< On Which Day Did Jesus Die?

April 28, 2014 version

Matthew 27:62 says that when on Christ's burial, "The next day, the one after Preparation Day, the chief priests and the Pharisees went to Pilate." to ask for a guard. Matthew 28:1 says, "After the Sabbath, at dawn on the first day of the week".

Mark 15:42 says, "It was Preparation Day (that is, the day before the Sabbath). So as evening approached," Joseph of Arimathea asked for the body. Mark 16:1,2 says, "When the Sabbath was over... (2) Very early on the first day of the week, just after sunrise..."

Luke 23:53 says that when Jesus died, it was "Preparation Day" and the Sabbath was about to begin. Luke 23:56b says they rested on the Sabbath day. Luke 24:1 says it was the first day of the week, very early, when the woman came to the tomb.

John 19:31 says that when Jesus died, "Now it was the day of Preparation (paraskeue), and the next day was to be a special Sabbath. Because the Jews did not want the bodies left on the crosses during the Sabbath, they asked Pilate to have the legs broken..." John 19:42-20:1 says, "Because it was the Jewish day of Preparation and since the tomb was nearby, they laid Jesus there. Early on the first day of the week,..." As a side note, the modern Greek word for Friday is paraskeue too.

Jewish people in Jesus' day did not use words such as Friday, Saturday, Sunday, because they did not speak our language. Instead, they used the terms "First day of the week, the Second day of the week" etc. except that they did not say the "Fifth day of the week" or the "Sixth day of the week". Instead they called those paraskeue and the "Sabbath day". Jesus rose the day after the Sabbath, the first day of the week.

So, reading only the verses above, it would seem obvious that Jesus was crucified on the ninth hour on Preparation Day (paraskeue), that is, a Friday.

But what is a Special Sabbath in Jn 19:28?

Some think the Sabbath was special simply because it fell within Passover week. However, there were a few other "annual Sabbaths" besides the weekly sabbath, where they would do no  work. One of these special Sabbaths had to do with the Passover. Leviticus 23:4 says, "The LORD's Passover begins at twilight on the fourteenth day of that month the LORD's Feast of Unleavened Bread begins; for seven days you must eat bread made without yeast. On the first day hold a sacred assembly and do no regular work. For seven days present an offering made to the LORD by fire. And on the seventh day hold a sacred assembly and do no regular work." (NIV) If these special Sabbaths did not correspond with Saturday in the year Jesus died, then there would be more than one Sabbath in a week. So this allows for the possibility that the day before the Sabbath started could be a day besides Friday. Also, the Greek word for "Sabbath" here is plural.

Note that Jesus said He would be dead for "three days and three nights", and Jesus rose on Sunday. So that is not three full days and nights.

Some have calculated that the Sabbaths of the Feast of Unleavened bread fell on Saturday in the years 30 and 33 A.D. However, others dispute this view, and if we do not know precisely how Jews historically inserted intercalary months, it is hard to say for sure.

So this is why some Christians think Jesus was crucified on a Thursday, and a few even think a Wednesday. However, if Jesus was crucified on Wednesday afternoon, that His body would be in the tomb for all of four nights and all of three days plus part of two days, for 87 hours, not the 24 * 3 = 72 hours (as Armstrongism says). Jesus did not say "four nights". Furthermore, if Jesus were crucified on a Wednesday, then why wouldn't the women come to the tomb Thursday or Friday, before the regular Sabbath? This would make no sense, so a Wednesday crucifixion is not considered anymore here. So we are left with Jesus being crucified on either a Thursday or Friday night. Thursday night would mean Christ's' body was in the tomb 63 hours, while Friday night would mean that His body was buried for 39 hours.

The Five Factors to Answer this Question

To answer this question we will look at five things:

1. A chronology of the last week of Jesus, to see how well a Friday, or a Thursday crucifixion would fit.

2. Could the plural form of the Greek word mean a single Sabbath?

3. What does "three days and three nights" mean?

4. What do other scriptures show?

5. Not that they are always right, but as a hint, see what early Christians tell us.

1. A Chronology of the Last week of Jesus

It is important to distinguish between what is said to be order versus what may be in order. For these 104 events, numbers refer to events that must follow preceding numbers. Letters such as a,b,c refer to events that could happen in any order. The bold words indicate markers of time, order, and location. If someone were to believe the gospels were all in chronological order in this section, they would see no problems.

Part of Passion Week: Mt 21:1-27:66, Mk 11:14-15:47, Lk 19:29-23:56, Jn 12:11-19:42

P5. On Palm Sunday, the Triumphal Entry. Mt 21:7b-11; Mk 11:7-11a; Lk 19:35-44; Jn 12:12b-19

P6a. Jesus predicts His death, and the Father speaks from Heaven. Jn 12:20-50

P6b. Jesus spends the night in Bethany. Mk 11:11b

P6c. [Sunday or Monday or both] Jesus drives moneychangers out of temple for the second time. Mt 21:12-13; Lk 19:45-48

P6d1. In the temple, Jesus heals blind and lame. Mt 21:14-16

P6d2. Jesus spends the night in Bethany. Mt 21:17

P7. Early in the morning the next day [Monday or Tuesday], returning to Jerusalem, Jesus curses a fig tree. Mk 11:12-14. Note this is Jesus’ second trip to the temple.

P8. Early in the morning [Tuesday or Wednesday], Jesus curses a fig tree a second time. Mt 21:18-19a

P9a. Immediately the fig tree withers. Mt 21:19b-22

P9b. The fig tree withers. Mk 11:20-25

P10. Jesus enters the temple, discusses authority (Mt 21:23-32) and drives out the moneychangers for the 3rd time. Mk 11:15-18 (Note: it would be strange if Jesus drove them out one day and permitted them the next.)

P11. In the evening, they leave the city. Mk 11:19

P12. At the Temple one day [Tuesday or Wednesday] Jesus is questioned about His authority. Mk 11:27-33; Lk 20:1-8

P13. Parable of the tenants. Mt 21:33-46; Mk 12:1-12; Lk 20:9-19

P14. Jesus tells the parable of the wedding banquet. Mt 22:1-14

P15a. Pharisees and Herodians ask about paying taxes to Caesar. Mt 22:15-22; Mk 12:13-17; Lk 20:20-26

P15b. The Sadducees question Jesus about resurrection. Mt 22:23-33; Mk 12:23-27; Lk 20:27-39

P16. After the Sadducees, a Pharisee asks the greatest commandment. Mt 22:34-40; Mk 12:28-33

P17a. Nobody asked Jesus any more questions. Mt 22:46; Mk 12:34; Lk 20:40

P17b. While the Pharisees were together, Jesus asks a question on Psalm 110:1. Mt 22:41-45; Mk 12:35-37; Lk 20:41-44

P18a. Jesus rebukes the scribes and Pharisees. Mt 23; Mk 12:38-40; Lk 20:45-47

P18b. Jesus observes the widow’s offering. Mk 12:41-44; Lk 21:1-4

P19. Leaving the temple, Jesus prophesies its ruin. Mt 24:1-2; Mk 13:1-2; Lk 21:5-6

P20. On the Mount of Olives, Jesus teaches on the end times. Mt 24:3-44; Mk 13:3-37; Lk 21:7-36

P21. Each day in the Temple Jesus teaches and spends the night on the Mount of Olives. Lk 21:37-38

P22. Three parables of the Master’s return. Mt 24:45-25:30

P23a. The teaching of the sheep and goat judgment at Jesus’ throne. Mt 25:31-46

P23b. Two days from the Passover, the chief priests and elders plot to arrest Jesus. Mt 26:1-5; Mk 14:1-2; Lk 22:1-2

P24. Judas secretly talks with priests to betray Jesus. Mt 26:14-16; Mk 14:10-11; Lk 22:2-6

P25. On the first day of the Feast of Unleavened Bread, they prepare the Last Supper. Mt 26:17-19; Mk 14:12-16; Lk 22:7-13

P26. Jesus washes His disciple’s feet Jn 13:1-18

P27. In a large upper room (Mk 14:15), they eat the Lord’s Supper. Mt 26:20-29; Mk 14:17-25; Lk 22:14-23; 1 Cor 11:23-26

P28. Jesus says Judas will betray Him. Jn 13:18-28a

P29. Jesus’ new command to love one another. Jn 13:31-35

P30. In the midst of the last supper, Judas leaves. Jn 13:28b-30

P31. Either at the Last Supper of shortly thereafter, another argument over who is greatest. Lk 22:24-30

P32a1. After Judas left, en route to the Mount of Olives, Jesus predicts Peter will deny Him three times. Mt 26:30-35; Mk 14:26-31; Lk 22:31-38; Jn 13:36-38

P32a2. In the Garden of Gethsemane on the Mount of Olives. Mt 26:36-46; Mk 14:32-43a; Lk 22:39-46

P32b. From the Last Supper to the Mount of Olives, Jesus speaks. Jn 14:1-16:33

P33. Jesus’ pre-arrest prayer. Jn 17:1-26

P34. After Jesus finishes praying, they cross the Kidron Valley and go into an olive grove. Jn 18:1

P35. Arrest of Jesus. Mt 26:47-56; Mk 14:43b-52; Lk 22:47-53; Jn 18:2-11

Key assumptions:

a) Jesus left Jerusalem more than one night.

b) Jesus drove out the moneychangers at least twice.

c) Jesus cursed the fig tree the day before it withered, and the next day too.

d) Everything in the gospels is in chronological order for Passion Week, except for Matthew 26:6-13; Mark 14:3-9; Mark 22:46; Luke 22:54-62, and Luke 23:38.

2. Could the plural form of the Greek word mean a single Sabbath?

Here are verses where Sabbath is plural in the Greek, yet it could only mean a single Sabbath.

Luke 4:16 "He [Jesus] went to Nazareth, where he had been brought up, and on the Sabbath Day he went into the synagogue, as was his custom. And he stood up to read. The scroll of the prophet Isaiah was handed to him. Unrolling it, he found the place where it is written: (Isaiah 61:1,2)

Acts 13:14 "From Perga they went on to Pisidian Antioch. On the Sabbath they entered the synagogue and sat down."

Matthew 28:1 "After the Sabbath, at dawn on the first day of the week, Mary Magdalene and the other Mary went to look at the tomb."

See http://www.bible.ca/d-3-days-and-3-nights.htm for more info.

Conclusion: Even though the Greek verb form is plural, this still allows there to be only one Sabbath Day that week.

3. The Use of Inclusive Timekeeping

Did Jewish people us inclusive timekeeping? There are two distinct points to prove here:

3.1. Is a "day and night" counted if it is just a daylight part?

3.2. Does only part of a day still count as a day?

These are an important points to sustain an argument that Jesus died on a Friday. If three days and three nights has to mean three full days and nights, then Jesus could not have been crucified on a Friday.

3.1 Day and night are counted if just one part

While this phrase "day and night" only occurs a couple of times in the Bible, Rabbi Eleazar ben Azariah (1st century A.D.) clears this up for us. He said, "A day and a night are an onah [a portion of time], and the part of an onah is as the whole of it" (Mishnah, Jerusalem Talmud: Shabbath, Chapter IX, paragraph 3, Babylonian Talmud: Pesahim 4a)

3.2 Part of a day counts as a full day

Besides the previous quote, Rabbi Simeon ben Gamaliel also discussed this with others.
"And how long is a full 'onah? - Rabbi Simeon ben Gamaliel explained: A night and half a day. But do we require an 'onah to be so long? Is not [such a requirement] rather incongruous with the following: If a person's winepresses or oil-presses were unclean and he desired to prepare his wine and oil respectively in conditions of cleanness, how is he to proceed? He rinses the boards, the twigs and the troughs;" Babylonian Talmud Tractate Niddah folio 65a
 
Some have tried to say that an onah referred only to a woman's days of uncleanness, but the previous quote shows that an onah is a general period of time.
 

After three days was a known Hebrew idiom in the Bible meaning part or all of three days. Here are other examples of the “three-day idiom”. Since English rendering differ, all these quotes are taken from Green’s Literal translation.

1. In Genesis 42:17, Joseph imprisoned his brothers for three days. But in verse 18 he released ten of them on the third day.

2. Rehoboam in 2 Chronicles 10:5 told the people “three days return to me”. Yet in 2 Chronicles 10:12, the people returned “on the third day, as the king commanded.”

3. In 1 Samuel 30:12 a sick Egyptian slave told David he had not eaten any food or drunk any water for three days and three nights. Yet a person could not survive outside in the desert with no water at all for 72 hours. Undoubtedly the slave meant part of three days.

4. In Esther 4:16 Esther says to fast for her, “for three days, night and day” and she would do the same. Yet Esther 5:1 says it happened “on the third day” Esther had a banquet, so this is an equivalent time.

5. Matthew 27:62b-63a "saying, Lord, we have recalled that that deceiver said while living, After three days I will rise. Therefore, command that the grave be secured until the third day,"

6. In referring to Christ’s death and resurrection, Jesus himself said in Matthew 12:40 says “three days and three nights”, Mark 8:31 says “the third day he will rise up”, Mark 14:58 says “through three days”, John 2:19 says “in three days”, and Luke 24:21 says “This third day comes today”.

7. So "three days and three nights" in Mt 12:40 (and presumably Jonah 1:17)  is equivalent to "on the third day" in Matthew 16:21; 17:23; 20:19 and Lk 13:32. It is equivalent to "Is it the third day" in Luke 24:21.

But there is nothing special here about the number three. The phrases "seven days" and "on the seventh day" are interchangeable too. 1 Kings 20:29a says, "For seven days they camped opposite each other, and on the seventh day the battle was joined."

The phrase four days in Acts 10:30 means parts of four days in Acts 10:3,9,23,24.

As another example, Leviticus 12:2-3 says that Jewish boys were to be circumcised on the eight day. So if a Jewish boy was born on Monday, when was he to be circumcised? He was to be circumcised on Monday a week later. What if he were born on Monday at 11:59 pm? He would still be circumcised on Monday a week later. That is inclusive timekeeping.

We even use inclusive time today. http://www.apologeticspress.org/apcontent.aspx?category=6&article=756. mentions that even today if someone checks into a hotel at night, and does not leave by the checkout time, they are charged for two full days.

Also Jews and Romans often referred to the daylight following evening as the next day in Genesis 19:34; Numbers 11:32; 1 Samuel 30:17; Matthew 27:57-62; Acts 23:23-32. Evening is considered with the daylight before in Mark 4:35 and John 20:19.

4. What do other scriptures say?

During the trial before Pilate, John 19:14 says, "And it was the preparation of the Passover, and about the sixth hour." (Green's Literal Translation) Some, such as Guthrie in New Bible Commentary p.964 and Professor Nau the appendix of The Didascalia apostolorum in English appendix p.113 see this as a great difficulty, because it says "preparation for the Passover", not just "Preparation day" or "Preparation for the Sabbath".

But as Encyclopedia of Bible Difficulties p.375-376 points out, regardless of which day Passover was celebrated that year, this is likely just a synonym for Preparation day (Friday) of Passover week.

What is not the answer

X Darkness Friday afternoon would could be counted as two days of evening and morning on Friday. The Didascalia (after 431 A.D.) ch.21 p.90 offers this suggestion. However, unusual darkness would not necessarily be considered by all as making two days, and with a correct understanding of three days and three nights, there is not need for this.

X Unknown time when Jesus rose from the dead. Early Sunday morning was just the time it was discovered that Jesus rose from the dead; it could have been any time before then.

X A different calendar was used by some Jews, such as the Essenes, for the Passover; Again understanding three days and three nights, there is no need for this

5. What do early Christians tell us?

Here are three quotes from early Christians saying it as Friday, and one quote saying Thursday or Friday.

Justin Martyr (151-155 A.D.) Jesus was crucified on the day before Saturday [Friday] and rose the day after Saturday [Sunday]. First Apology of Justin Martyr ch.67 p.186

Victorinus of Petau (martyred 304 A.D.) “On the sixth day [i.e. Friday], …. On this day also on account of the passion of the Lord Jesus Christ, we make either a station to God, or a fast. On the seventh day…” On the Creation of the World p.341

Peter of Alexandria (306,285-311 A.D.) discusses the fourth day and that Jesus suffered on the sixth day [Friday] for us. Then he says, “But the Lord’s day we celebrate as a day of joy, because on it He rose again, on which day we have received it for a custom not even to bow the knee. ” The Canonical Epistle Canon 15 p.278

Origen (225-254 A.D.) “He who was spoken of by the prophets, but also to the other heathen nations, that He who was crucified yesterday or the day before underwent this death voluntarily on behalf of the human race, ” Origen Against Celsus book 1 ch.31 p.409

Among spurious works Pseudo-Ignatius (250 A.D.?) (Long, Latin version) indicates it was on Friday, before the regular Sabbath. (Letter to the Trallians ch.9 p.70)

However, the Pre-Nicene evidence is not numerous. There were 80 pre-Nicene Christian writers, and only three specifically said it was Friday, and Origen said it could be Thursday or Friday. In contrast to this there are 638 topics on which four or more pre-Nicene writers taught.

Conclusions

While it is important that Jesus was crucified, not which day. Wednesday would not fit the rest of chronology very well, but either Friday or Thursday would work.

Friday Crucifixion: If the Sabbath referred to here was Friday evening to Saturday evening, there is no difficulty here, once we see that three days and three nights was an idiom for parts of three days.

Thursday Crucifixion: If a special Sabbath was Thursday sundown to Friday sundown, followed immediately by a regular Sabbath of Friday sundown to Saturday sundown, this work too, if one understood "Preparation for the Passover" as Wednesday sundown to Thursday sundown.

www.BibleQuery.org/History/Events/OnWhichDayDidJesusDie.htm

by Steven M. Morrison, PhD.