Good Friday. Good? Yes. Friday? No!
It is my contention that Friday is not the day that Jesus was crucified. I have done some research and will put this out for discussion. I suspect much of the confusion is due to the fact that all were in a hurry to get Jesus down from the cross before "the Sabbath" would arrive. But Saturday was, and is, not the only Sabbath celebrated by the Jews.
Day before a High Day, not an ordinary Sabbath
Mark 15: 6-9. "Now at that feast he released unto them one prisoner, whomsoever they desired. And there was one named Barabbas, which lay bound with them that had made insurrection with him, who had committed murder in the insurrection. And the multitude crying aloud began to desire him to do as he had ever done unto them. But Pilate answered them, saying, Will ye that I release unto you the King of the Jews?" (Thanks to "Hawkeye" Jim for a correction here.)
Notice the reference to the feast. Not only the Passover, but the Feast of Unleavened Bread is occurring during the crucifixion week.
John 19:31.
"The Jews therefore, because it was the preparation, that the bodies should not remain upon the cross on the Sabbath day, (for that Sabbath day was an high day,) besought Pilate that their legs might be broken, and that they might be taken away."
Exodus 13:7-9. "Seven days thou shalt eat unleavened bread, and in the seventh day shall be a feast to the LORD. Unleavened bread shall be eaten seven days; and there shall no leavened bread be seen with thee, neither shall there be leaven seen with thee in all thy quarters. And thou shalt shew thy son in that day, saying, this is done because of that which the LORD did unto me when I came forth out of Egypt. And it shall be for a sign unto thee upon thine hand, and for a memorial between thine eyes, that the LORD's law may be in thy mouth: for with a strong hand hath the LORD brought thee out of Egypt."
The Pharisees and Sadducees disagreed concerning the Sabbaths, with the Pharisees generally believing that the Passover feast and the Feast of Unleavened Bread should be held together, and the “Sads” holding them separately as two distinct Sabbath days. The Pharisees had control of the Temple and the Jew’s portion of the government. One suspects that Jesus would have a very literal view of the Bible and see the two events as separate but the officials would proclaim just one day as a High Sabbath.
Leviticus 23:6-8. "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. On the first day you shall have a holy convocation; you shall not do any laborious work. 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."
Is the feast celebrated at the time of the crucifixion before the feast of Unleavened Bread; or, is it concurrent with the first day of the feast of Unleavened, the 15th of the month? The Jewish community has generally connected the two and keep the Passover Seder meal on the eve of the first day of unleavened. I am not convinced that traditional observance is correct. The eve of the 14th is the day before the first day of unleavened bread. In parallel, there has also been some controversy about the timing of Jesus' death. We know He was prophesied to be buried three days.
If you have the crucifixion on Friday after a Thursday evening Passover meal and Jesus is buried before sundown Friday, then how can He be seen on Sunday morning (the first day after Sabbath) and it be called three days and three nights? By Jewish count, it can be called three different days, but it is not three days and three nights. We definitely know the day He arose; therefore an argument can be made for an earlier Passover observance (maybe the evening of the 14th instead of the 15th). Maybe, Jesus observed the Passover meal on the evening of the 14th (Tuesday night), was arrested and crucified on Wednesday day. Wednesday then would be "the day of preparation" for the first day of the Feast of Unleavened bread which begins on the 15th (Wednesday night). Moses instructed that the first and seventh days of unleavened bread are high Sabbaths (days of holy convocation with no labor).
The Jews of that time, led by the Pharisees, would have been celebrating their Passover on the 15th in conjunction with the Feast day. So Jesus and His disciples had their Passover the night before (the 14th), then Jesus is caught, "tried and convicted" and crucified all before the official beginning of the next day when most of the Jews were having their High day.
Keep in mind that by Jewish reckoning in those days, a new day began at about six PM. This was established all the way back in the Book of Genesis when God created the world and it is written that "the evening and the morning were the first day" (Genesis 1:5). Therefore the urge to get Jesus down from the cross and into the tomb before six PM and before the beginning of the new High Sabbath which would be celebrated beginning at six, as a new day. If the approaching Sabbath had been a Saturday, then Jesus would have been crucified on Friday afternoon. But it was a high day, a different Sabbath and was not a normal Saturday Sabbath.
Matthew 12:40
"For as Jonas was three days and three nights in the whale's belly; so shall the Son of man be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth."
Matthew 27:63
"Saying, Sir, we remember that that deceiver said, while he was yet alive, after three days I will rise again."
Mark 8:31
"And he began to teach them, that the Son of man must suffer many things, and be rejected of the elders, and of the chief priests, and scribes, and be killed, and after three days rise again."
Esther 4:16
"Go, gather together all the Jews that are present in Shushan, and fast ye for me, and neither eat nor drink three days, night or day: I also and my maidens will fast likewise; and so will I go in unto the king, which is not according to the law: and if I perish, I perish."
CONCLUSION
Three full days is something of a theme in the Bible (Jesus, Jonah, Esther), and three full days were prophesied concerning Jesus. If Jesus was crucified on Friday, the scripture was not fulfilled. But there is very good evidence here that Jesus was crucified on a Wednesday afternoon. Thursday would have been a High Sabbath by Pharisitical reckoning. Friday would have been another day that preparations would take place for a Sabbath. Saturday would have been the normal Sabbath day and the last day of the week by Jewish reckoning.
On Sunday, very early (anytime after six PM Saturday evening by our reckoning and 72 hours after his death on the cross) Jesus would have risen. Sunday was the first non-Sabbath and non-preparation day for the women who discovered that Christ had risen. This is why they did not come to the tomb until Sunday, for they could not do it on a Sabbath and they were responsible for all preparations on the day before a Sabbath. Sunday was the first "free" day that they would have had available to them. It was on this day that they discovered Jesus had risen.
That Jesus lived a perfect life made Him eligible to die a terrible death on the cross, taking all of our sins upon Himself in the process. That He died made him the Lamb of God that taketh away the sins of the world, as John the Baptist had proclaimed. That Jesus rose is the fulfillment of the ultimate Bible prophecy! Because He lives, I have hope of redemption, eternal life, and a living relationship with Him!
A Blessed Easter weekend to you all!
Day before a High Day, not an ordinary Sabbath
Mark 15: 6-9. "Now at that feast he released unto them one prisoner, whomsoever they desired. And there was one named Barabbas, which lay bound with them that had made insurrection with him, who had committed murder in the insurrection. And the multitude crying aloud began to desire him to do as he had ever done unto them. But Pilate answered them, saying, Will ye that I release unto you the King of the Jews?" (Thanks to "Hawkeye" Jim for a correction here.)
Notice the reference to the feast. Not only the Passover, but the Feast of Unleavened Bread is occurring during the crucifixion week.
John 19:31.
"The Jews therefore, because it was the preparation, that the bodies should not remain upon the cross on the Sabbath day, (for that Sabbath day was an high day,) besought Pilate that their legs might be broken, and that they might be taken away."
Exodus 13:7-9. "Seven days thou shalt eat unleavened bread, and in the seventh day shall be a feast to the LORD. Unleavened bread shall be eaten seven days; and there shall no leavened bread be seen with thee, neither shall there be leaven seen with thee in all thy quarters. And thou shalt shew thy son in that day, saying, this is done because of that which the LORD did unto me when I came forth out of Egypt. And it shall be for a sign unto thee upon thine hand, and for a memorial between thine eyes, that the LORD's law may be in thy mouth: for with a strong hand hath the LORD brought thee out of Egypt."
The Pharisees and Sadducees disagreed concerning the Sabbaths, with the Pharisees generally believing that the Passover feast and the Feast of Unleavened Bread should be held together, and the “Sads” holding them separately as two distinct Sabbath days. The Pharisees had control of the Temple and the Jew’s portion of the government. One suspects that Jesus would have a very literal view of the Bible and see the two events as separate but the officials would proclaim just one day as a High Sabbath.
Leviticus 23:6-8. "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. On the first day you shall have a holy convocation; you shall not do any laborious work. 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."
Is the feast celebrated at the time of the crucifixion before the feast of Unleavened Bread; or, is it concurrent with the first day of the feast of Unleavened, the 15th of the month? The Jewish community has generally connected the two and keep the Passover Seder meal on the eve of the first day of unleavened. I am not convinced that traditional observance is correct. The eve of the 14th is the day before the first day of unleavened bread. In parallel, there has also been some controversy about the timing of Jesus' death. We know He was prophesied to be buried three days.
If you have the crucifixion on Friday after a Thursday evening Passover meal and Jesus is buried before sundown Friday, then how can He be seen on Sunday morning (the first day after Sabbath) and it be called three days and three nights? By Jewish count, it can be called three different days, but it is not three days and three nights. We definitely know the day He arose; therefore an argument can be made for an earlier Passover observance (maybe the evening of the 14th instead of the 15th). Maybe, Jesus observed the Passover meal on the evening of the 14th (Tuesday night), was arrested and crucified on Wednesday day. Wednesday then would be "the day of preparation" for the first day of the Feast of Unleavened bread which begins on the 15th (Wednesday night). Moses instructed that the first and seventh days of unleavened bread are high Sabbaths (days of holy convocation with no labor).
The Jews of that time, led by the Pharisees, would have been celebrating their Passover on the 15th in conjunction with the Feast day. So Jesus and His disciples had their Passover the night before (the 14th), then Jesus is caught, "tried and convicted" and crucified all before the official beginning of the next day when most of the Jews were having their High day.
Keep in mind that by Jewish reckoning in those days, a new day began at about six PM. This was established all the way back in the Book of Genesis when God created the world and it is written that "the evening and the morning were the first day" (Genesis 1:5). Therefore the urge to get Jesus down from the cross and into the tomb before six PM and before the beginning of the new High Sabbath which would be celebrated beginning at six, as a new day. If the approaching Sabbath had been a Saturday, then Jesus would have been crucified on Friday afternoon. But it was a high day, a different Sabbath and was not a normal Saturday Sabbath.
Matthew 12:40
"For as Jonas was three days and three nights in the whale's belly; so shall the Son of man be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth."
Matthew 27:63
"Saying, Sir, we remember that that deceiver said, while he was yet alive, after three days I will rise again."
Mark 8:31
"And he began to teach them, that the Son of man must suffer many things, and be rejected of the elders, and of the chief priests, and scribes, and be killed, and after three days rise again."
Esther 4:16
"Go, gather together all the Jews that are present in Shushan, and fast ye for me, and neither eat nor drink three days, night or day: I also and my maidens will fast likewise; and so will I go in unto the king, which is not according to the law: and if I perish, I perish."
CONCLUSION
Three full days is something of a theme in the Bible (Jesus, Jonah, Esther), and three full days were prophesied concerning Jesus. If Jesus was crucified on Friday, the scripture was not fulfilled. But there is very good evidence here that Jesus was crucified on a Wednesday afternoon. Thursday would have been a High Sabbath by Pharisitical reckoning. Friday would have been another day that preparations would take place for a Sabbath. Saturday would have been the normal Sabbath day and the last day of the week by Jewish reckoning.
On Sunday, very early (anytime after six PM Saturday evening by our reckoning and 72 hours after his death on the cross) Jesus would have risen. Sunday was the first non-Sabbath and non-preparation day for the women who discovered that Christ had risen. This is why they did not come to the tomb until Sunday, for they could not do it on a Sabbath and they were responsible for all preparations on the day before a Sabbath. Sunday was the first "free" day that they would have had available to them. It was on this day that they discovered Jesus had risen.
That Jesus lived a perfect life made Him eligible to die a terrible death on the cross, taking all of our sins upon Himself in the process. That He died made him the Lamb of God that taketh away the sins of the world, as John the Baptist had proclaimed. That Jesus rose is the fulfillment of the ultimate Bible prophecy! Because He lives, I have hope of redemption, eternal life, and a living relationship with Him!
A Blessed Easter weekend to you all!