Was Jesus crucified on Wednesday, Thursday, or Friday? How are the three days calculated?
Jesus was crucified on Friday because they had to take the body down before the Sabbath. The Sabbath always falls on Friday evening at sunset — no exceptions. John 19:31 Jewish time measurement of the first century measured days differently than we in the West that have traditionally a strict 24-hour period. Jews reckoned half a day as a full day. This Hebraic concept was called the “Onah.” And Jewish days were measured from sunset to sunset. That said, Thursday sunset to Friday sunset would be one day. Friday sunset to Saturday sunset would be the second day. Saturday sunset to Sunday morning, though half a day, would be the considered a full day — the third day. If Jesus was crucified on Wednesday or Thursday, as some propose, that would obviously be too many days. With the idea of the Onah, a period of 27 hours (Friday sundown to Sunday morning) in the Jewish mind could be considered three days.
Related Questions
- Can you name three consecutive days without using the words Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, Saturday, or Sunday?
- How could Jesus have remained in the tomb three days and three nights if He was crucified on Friday and rose on Sunday?
- Was Jesus crucified on Wednesday, Thursday, or Friday? How are the three days calculated?
