late Friday, all day Saturday, early Sunday count as three days

This is, in my mind, a feasible explanation for the most part, but Mat 12 emphatically and specifically says 'three days and three nights'.

E. because the day after Passover was the Feast of Firstfruits, and Jesus was raised as the firstfruits of the resurrection (I Cor 15)

This is also a good point as it keeps Jesus in line as an example of the OT feasts.

This would not be possible with a Wednesday crucifixion for in that view He spend the Feast of Firstfruits in His tomb on Friday.

F. Because a vast majority of Scriptures refer to the fact Jesus was raised on 'the third day'; if He was in the ground for three days He would have been raised on the fourth day

Hosea 6.2

Mat 16.21, 17.23, 20.19

Mark 9.31, 10.34

Luke 9.22, 13.32, 18.33, 24.7, 24.21, 24.46

Acts 10.40

I Cor 15.4