Leviticus 23
1 The LORD spoke again to Moses, saying, 2 “Speak to the sons of Israel and say to them, ‘The LORD’S appointed times which you shall proclaim as holy convocations—My appointed times are these:
3 ‘For six days work may be done, but on the seventh day there is a Sabbath of complete rest, a holy convocation. You shall not do any work; it is a Sabbath to the LORD in all your dwellings. 4 ‘These are the appointed times of the LORD, holy convocations which you shall proclaim at the times appointed for them. 5 In the first month, on the fourteenth day of the month]at twilight is the LORD’S Passover. 6 Then on the fifteenth day of the same month there is the Feast of Unleavened Bread to the LORD; for seven days you shall eat unleavened bread. 7 On the first day you shall have a holy convocation; you shall not do any laborious work. 8 But for seven days you shall present an offering by fire to the LORD. On the seventh day is a holy convocation; you shall not do any laborious work.’”
Every year at Easter, Christians around the world acknowledge “Good Friday.” According to Church tradition, this is the day when Jesus was crucified at Golgotha, the "place of the skull." I in no way question or doubt the redemptive actions of Christ, but I do question the day typically observed for this pivotal moment in history: Good Friday. In my opinion, it is more likely we should be commemorating “Good Thursday” instead. Let me briefly give my evidence and thoughts as to why.
Typically, Good Friday is touted as the day on which Jesus was beaten, taken before Herod and Pontius Pilate, suffered the Passion, and was crucified. Friday is also called the "Preparation Day" for the Sabbath day on Saturday. Jesus had risen by the time that Mary and the other women went to the tomb before daybreak on Sunday morning. This equates to Jesus dying on the cross at around 3 p.m. on Friday, being placed into the tomb before sunset on Friday, and remaining in the tomb all night Friday night, all day Saturday day and through the night until an unknown time, but before sunrise on Sunday. That equates to Jesus being in the tomb for 2 days and 2 nights at very most, allowing for any part of a day or night to be counted. Jesus Himself said he would die and be in the heart of the earth "three days and three nights." This is called the “Sign of Jonah” (Matthew 12:40).
The scriptures record several times Jesus stating that He would be raised up on the third day (Mt.16:21, 17:23, 20:19, Mark 8:31, 9:31, 10:34; Luke 9:22, 13:32, 18:33; and John 2:19). The two disciples on the road to Emmaus who met with a resurrected Jesus on Sunday state in Luke 24:21 that “it is the third day since all this has happened,” referring to the arrest, trial, and crucifixion of the Lord. In Luke 24:7, an angel speaks to the women at the empty tomb early Sunday morning and said to them, don’t you remember “the Son of Man must be betrayed into the hands of sinful men, be crucified, and rise on the third day.” While there appears to be a conflict in saying Jesus was raised on the third day, and that He said he would be in the heart of the earth three days and three nights, actually they are compatible if Hebrew usage is examined. The Jewish method of observing the start of a "day" is different than ours. For Jews, the "day" starts at sundown (6 p.m. roughly) the previous day. The Genesis story of Creation states that “there was an evening and a morning, one day”, and so the day begins at sundown and does not end until three stars appear in the night sky the next evening. So, a typical Sabbath starts at dusk on Friday night and ends at around 6 p.m. on Saturday evening. This method allows for any portion of a night or day to count as one night or day too. Jesus had died and been placed in the tomb sometime between 3 p.m. and sundown on Thursday the 14th, Passover. He had remained in the tomb all day Friday the 15th, the first day of the Feast of Unleavened Bread, and all day Saturday the 16th, the normal Sabbath of the Passover week. This timeframe would also include all night Thursday, Friday night, and a portion of Saturday night. In the Jewish custom of accounting for days, it would be three days and three nights, Thursday to Saturday, with Jesus being resurrected “on the third day” Sunday, which as observed by Jews, began Saturday after sundown.
The scriptures record several times Jesus stating that He would be raised up on the third day (Mt.16:21, 17:23, 20:19, Mark 8:31, 9:31, 10:34; Luke 9:22, 13:32, 18:33; and John 2:19). The two disciples on the road to Emmaus who met with a resurrected Jesus on Sunday state in Luke 24:21 that “it is the third day since all this has happened,” referring to the arrest, trial, and crucifixion of the Lord. In Luke 24:7, an angel speaks to the women at the empty tomb early Sunday morning and said to them, don’t you remember “the Son of Man must be betrayed into the hands of sinful men, be crucified, and rise on the third day.” While there appears to be a conflict in saying Jesus was raised on the third day, and that He said he would be in the heart of the earth three days and three nights, actually they are compatible if Hebrew usage is examined. The Jewish method of observing the start of a "day" is different than ours. For Jews, the "day" starts at sundown (6 p.m. roughly) the previous day. The Genesis story of Creation states that “there was an evening and a morning, one day”, and so the day begins at sundown and does not end until three stars appear in the night sky the next evening. So, a typical Sabbath starts at dusk on Friday night and ends at around 6 p.m. on Saturday evening. This method allows for any portion of a night or day to count as one night or day too. Jesus had died and been placed in the tomb sometime between 3 p.m. and sundown on Thursday the 14th, Passover. He had remained in the tomb all day Friday the 15th, the first day of the Feast of Unleavened Bread, and all day Saturday the 16th, the normal Sabbath of the Passover week. This timeframe would also include all night Thursday, Friday night, and a portion of Saturday night. In the Jewish custom of accounting for days, it would be three days and three nights, Thursday to Saturday, with Jesus being resurrected “on the third day” Sunday, which as observed by Jews, began Saturday after sundown.
It is important here to understand the Jewish Feast of Passover (Pesach). This Feast commemorates the last plague sent against the Egyptians by God. Moses was to warn the Pharaoh in order to let the Israelites leave Egypt. The angel of death would pass over those dwellings where the blood of a lamb had been applied to the doorpost (Exodus 12:1-8). God told Moses to direct Israel to "choose a lamb for themselves...a lamb for each household." This lamb was to be chosen on the 10th day of Nisan, and was to be "an unblemished male". They were to keep it until the 14th day and then the "whole assembly of ...Israel is to kill it at twilight." The Passover feast is observed on the 14th day of the first month which is Nisan (Leviticus 23:5). On the day after Passover, the 15th day of Nisan, the Feast of Unleavened Bread (Hag Ha Matza) begins and goes on for 7 days. The first and seventh days are Sabbath days (Leviticus 23:6-8). This feast commemorates the Children of Israel being released form their bondage in Egypt, and having only enough time to make unleavened bread before their exodus. The Paschal lambs were slaughtered late in the afternoon on the 14th, Passover day, and then the "Passover Seder" meal was eaten after sundown, which would be the evening meal on the 15th day of the month, the first day of the Feast of Unleavened Bread.
Here is how I understand the timeline of the Passover week, as given in the Bible: Sunday, Nisan 10th, "Palm Sunday" prior to the feast of
Passover, the people chose their unblemished lamb
when they ran to meet Jesus with palm branches and shouted "Hosanna" as he
entered Jerusalem on a young donkey (Ex. 12:3). Jesus then went to the temple area and was questioned and examined by the High Priests, as they looked for a way to get arrest and kill him before the Feast of Passover (Mk. 14:1).
Wednesday, Nisan 13th, the day before Passover (Jn. 13:11, Lk. 22:7), Jesus instructs his disciples to find a place to eat their "Passover" supper together. After sundown, the 14th , they gathered in the upper room and had the meal now known as the "Lord's Supper". Afterwards, Jesus prayed in the garden, was betrayed by Judas and taken into custody, and questioned by the San Hedrin.
Early in the morning on Passover, Thursday the 14th , Jesus is taken before Pontius Pilate, Herod, and then back to Pilate again. It is noted that the Chief Priests do not enter the court of Pilate, as they do not want to defile themselves and not be able to eat the Passover meal which is later that evening (Jn. 18:28). Jesus was then beaten, forced to carry his cross through Jerusalem to Golgotha, and crucified before noon sometime. From noon til around 3 pm darkness covered the land (Amos 8:9-10). The curtain in the Temple which separates man from the Holy of Holies is torn from top to bottom, and Jesus cries out "It is finished!"
John 19:31-37 tells of the breaking of the legs of the two men crucified with Jesus. The purpose is to speed death so that they would not remain on the cross during the Sabbath. John notes that it was a special day, a “High Sabbath”, referring to the first day of the Feast of Unleavened Bread, which would have been Friday Nisan 15th. Jesus it is noted was already dead, and therefore his legs were not broken, fulfilling prophecy yet again. It is the Passover, the 14th of Nisan, at twilight and the Passover lambs are being slaughtered in observance of God delivering His chosen people from death by the shedding of blood.
Wednesday, Nisan 13th, the day before Passover (Jn. 13:11, Lk. 22:7), Jesus instructs his disciples to find a place to eat their "Passover" supper together. After sundown, the 14th , they gathered in the upper room and had the meal now known as the "Lord's Supper". Afterwards, Jesus prayed in the garden, was betrayed by Judas and taken into custody, and questioned by the San Hedrin.
Early in the morning on Passover, Thursday the 14th , Jesus is taken before Pontius Pilate, Herod, and then back to Pilate again. It is noted that the Chief Priests do not enter the court of Pilate, as they do not want to defile themselves and not be able to eat the Passover meal which is later that evening (Jn. 18:28). Jesus was then beaten, forced to carry his cross through Jerusalem to Golgotha, and crucified before noon sometime. From noon til around 3 pm darkness covered the land (Amos 8:9-10). The curtain in the Temple which separates man from the Holy of Holies is torn from top to bottom, and Jesus cries out "It is finished!"
John 19:31-37 tells of the breaking of the legs of the two men crucified with Jesus. The purpose is to speed death so that they would not remain on the cross during the Sabbath. John notes that it was a special day, a “High Sabbath”, referring to the first day of the Feast of Unleavened Bread, which would have been Friday Nisan 15th. Jesus it is noted was already dead, and therefore his legs were not broken, fulfilling prophecy yet again. It is the Passover, the 14th of Nisan, at twilight and the Passover lambs are being slaughtered in observance of God delivering His chosen people from death by the shedding of blood.
Friday, Nisan the 15th is the day after Passover, the first day of the Feast of Unleavened Bread (Hag ha-Matzot), and was declared a Sabbath day (Lev. 23:9-14) by God. Jews observe the day by cleaning out all leaven (symbol of sin in the Bible) from their house. It involves a special meal called the Seder. The different foods of the Seder are ordained by God in order to remind the Jews of their life in bondage. This day was also the normal Preparation day for the Jews, the day they prepared for the weekly Sabbath. It is noted in Matthew 27:62 that the Chief Priests now are able to go before Pilate that morning and request that the tomb be sealed and guarded until after the third day, as they have already eaten their Passover Seder meal the evening before and are not concerned about becoming defiled by having contact with a Gentile.
Saturday, Nisan 16th was the normal Sabbath day of the Passover week. Jews are not allowed to do any kind of work on the Sabbath, and a long list of rules apply to what tasks they can actually perform. For instance, you are allowed to walk only a little over half a mile, any more than that is considered work and is not allowed on the Sabbath. Jesus was accused of breaking the Sabbath in the Gospels by the Pharisees for walking through a field and plucking grain to eat. It is important to note that the Greek word for Sabbath used by Matthew in his gospel (Mt. 28:1) is plural, and denotes more than one Sabbath as having passed from the time Jesus was crucified until the time the women came to the tomb to anoint Jesus' body.
Sunday, the 17th of Nisan, the women came to the tomb early in the morning while it was still dark bringing perfume and spices to anoint the body of Jesus. They found the stone sealing the tomb already rolled away from the tomb entrance. Mary Magdalene ran and found Peter and John and brought them to the tomb. There they found the empty tomb with the burial cloth of Jesus lying where it had been left. The face cloth however had been folded up and placed by itself. Jesus’ body was not there because he had resurrected earlier, sometime between sunset Saturday evening and before sunrise on Sunday morning.
But why is the number of days Jesus was dead or in the tomb important? The answer is it is not really. The important fact is that Jesus did die on the cross, was buried in a tomb, did set the captives free, did beat death and rise up, and after talking and eating with his disciples, he rose to heaven. Jesus is the first fruits of the Harvest of God.
Leviticus 23
9 The LORD said to Moses, 10 “Speak to the Israelites and say to them: ‘When you enter the land I am going to give you and you reap its harvest, bring to the priest a sheaf of the first grain you harvest. 11 He is to wave the sheaf before the LORD so it will be accepted on your behalf; the priest is to wave it on the day after the Sabbath
I Corinthians 15
20 But Christ has indeed been raised from the dead, the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep.
