Good Friday... or Good Wednesday?

3 DAYS & NIGHTS cannot happen if Jesus died on Friday and rose on Sunday. Yet, the accuracy of Scripture is critical to the veracity of our Faith. Did Jesus really stay buried for 3 days and nights? YES! But not according to Christian tradition.

Christianity celebrates 'Good Friday' as the day Jesus was crucified, died and was buried, with His resurrection on Sunday. Although the events are definitive, the time-frames of a Friday death and a Sunday resurrection simply don't add up according to Scripture. Simply put, this error in timing is due to a gross misunderstanding of the Hebraic calendar and festival schedule... which Jesus lived and died by!

 

      Matt. 12:40 "...so shall the Son of man be 3 days & 3 nights in the heart of the earth."

Following is a Hebraic sketch of the Passover/Passion Week.

 

**KEY POINT: The Jewish "day" starts at sundown (6pm) and lasts until the FOLLOWING evening at sundown (6pm) - which is a full 24 hours (Gen. 1:5).

      Example: OUR Sunday BEGINS at 12:00am midnight (dark) and ENDS at 11:59pm
     (dark). The Jewish Sunday BEGINS on SATURDAY at 6pm (sundown) and ENDS at 6pm
     (sundown).

 

PASSION WEEK TIMELINE

• Tues. after 6pm: Jesus eats Last Supper with Disciples
• Tues. night: Jesus arrested
• Wed. 6am: Trial and Beating
• Wed. 9am: Crucified
• Wed. 3pm: Died on the Cross (same time as Passover Lambs being killed by the Priest)
• Wed. 6pm: Buried before sundown
• IN the Tomb "3 nights & 3 days" - Wednesday sundown (6pm) through Saturday at sundown (6pm)

Count 3 NIGHT (dark) segments: WED. beginning at 6pm - THURS. - FRI. 

Count 3 DAY (light) segments: THURS - FRI - SAT up to 6pm 

    **REMEMBER: Sundown on Saturday at 6pm is actually the beginning of Sunday.

 

Jesus resurrected from the dead and exited the tomb at the end of Sabbath (Saturday - just before 6pm) or at the very start of Sunday (just after 6pm) - the first day of the week - the Day of Firstfruits!

 

Luke 24:1-3

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

2  And they found the stone (already) rolled away from the sepulchre. 

3  And they entered in, and found not the body of the Lord Jesus.

 

...JESUS was GONE before daylight on Sunday morning!

Please Note: I am NOT condemning a "Good Friday" Celebration... because the MOST IMPORTANT reality is that Jesus paid OUR PENALTY through His Crucifixion, Burial and Resurrection - and that we can know Him today as the SAVIOR and LORD of our LIVES! My encouragement is this... be careful to NEVER ALLOW Christian "tradition" to alter the Biblical facts and reality of your Faith. Truth matters.

 

Happy Passover/Easter!