How Many Days Was Jesus Dead

Just How Long Did Jesus Stay In The Tomb?

Daniel Burke contributed to this article. Religion News Service is a news service dedicated to covering religious issues (RNS) As Christians throughout the world prepare to celebrate Easter, they will follow a well-known sequence of events: During Good Friday’s Passion Week, Jesus was crucified and arose from the dead on “the third day,” according to the ancient Nicene Creed. If Jesus died at 3 p.m. on Friday and was exhumed from his tomb by daybreak Sunday morning – around 40 hours later – how does it add up to three days in a calendar year?

Even Pope Benedict XVI, in his latest book, Jesus: Holy Week, about Christ’s last days, wrestles with the latter topic in the final chapter.

In the words of Marcus Borg, an advanced biblical scholar and co-author of the book The Last Week, which is about Holy Week, “the chronological problem is a bit of a mystery.” However, according to Borg and other researchers, the issue may be solved if you understand how first-century Jews measured time and if you give the four evangelists a little poetic license in their writing.

As a result, for them, Saturday night was Sunday.

Using these techniques of counting, a backward computation from Sunday morning to Friday afternoon results in three days.
“The Bible uses ambiguous expressions such as ‘three days’ and ’40 days,'” Borg explained.
Evangelical New Testament scholar Ben Witherington, who teaches at Asbury Theological Seminary in Wilmore, Kentucky, concurred with the statement.
His research has revealed that Gospel authors did not stroll about with sundials on their wrists in the same manner that current researchers walk around with wristwatches, according to the expert.
What causes the most concern for these believers is Jesus’ own promise, recounted in the Gospel of Matthew, that he would rise from the grave after “three days and three nights in the heart of the earth.” This is the most worrying prophecy for these believers.
John Behr, dean of St.
The Didascalia Apostolorum, a third-century Christian treatise, took a more radical approach.

That viewpoint is still promoted by several Christian denominations on the periphery.

To put it another way, “Jesus made a false prophesy,” said Robert Miller, a professor of religion at Juniata College in Huntingdon, Pennsylvania.

According to Witherington, the purpose of Jesus’ prophesy is to draw a contrast to Jonah, who was ready to die in order to save his shipmates (and who spent three days in the belly of a great fish), rather than to establish a timeline for the Resurrection.

John’s University in Collegeville, Minn., Martin Connell, refers to the chronology dilemma as a “never-ending problem.” “Because the evidence is so uncertain and the evidence is so elastic, the argument will almost certainly continue indefinitely,” Connell said.

Some biblical scholars, such as Wahlen, believe Paul is alluding to a passage in the Book of Hosea, which states that God would “heal” and “restore” Israel after three days of affliction and suffering.

According to first-century custom, it was only after three days that you could be sure someone was dead; after four days, it was assumed that the spirit had left the body.

How long was Jesus dead in the tomb?

How long wasJesus ’ corpse, lifeless in the tomb? Was it more or less than three days and nights? Matthew 12:40 and Matthew 28:1; Mark 16:2; Luke 24:1; John 20:1

“For just as Jonah was three days and three nights in the belly of the sea monster, so shall the Son of Man be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth,” says Matthew 12:40
“for just as Jonah was three days and three nights in the belly of the sea monster, so shall the Son of Man be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth.”

“Now after the Sabbath, as it started to dawn toward the first day of the week, Mary Magdalene and the other Mary came to look at the tomb,” Matthew 28:1, “and they found the tomb empty.” “And they came to the tomb very early on the first day of the week, when the sun had risen,” says Mark 16:2, “when the sun had risen.” But on the first day of the week, in the early morning hours, they came to the tomb, bearing the spices that they had prepared the night before.
John 20:1, “Now on the first day of the week, while it was still dark, Mary Magdalene came early to the tomb and discovered the stone had already been removed from the tomb.”

The Jewish day was counted from nightfall to sundown, from sunrise to sunset. It is impossible for Jesus to have been risen on the third day if He remained in the grave for three consecutive 24-hour periods. This is because the third day had not yet ended. In order for three 24-hour periods to have been completed, he would have to be raised on the fourth day, and it would be illogical to claim that he was raised on the third day beyond that point. So, what exactly is going on here?

	DAY 1	DAY2	DAY 3
THUstarts atsundown on Wed.	THUends at sundown	FRIstarts at sundown on Thu.	FRIends atsundown	SATstarts at sundown on Fri.	SATends at sundown	SUNstarts at sundown on Sat.	SUNends at sundown
Night	Day	Night	Day	Night	Day	Night	Day
	Crucifixion	Sabbath	He rose

When we understand that, according to Jewish tradition, every segment of a day, no matter how insignificant, is considered to be part of a whole day, the solution becomes obvious. 1 R. Jamieson, A. R. Fausset, and D. Brown, A Commentary, Critical and Explanatory, on the Old and New Testaments, Oak Harbor, WA: Logos Research Systems, 1997. Jamieson, R., A. R. Fausset, and D. Brown, A Commentary, Critical and Explanatory, on the Old and New Testaments, Oak Harbor, WA: Logos Research Systems, 1997.

2John F.

Zuck, eds., The Bible Knowledge Commentary, Wheaton, IL: Scripture Press Publications, 1986.

“Go, gather together all of the Jews who are located in Susa, and fast for me for three days and nights.

We can see that the phrase “on the third day” is identical to the phrase “three days later.” “And He started to tell them that the Son of Man must suffer many things and be rejected by the elders, the chief priests, and the scribes, and be slain, and that he must rise again after three days,” according to Mark 8:31.

Remember how He spoke to you when He was still in Galilee, telling you that the Son of Man must be put into the hands of sinful men, be crucified, and be raised from the dead on the third day.” In this case, we can observe that the phrase “after three days” may be translated as “on the third day.” It is clear that the word “three days and nights” is idiomatic rather than literal because of the Jewish custom of considering any part of a day as the entire day, and not because of any literal interpretation.

Another possible solution

“The Lord’s Passover is observed on the fourteenth day of the first month, at twilight, on the fourteenth day of the month. Then, on the fifteenth day of the same month, there is the Feast of Unleavened Bread to the Lord, during which you are required to consume only unleavened bread for a period of seven days. “On the first day, you shall have a holy convocation; you shall refrain from engaging in any strenuous labor” (Lev. 23:5-7). According to the passages above, the Passover took place on the 14th day of the first month of the Jewish calendar year, which corresponds to the months of March and April in our calendar year.

It’s a form of Sabbathoccurrence because, according to Leviticus 23:5-7, people should rest on the first day (not the last day, which is Saturday).

	Day 1	Day 2	Day 3
13th of Nisan	14th of Nisan	15th of Nisan	16th of Nisan
THUstarts atsundown on Wed.	THUends at sundown	FRIstarts at sundown on Thu.	FRIends atsundown	SATstarts at sundown on Fri.	SATends at sundown	SUNstarts at sundown on Sat.	SUNends at sundown
Night	Day	Night	Day	Night	Day	Night	Day
Passover/Crucifixion		Sabbath	He rose

A point worth highlighting in this regard is that in Matthew 28:1, the Greek text states, “Now after the Sabbaths, as it started to dawn toward the first day of the week, Mary Magdalene and the other Mary came to the tomb to look at it.” It’s likely that there were two “sabbaths” during that particular week of the year. The first may have been the ” Sabbath ” associated with Passover, while the second may have been the Sabbath associated with Saturday. “On the first day you must have a holy convocation; you shall not engage in any arduous activity,” according to the verses above from Leviticus 23:5-7.

“And they returned and prepared spices and perfumes. And on the Sabbath they rested according to the commandment,” (Luke 23:56).

SABBATH

“And when the Sabbath was over, Mary Magdalene, and Mary the mother of James, and Salome, bought spices, that they might come and anoint Him,” (Mark 16:1).

I’d have to do more study on this, but it’s likely that this setup might also be used as a solution to the three nights and three days scenario described before.

How Long Was Jesus in the Tomb?

Sunday morning, according to the Gospels, was the day on which the women learned that Jesus’ tomb had been emptyed of all of his belongings. “On the first day of the week, very early in the morning” (Mark 16:2), “on the first day of the week, very early in the morning” (Luke 24:1), or “early on the first day of the week, while it was still dark” are all descriptions given by the Gospels of how the women arrived at Jesus’ tomb on Sunday morning (John 20:1). The women arrived at the tomb at the crack of dawn on the “first day of the week” (or Sunday), only to discover it was empty.

On what day of the week was Jesus executed and buried in the tomb?
Those who think that Jesus was killed on Wednesday use Matthew 12:40 as their source.
Those who believe in a Wednesday crucifixion argue that because of this remark, Jesus spent exactlythree days and three nights – or 72 hours – in the tomb.
However, if we look at the other 20 instances in the New Testament where Jesus and the apostles make references to the amount of time he would remain in the tomb, we are obliged to infer that they were referring to a literal three-day stay in the tomb.
16:21, 17:23, 20:19, 26:61, 27:40, and 64; Mark 9:31, 10:34, 14:58, and 15:29; Luke 9; 13:32, 18:33, 24:7, 21, and 46; John 2:19, 20; Acts 10:40; 1 Corinthians 15:4.
Those who believe in a Wednesday crucifixion ignore the inaccuracy of the time references in these verses and read them in a literal sense, as if they were written in exactly 72 hours, according to Matthew 12:40.
“The Son of Man is going to be betrayed into the hands of mankind,” Jesus says in Matthew, who adopted the phrase “three days and three nights” to refer to the period of Jesus’ burial.

Assuming that the term “three days and three nights” in 12:40 refers to exactly 72 hours, this presents an internal conflict with Matthew 17:23, which is a separate passage.

The amount of time that transpired between being murdered and then rising “on the third day,” as reported in 17:23, is more than the amount of time that elapsed between being buried and rising, as detailed in 12:40.

Something occurring “on” the third day means that it occurs in less time than it would have taken if the event occurred at the moment at which three literal days had elapsed.

If the period between his death and resurrection was “on the third day” (or less than three literal days), how could it be possible that it was “after three days” (or 72 hours) between his burial and resurrection?

Nonetheless, proponents of a Wednesday crucifixion maintain that Matthew 12:40 should be taken literally.

But, do we have to or should we take Matthew 12:40 at its value?

Rather than forcing our current ideas of time exactness on an old figure of speech that did not include them, we could as well be imposing our modern sense of precise time-telling on an ancient Jewish figure of speech that did not have them.

Does the Bible contain any instances in which the phrase “after three days and three nights” does not always refer to exactly 72 hours?

The events described in this chapter take place in the hamlet of Ziklag, and David and the Amalekites are at the center of the story.

When David arrived at Ziklag, he came face to face with an Egyptian who happened to be the slave of an Amalekite.

According to the narrative, the Egyptian had not eaten or drunk for “three days and three nights” prior to his death (verse 12).

This is more likely to happen in less than 72 hours.

On the other hand, this period is equivalent to “three days and three nights.” It is very plausible, and perhaps even probable, that we are not dealing with a complete 72-hour period in this case.

There are several other passages in which variations of the word “three days” are used, including the following ones: “for three days” = “on the third day” in Genesis 42:17–18; “three days later” = “in the next three days” in 2 Chronicles 10:5, 12; and “for three days” = “on the third day” in Esther 4:16–5:1 (“for three days” = “on the third day”).

However, even if the New Testament passages given above are not accurate in terms of modern time-telling standards, they still demonstrate the fact that Jesus remained in the tomb for a long enough amount of time that there could be no doubt that he had died.
Proponents of a 72-hour burial, on the other hand, argue that the length of time Jesus spent in the tomb was an indication that he was the promised Messiah.
While the apostles made broad statements about the amount of time Jesus had been dead and buried, they never utilized a chronological measurement to back up their claims.
Therefore, the event of Jesus’ death and resurrection is what establishes him as our Savior, and this is a reasonable conclusion.
Keeping in mind that the term “three days and three nights” is a cultural statement rather than a scientific expression, we should have no difficulty comprehending Matthew 12:40.

Since our salvation does not rely on knowing exactly when Jesus was laid to rest in the tomb, we have no need to be anxious about that. That Jesus died and was raised to become our Savior is what is most crucial to remember (1 Corinthians 15:3-4).

Help us provide more content like this by giving today

There has been much speculation concerning the day and year of Christ’s crucifixion and death, owing to the absence of clear day-to-day linkage in the stories of the four Gospels. We know that Jesus died on Preparation Day because it is mentioned in each of the four Gospel narratives. But was it a Wednesday, Thursday, or Friday when that happened? In addition, what hour did Jesus die? There has even been discussion over the year in which he passed away. To figure out the day of Jesus’ death on the cross, we must piece together the evidence from his four Gospels and our understanding of his historical period and cultural context.

Cultural Information to Keep in Mind

1. The gospel writers were more concerned with depicting Jesus as a person than they were with the precise chronology of his appearance. Dates have become increasingly important in today’s environment in order to provide proper news coverage. However, the Gospel authors were more concerned with the events themselves than they were with the precise date of the occurrences. They were attempting to introduce Jesus to a variety of audiences rather than providing a thorough biography. It was the day before the Sabbath that was designated as the Day of Preparation.

This is the day on which Jews prepared meals and completed all of the tasks that were prohibited from being completed on the Sabbath but that still needed to be completed.

Click HERE to download your FREE 8-Day Prayer and Scripture Guide -Praying Through Holy Week.

What the Gospels Say about Jesus’ Burial

The Gospel of Matthew contains the most detailed account of Jesus’ death and burial (Matthew 27:31-62). In this tale, we learn about Joseph, a wealthy man from Arimathea “who had himself become a follower of Jesus,” according to one piece (Matthew 27:57 b). In Matthew 27:58-61, it is said that Joseph approached Pilate and begged for permission to bury Jesus’ body. “The next day, the day after Preparation Day, the chief priests and the Pharisees went to Pilate,” we are told in Matthew 27:62. Joseph followed out this plan on Preparation Day.

In the Jewish calendar, it was Preparation Day (i.e., the day before the Sabbath).” (Matthew 15:42 a.) … Consequently, Joseph purchased some linen material, brought the corpse down from the casket, wrapped it in the linen, and buried it in a tomb dug into the rock.

Jesus died on the Day of Preparation, as confirmed by Luke and John: “Then he carried it down, wrapped it in linen fabric, and buried it in a tomb cut into the rock, in which no one had yet been lain.” As it happened, it was Preparation Day, and the Sabbath was about to begin” (Luke 23:54).

As it happened, they placed Jesus there since it was the Jewish day of Preparation and because the tomb was close by (John 19:42).

What Day Did Jesus Die? Wednesday, Thursday, or Friday?

Over the years, academics have developed a variety of hypotheses about what occurred during the days of the week preceding up to Jesus’ death on the cross. These versions each offer a different day for Christ’s death, such as Wednesday, Thursday, or Friday.

Wednesday The fact that Jesus was crucified on a Wednesday permits for Him to have been buried for three full days and nights
Nevertheless, this also means that He resurrected on the fourth day. Furthermore, the Triumphal Entry would have taken place on Saturday, the day of Sabbath rest
Instead, it took place on Thursday. With a Thursday crucifixion, the Triumphal Entry is moved to Sunday, which makes more sense and removes the necessity for a “quiet day” (a day during thePassion Weekwhen no events were recorded). On the other hand, we know that the Pharisees hurried to put Jesus in the tomb on The Day of Preparation (John 19:34-42), which is Friday, and before the Sabbath began at nightfall (the Jews timed days from the beginning of the nightfall to the beginning of the nightfall). Upon closer examination of the facts, we find that Friday is the most consistent with the Gospel narratives and the historical context. According to the New Testament, Jesus rose from the grave on the third day—not necessarily after three complete, literal days—and was buried on the third day (e.g.,Matthew 16:21
Acts 10:40). As previously stated, Jesus had to be hustled inside the tomb on the day of preparation because of the crowds. In contrast to a Friday crucifixion, which would demand a “quiet day” (most likely Wednesday), this day gives the Sanhedrin the opportunity to make plans for Jesus’s arrest and following trials. As a result, the day is just “quiet” since we haven’t documented anything significant

What Time Did Jesus Die?

According to Matthew Henry’s interpretation, Jesus was nailed to the crucifixion between the third and sixth hours, which corresponds between nine and twelve o’clock in the morning. After then, he died shortly after the ninth hour, which was sometime between three and four o’clock in the afternoon. Commensurate with the aforementioned practice, the Jews throughout the time of Christ measured days from dusk to nightfall. The Matthew 27:46 KJV, which is the “ninth hour,” can be translated into the Matthew 27:46 NIV, which is the “three o’clock in the afternoon,” according to Bible experts.

Timing of Jesus Death in Mark, Luke, and John

The Gospel of Mark 15: 33:34, 37 “At midday, darkness descended across the entire region, lasting until three o’clock in the afternoon. Also, about three o’clock in the afternoon, Jesus said, “Eloi, Eloi, lema sabachthani?” in an obnoxiously loud voice. (which translates as ‘My God, my God, why have you abandoned me?’). “Jesus breathed his last with a piercing scream.”
Matthew 23:44-46 ” It was now around midday, and darkness descended upon the entire region until three o’clock in the afternoon since the sun had ceased shining. And the temple’s curtain was split in two by the earthquake. I put my spirit into your hands,’ Jesus said with a resounding voice, calling out to the Father. At the moment he stated this, he exhaled his final breath.” (See also John 19:14-16.) “It was approximately midday on the day of Passover preparations, and it was the day of Passover preparations. ‘Your king has arrived,’ Pilate said to the Jews. They, on the other hand, cried out, “Take him away!” Take him away from me! ‘Put him to death!’ ‘Do you want me to crucify your king?’ Pilate was the one who inquired. ‘We do not have a monarch other than Caesar,’ the leading priests responded. Eventually, Pilate gave him over to them, and they crucified him.”

What Year Did Jesus Die?

During this video, Doug Bookman, a New Testament professor at Shepherds Theological Seminary, shows why biblical academics have reached an agreement about the year Jesus died. “It all boils down to this. Pilate served as prefect of Judea and Samaria from 26 A.D. to 36 A.D., according to the evidence we have. So that’s our view out the window. The following question is: On what day of the week did Passover occur during the year that Jesus died? In the opinion of the majority, it occurred on Thursday or Friday.

Given all of this, the vast majority of researchers will agree that it leads to one of two conclusions: ” Theory 1: Jesus died about the year 30 A.D.

“At this point, the argument becomes pretty technical,” says Bookman of the situation.

I am convinced that the year 33 A.D.

3 Significant Events Shortly After Jesus’ Death

Matthew 27:51-54, Matthew 27:51-54 As a result of this, the temple’s curtain was split in half, from top to bottom. The ground trembled, the rocks cracked, and the tombs burst into flames. Many pious persons who had died were brought back to life by the power of the Holy Spirit. They emerged from the graves following Jesus’ resurrection and proceeded to the holy city, where they appeared to a large number of people. They were startled and cried, “Surely he was the Son of God!” when the centurion and others with him who were guarding Jesus witnessed the earthquake and everything that had transpired.

The temple curtain had been ripped in half.
We know from the laws of the Old Testament that entering God’s presence was a severe matter.
The fact that this curtain was destroyed represented the completion of Jesus Christ’s accomplished work on the cross, which eliminated the barrier between sinful humans and holy God by becoming the ultimate High Priest and the ultimate sacrifice on behalf of all people.
2.
John Gill’s remark on the event states that “this was a demonstration of Christ’s authority over death and the tomb.” When Jesus rose from the dead on the third day after his death, he demonstrated that he had destroyed both the power of death and the permanence of the grave.
In addition to its grandiose claims, this event is noteworthy because it is a narrative predicting Christ’s second coming to collect the remainder of his people.
3.

Jesus is brought back to life from the dead. This text in Matthew glosses over such a remarkable occurrence, but Christ’s resurrection is told in greater detail in Matthew 28, which is the gospel of Matthew (as well as inMark 16,Luke 24, andJohn 20). Photograph courtesy of Joshua Earle via Unsplash.

Jesus Wasn’t Crucified on Friday or Resurrected on Sunday: How long was Jesus in the tomb?

About one billion Protestants and another billion Catholics believe that Jesus Christ was killed and entombed on a Friday afternoon—”Good Friday”—and was resurrected to life again at the crack of dawn on Easter Sunday morning, a day and a half later, according to the Christian belief system. This is in direct conflict with what Jesus Himself declared regarding how long He would be entombed, which is a major source of confusion. According to Jesus, how long He would remain in the grave was not specified.

The scribes and Pharisees were pressing Him for a supernatural sign to establish that He was, in fact, the long-awaited Messiah.

Traditional timing doesn’t add up

The Gospels are unequivocal in their assertion that Jesus died and that His corpse was swiftly put in the tomb late in the afternoon, just before nightfall, when the Jewish Sabbath started (John 19:30-42). According to the conventional “Good Friday–Easter Sunday” timetable, the period from Friday sundown to Saturday sundown is one night and one day, or one night and one day. The period from Saturday night to Sunday morning is another night, giving us a total of two nights and one day. As a result, how can we obtain another night and two days to make the total of three days and three nights that Jesus promised would be spent in the tomb?

In order to get around this, most theologians and religious experts argue that any part of a day or night qualifies as a day or night.
The problem is that it does not function.
Aside from that, the book of John 20:1 informs us that “on the first day of the week, while it was still dark, Mary Magdalene went to the tomb early and saw that the stone had been lifted away from the tomb.” Did you notice something wrong here?
Jesus had already been raised from the dead long before the sun came up.
That leaves us with, at the most, a fraction of a day on Friday, the entirety of Friday night, the entirety of Saturday daytime, and the most of Saturday night.
Something doesn’t seem to add up here.

One of two things happened: either Jesus misspoke about how long He would remain in the tomb, or the “Good Friday–Easter Sunday” time frame is neither scriptural or authentic, or both. Obviously, neither of these statements can be true. So, which of them is correct?

Understanding God’s time is the key

Identifying God’s timetable for counting the days from the beginning of the year when these events took place as well as His biblical festivals during the spring season of the year when these events took place is essential to understanding when Christ’s crucifixion and resurrection took place, as well as the timing of His biblical festivals during that same spring season. It is surprising to learn that the Bible mentions two types of Sabbath days: the typical weekly Sabbath day, which occurs on the seventh day of the week, and seven yearly Sabbath days, which occur on the seventh day of the week.

Genesis 1:5states unequivocally that God considers a day to begin with the evening (the night part) and terminate with the evening of the following day—”So the evening and the morningwere considered to be the first day.” This formula is repeated by God during the whole six-day period of creation.

This is why Jesus’ friends, Joseph of Arimathea and Nicodemus, swiftly laid His corpse in Joseph’s adjacent tomb shortly before dusk on the last day of the week (John 19:39-42).

Two kinds of “Sabbaths” lead to confusion

Because it was the Preparation Day, and because the corpses could not be left on the cross on the Sabbath (because it was a high day on that Sabbath), the Jews petitioned Pilate to have their legs severed and their bodies removed off the cross, as John 19:31 explains. Cooking and housecleaning were done on the day before a Sabbath in order to avoid working on God’s appointed day of rest, according to Jewish tradition at the time. So the day before the Sabbath was referred to as “the preparation day” by the Jewish community.

WhichSabbath do you want to celebrate?

Because of John’s unequivocal assertion, the majority of people believe Jesus died and was buried on a Friday—hence the conventional belief that Jesus was crucified and died on “Good Friday”—and this is correct.

Because traditional Christianity long ago abandoned these biblical annual Sabbath days (as well as the weekly Sabbath), for many centuries people have failed to recognize what the Gospels plainly tell us about when Jesus Christ was crucified and resurrected—and why “Good Friday–Easter Sunday” never occurred in this manner as a result of their neglect.

You’ll see in John 19:31that he gives an explanation as to why “that Sabbath was ahigh day”—”high day” being a phrase that is used to distinguish the seven yearly Sabbaths from the normal weekly Sabbath days.
It is recorded in the Gospels that on the evening before Jesus was convicted and killed, He celebrated the Passover with His apostles and disciples (Matthew 26:19-20;Mark 14:16-17;Luke 22:13-15).
According to Leviticus 23, which lists God’s feasts, the Feast of Unleavened Bread begins on the day following the Passover, which is the first day of the Feast of Unleavened Bread (Leviticus 23:5-6).
God’s yearly Sabbath begins on this day, which is the beginning of the year.
There are a number of Bible commentaries, encyclopedias, and dictionaries that point out that John is referring to an annual Sabbath day rather than the ordinary weekly Sabbath day here.
Jesus observed the Passover with His disciples before being arrested later that night.

The arrangement and time of these days are revealed in Leviticus 23, and the events of the Gospels match the sequence in which they occurred.

Jesus crucified on Wednesday, not Friday

There are a number of computer software tools available that allow us to determine when the Passover and God’s other festivals will take place in any particular year. That year, A.D. 31, the year of these occurrences, the Passover supper was eaten on Tuesday night, and Wednesday dusk marked the beginning of the “high day,” or the first day of the Feast of Unleavened Bread, which began at sundown on Thursday afternoon. As a result, Jesus was killed and buried on a Wednesday afternoon, rather than on Friday.

The habit of celebrating Good Friday and Easter Sunday is just neither accurate or scriptural.

We can, in fact, do it!

Because Jesus’ body was put in the tomb shortly before the beginning of the high-day Sabbath, the women did not have time to go out and purchase the spices before the Sabbath began.

As a result, according to Mark, they purchased the spices “after the Sabbath had passed.” But take note of another eye-opening detail in Luke 23:55-56: ” “And the ladies who had traveled with Him from Galilee trailed behind, taking note of the tomb and the manner in which His corpse was buried.

Then, in accordance with the law, they took the Sabbath day off.” Do you think there’s an issue here?
Consequently, they purchased the spices after the Sabbath and then prepared the spices before to the Sabbath’s resting period.
Indeed, once we realize that two separate Sabbaths are being referenced, the dilemma is no longer an issue.
After then, Luke informs us that the women prepared the spices, which would have taken place on Friday, and that after that, “they rested on the Sabbath according to the law,” which would have taken place on Saturday.
As a “high day,” the first Sabbath occurred on Thursday, the first day of the Feast of Unleavened Bread, which was the first day of the week.
The ancient Greek language in which the Gospels were written also makes it clear that two Sabbath days were engaged in the events described in these narratives.

When was Jesus resurrected?

As we have seen, Jesus Christ was executed and buried on a Wednesday, right before the yearly Sabbath started, rather than on the weekly Sabbath as previously believed. So, when did He rise from the dead? As previously stated, John 20:1 informs us that “on the first day of the week, while it was still dark, Mary Magdalene went to the tomb early and saw that the stone had been removed from the tomb.” When Mary discovered the tomb empty, the sun had not yet risen—”it was still dark,” John tells us—and the day had not yet begun.

So, when exactly did this happen?
In the same way that Jonah spent three days and three nights in the belly of the huge fish, so will the Son of Man spend three days and three nights in the depths of the earth, as Jesus said in Matthew 24:36.
As we have demonstrated, Jesus was entombed — that is, he was deposited “in the heart of the ground” — right before dusk on a Wednesday, just before sunset.
We’ll be at the end of the day on Thursday at sunset after one day and one night.
After a third day and night, we arrive on Saturday evening at dusk.
Does this make sense in light of the Scriptures?

Where was Jesus for the three days between His death and resurrection?

QuestionAnswer On the cross, after saying, “It is done,” Jesus bent his head and surrendered his spirit, according to the Bible (John 19:30). When Jesus died on the crucifixion, his corpse stayed there until it was brought down and laid in a neighboring tomb (John 19:40–42). His spirit, on the other hand, was somewhere else. Thirty-two hours later, He was raised from the dead by the reunification of his body and spirit (John 20). There has been some debate concerning where Jesus was during the three days between His death and resurrection—that is, where His spirit was during that time period.

During Jesus’ entry into His kingdom, the believing thief requests to be remembered, and Jesus responds, “Truly I tell you, today you will be with me in paradise” (Luke 23:42).
As a result, upon His death, Jesus was taken to the region of blessing where God resides—heaven.
Another text is frequently cited in the debate of where Jesus was during the three days that elapsed between His death and His resurrection.
(ESV).
According to this understanding, the spirits Jesus addressed may have been either demonic or human in nature, but not both.
Peter does not tell us what Jesus said to the spirits that were imprisoned, but it could not have been a message of redemption since angels cannot be rescued, as we know from the Bible (Hebrews 2:16).
However, there is another reading of the text from 1 Peter.
The fact that Jesus had “in spirit” taught to the people of Noah’s day while they were still alive on earth is provided by Peter as a footnote to the passage.
The wordnow in 1 Peter 3:19 is included for clarity in the Amplified Bible and the New American Standard Bibles of 1977 and 1995, and it contrasts with the words “long ago” (NIV) and “formerly” (ESV) in 1 Peter 3:20.

The Amplified Bible and the New American Standard Bibles of 1977 and 1995 include the wordnow in 1 To further understand, consider the following paraphrase of 1 Peter 3:18–20: When Jesus died in the flesh, He was raised to life in the Spirit (it was by means of this same Spirit that Jesus preached to those who are currently imprisoned—those souls who rebelled during the period of God’s great patience when Noah was constructing the ark).

The prophet Noah was used by Jesus to teach spiritually to the people of Noah’s day, according to this viewpoint.

Another verse, Ephesians 4:8–10, is cited in the explanation of Jesus’ actions during the three days that elapsed between His death and resurrection.

According to the English Standard Version, Christ “led a multitude of prisoners.” Some believe that phrase alludes to an occurrence that is not mentioned anywhere else in the Bible, namely, that Jesus gathered all of the saved who were in paradise and transported them to their eternal home in heaven.

Another interpretation of Ephesians 4 is that the phrase “ascended up high” is a direct allusion to Jesus’ ascension.

In His triumph, Jesus had beaten and captured our spiritual adversaries, including the devil, death, and the curse of sin, and He had taken them captive.

The only thing we can be certain of is that, according to Jesus’ own words on the cross, He was taken up to be with the Father in paradise.

As well as this, we may confidently state that because His work of salvation was completed, Jesus did not have to suffer in hell. Questions regarding Jesus Christ (return to top of page) What happened to Jesus during the three days that elapsed between His death and resurrection?

Subscribe to the

Get our Question of the Week emailed to your inbox every weekday morning! Got Questions Ministries is a trademark of Got Questions Ministries, Inc., registered in the state of California in the year 2002. All intellectual property rights are retained. Policy Regarding Personal Information The information on this page was last updated on January 4, 2022.

On what day was Jesus crucified?

QuestionAnswer According to the Bible, Jesus was crucified on any given day of the week although it is not specified. Friday and Wednesday are the days on which the majority of people agree. Some, on the other hand, believe that Thursday should be the day, based on a synthesis of both the Friday and Wednesday reasons. Christ stated in Matthew 12:40, “For just as Jonah was swallowed up by a great fish and survived three days and three nights there, so will the Son of Man be swallowed up by a great fish and survive three days and three nights in the heart of the earth.” It is still possible, according to those who argue for a Friday crucifixion, that He may have been considered in the grave for three days if He was executed on Friday.

In the minds of the Jews of the first century, a portion of a day was regarded to be a complete day.

Jesus was executed “the day before the Sabbath,” according to Mark 15:42, which is one of the most persuasive reasons in favor of Friday.

An other argument for Friday is that texts like as Matthew 16:21 and Luke 9:22 teach that Jesus would rise on the third day, and as a result, He would not need to stay in the grave for a total of three days and nights as previously thought.

Furthermore, according to Mark 8:31, Jesus will be risen “after” three days from the dead.

The Thursday argument is an extension of the Friday argument.

That difficulty can be solved by adding a day or two to your schedule.

He walks into your office on a Thursday morning and you respond, “I haven’t seen you in three days,” despite though it had only been 60 hours since you last saw him (2.5 days).

According to the view written on Wednesday, there were two Sabbaths that week.

According to the Wednesday school of thought, this “Sabbath” was the Passover (see Leviticus 16:29-31, 23:24-32, 39, where high holy days that are not necessarily the seventh day of the week are referred to as the Sabbath).

Please keep in mind that in Luke 23:56, the ladies who had purchased spices after the first Sabbath returned and prepared the spices, after which they “rested on the Sabbath,” as the Bible says.

For those who believe in the two-Sabbath perspective, if Christ was crucified on Thursday, then the high holy Sabbath (the Passover) would have began at sundown on Thursday and finished at sundown on Friday, which corresponds to the beginning of the weekly Sabbath or Saturday.

Consequently, the only interpretation that does not violate the biblical narrative of the ladies and the spices while still adhering to a literal understanding of Matthew 12:40 is that Christ was crucified on Wednesday, according to the Wednesday perspective.

After that, on Friday, the women went out to buy spices and returned to prepare them that same day.

Jesus was laid to rest at sundown on Wednesday, which corresponded to the start of the Jewish calendar week on Thursday.

Thursday night (night one), Friday day (day two), Friday night (night two), Saturday day (day three), Saturday night (night three), Sunday morning (day four) (night three).

According to Jewish tradition, Jesus may have woken as early as right after sunset on Saturday evening, which marked the beginning of the first day of the week.

On the other hand, a possible flaw in the Wednesday viewpoint is that Jesus’ followers walked with Him along the road to Emmaus on the “same day” as His resurrection (Luke 24:13).

The period from Wednesday through Sunday is four days.

Is it really that vital to know what day of the week Christ was killed on?

If it were so significant, God’s Word would have made it abundantly plain what day and hour it will occur and for how long.

What is equally significant is the purpose for His death: He died in order to bear the penalty that all sinners are due.

This holds true regardless of whether He was crucified on a Wednesday, Thursday, or Friday. Questions regarding Jesus Christ (return to top of page) When was Jesus crucified, and what day was it?

Just How Long Did Jesus Stay In The Tomb?

How long was Jesus dead in the tomb?

Another possible solution

How Long Was Jesus in the Tomb?

Help us provide more content like this by giving today

Cultural Information to Keep in Mind

What the Gospels Say about Jesus’ Burial

What Day Did Jesus Die? Wednesday, Thursday, or Friday?

What Time Did Jesus Die?

Timing of Jesus Death in Mark, Luke, and John

What Year Did Jesus Die?

3 Significant Events Shortly After Jesus’ Death

Jesus Wasn’t Crucified on Friday or Resurrected on Sunday: How long was Jesus in the tomb?

Traditional timing doesn’t add up

Understanding God’s time is the key

Two kinds of “Sabbaths” lead to confusion

Jesus crucified on Wednesday, not Friday

When was Jesus resurrected?

Where was Jesus for the three days between His death and resurrection?

Subscribe to the

On what day was Jesus crucified?

Subscribe to the

Leave a Reply Cancel reply