WHAT DAY DID JESUS DIE?
On What Day Did Jesus Really Die? There is controversy amongst some Christians about the true day of Jesus’ death. Most people believe that Jesus died on a Friday, but some (Wednesday Crucifixionists) believe that Jesus actually died on a Wednesday. Part of the reason for this belief is that Jesus mentions that, “as Jonah was three days and three nights in the belly of the great fish, so will the Son of Man be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth” (Matt 12:40 NKJV). This could mean that Jesus would have died on Wednesday, in order to be entombed for three literal days and three literal nights (Thursday, Friday, and Saturday), and rise on Sunday. Other variations of this belief also exist. But what does the Bible say? Can we discern from the Scriptures on which day Jesus really died? To do so, we take a look at the book of Mark. Day #1: In Mark 10:32-34, Jesus is on His way up to Jerusalem. He tells His disciples “Behold, we go up to Jerusalem; and the Son of man shall
Jesus referred to the prophet Jonah, just as he was three days and three nights in the belly of the great fish, so would He be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth. Matt. 12:39-40; Luke 11:30. On another occasion, Jesus stated that He would destroy the temple, and He would raise it again in three days – John 2:19. (This is referring to His body, as his body became the living temple/tabernacle on earth). Matt 27:62-64: Therefore command that the tomb be made secure until the third day, lest His disciples come by night and steal Him away, and say to the people, ‘He has risen from the dead.’ So the last deception will be worse than the first. Mark 15:42-44: Now when evening had come, because it was the Preparation Day, that is, the day before the Sabbath, Joseph of Arimathea, a prominent council member, who was himself waiting for the kingdom of God, coming and taking courage, went in to Pilate and asked for the body of Jesus. Pilate marveled that He was already dead; and
The church has traditionally spoken of “Good Friday” as the day on which Jesus was crucified and buried with the resurrection then taking place on the following Sunday. Several alternate views have been voiced as to which day of the week the crucifixion took place. Evidences for the Day of Christ’s Crucifixion Wednesday Thursday Friday – Takes Matthew 12:40 referring to 3 days and 3 nights in the heart of the earth and mandates three full 24 hour periods. – Claims that Jesus rose on Saturday night. – Takes Matthew 12:40 referring to 3 days and 3 nights in the heart of the earth and mandates at least a portion of a day and a portion of a night. – Scriptures state that Jesus was raised on the third day (1 Cor 15:4; Acts 10:40). – Jews commonly spoke of 3 days and 3 nights as any portion thereof. Both these views hinge upon a literal reading of a single verse: Matthew 12:40. This view is supported throughout the New Testament. Both these views reinterpret any mention of the Sabbath day to
Introduction Three Days and Three Nights Digging In When Were the Spices Bought? Sabbaths and Preparations So What? A printed version of this study can be downloaded as either a PDF file or a Word Doc. To open it in your browser, just left-click either link; to download, right-click on the link and select “Save Target As.” Introduction The question of what day of the week Jesus died is one that continues to inspire debate, if not controversy. I was taught, and believed for many years, that the traditional view of Jesus dying on Friday could not be reconciled with other Scriptures, particularly the prophecy that he would be in the grave three days and three nights. In recent years I have been involved in rethinking many of the old doctrines which I once held as true. For years, I believed that a Wednesday crucifixion solved all the apparent contradictions, and I thought I had it all figured out. But my problem was two-fold. First, I did not understand the Hebrew idiomatic language; and
