First of all, let me say that for me it is the events of the Last Supper, crucifixion unto actual physical death, body bruised, blood shed, burial, and resurrection that matter not the timing of them. If the timing was that important, I believe God would have made it very clear in his word.
The Bible does not use calendar days of the week such as Saturday and Sunday. However, traditionally the Jewish Sabbath is said to run from Friday evening to Saturday evening forming the seventh day (day of rest). The Passover occurs during the first month (called Nisan) of the Jewish Torah year which is not the same as the Jewish calendar year. Nisan corresponds to around Mar/April of the American calendar rather than January.
In Bible terminology a day begins in the evening at sunset and ends the next day at sunset. Thus, I have developed what I call the dual evening concept. Under this concept I view a day as having a beginning evening and an ending evening. Jesus could not have eaten and been killed in the same evening given the time it took for his trial and actual crucifixion. The dual evening concept resolves this dilemma. Jesus ate his Last Supper at the beginning evening part of Nisan 14 (Passover). Jesus was crucified on the ending evening part of Nisan 14 (Passover). This concept of the two evening means Jesus did not violate the Exodus 12:6 commandment to kill the Passover lamb in the evening. The dual evening concept is consistent with the “between the evenings” rendering of “in the evening” in Exodus 12:6 and “at even” in Leviticus 23:5 sometimes called twilight which recognizes the ending evening for Nisan 14 in a natural sense and a beginning evening for Nisan 15 in a God declaration sense.
Before looking at Jesus crucifixion let’s look at the Exodus 12 Passover that pointed to Jesus as the Christian Passover.
Exodus 12:3-6 — Passover Lamp captured on Nisan 10 and kept until and killed on Nisan 14 at even around 3pm towards end of Nisan 14
Exodus 12:7-11 — Passover Lamb Eaten Night of Nisan 15 in Haste With Shoes on Feet
Exodus 12:29-33 — Cry of Egypt Happens at Midnight of Nisan 15 & Egyptians Pressed the Israelites to Leave
Exodus 12:34-42; Deuteronomy 16:1; Numbers 33:3 — Israelites Depart Egypt By Night That Same Night Nisan 15 Before Morning — They did not stay until morning as they might have been required if Pharaoh had not told them to leave before morning
Now let us look at Jesus as the Christian Passover.
There is a controversy within the church world as to whether Jesus was crucified on a Wednesday or a Friday. This has to do with Jesus saying in Matthew 12:38-40 how long he would be in the heart of the earth with respect to his crucifixion. Some say this refers to actual 72 hours. Others say the phrase three days and three night was a common Jewish idiom that meant any part of three days and three nights. In this sense it is viewed as a symbolic comparison to Jonah time in the wale rather than a literal time period. There are scriptures to support the latter view with the former being self-explanatory.
Division of Time into Four Groups
Jews divided time into 4 groups. The name of the group is the number of hours that preceded the start of the group.
First Hour – 6am-9am
Third Hour – 9am – Noon
Sixth Hour – 12 Noon – 3pm
Ninth Hour – 3pm – 6pm
Below I use look to outline the sequence of events with some notes about certain events starting with the Last Supper up to and including the resurrection. I use Luke account as the base and give the corresponding references from the other gospels for most.
One should note that the scripture sometimes in the New Testament uses the phrase feast of the Passover for the eating of the Passover Lamb is called a feast (Exodus 12:8,14; 23:14-17; 2 Chronicles 8:13). This is the same as the Feast of Unleavened Bread since the Passover lamb is actually eaten on Nisan 15 which is the first day of the Feast of Unleavened Bread. Hence Mark 14:1 saying the Passover and the Feast of Unleavened Bread occurred at the same time Hence, the other than the killing of the Passover lamb (e.g., Leviticus 23:5; Numbers 33:3, the word Passover and Feast of Unleavened bread are functionally equivalent so don’t let that throw you in the terminology alternately used when referring to the same thing. So then in Numbers 33:3 where it says they left Egypt after the Passover it is saying they left both after the Passover was killed and eaten to include after they had eaten the first meal for the Feast of Unleavened Bread that night before midnight.
Jesus Declaration of Timing of His Crucifixion/Burial and Resurrection and Paul’s Declaration As to When He Rose:
Matthew 12:38-40– three days and three nights in heart of the heart
Matthew 16:21 — and be raised again the third day
Matthew 17:23; — third day shall be raised
Matthew 20:19 — the third day he shall rise again
Mark 8:31 — after three days rise again
Luke 24:46 — rise from the grave the third day
John 2:19 — raised in three days
1 Corinthians 15:4 — rose the third day
Last Supper and Prayer in the Garden:
Luke 22:7-23 — Jesus Last Supper On Passover Night
—–Day of Unleavened Bread (Luke 22:7)
—–On Passover Night Desired to Eat Passover Before Suffering(Matt 26:20; Mark 14:17; Luke 22:14-18)
——-Does he eat Passover but not drink from cup (Luke 22:14-16 vs Luke 22:17 ??)
—–Before Feast of Passover (John 13:1)
—–Supper Ended (John 13:2)
—-Jesus Washes Disciples Feet (John 13:3-10)
Luke 22:39-46; John 3:14-15, 16 – Jesus prays in garden
Betrayal, Arrest, Mockery:
Luke 22:47-53 — Betrayal and Arrest
Luke 22:54- — Peter Denies Jesus and Cock Crows Thrice
Luke 22:63-65 — Jesus is Mocked
Luke 22:66-71 — Jesus before Sanhedrin Council — Jewish Authorities
Luke 23:1-5; Mark 15:1 — In the morning Jesus Before Pilate First Time — Roman Authority
Luke 23:6-11 — Jesus Before Herod — Roman Authority
Luke 23:12-17 Jesus Before Pilate Second Time — Roman Authority — Found Innocent
Crucifixion:
Luke 23:18-25, 26-43; Matthew 27:32-44; Mark 15:21-32 (Mark 15:25, 42); John 19:14 — Between 3rd (Mark 15:25) and 6th (John 19:14) hour (9am-12pm) — Estimated time when Pilate issued the sentence to crucify based on Jews insistence and process begun for Jesus to go to Calvary (John 19:16-18) on the Preparation Day for Passover (John 19:14) before the Sabbath (Mark 15:42) and that Sabbath was a high day (John 19:31) which makes it both a Weekly Sabbath and a holy convocation Nisan 15 day (Leviticus 23:7) if it refers to the Weekly Sabbath.
Death:
Luke 23:44-49; Mark 15:33-34 — Darkness lasts from 6th to 9th hour; Jesus died at the 9th hour (3pm) on that Preparation Day.
Burial:
Luke 23:50-55; Matthew 27:59-64; John 19:14,31,42– Joseph takes Jesus body down on the preparation day as the Sabbath drew on and buries him in the tomb; the woman go to the tomb with him
Luke 23:55; Mark 16:1 — The women returned and prepare spices and ointments and then rested the next day, the Sabbath day. Mark 16:1 says after the Sabbath Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of James and Salome bought sweet spices and then went to the tomb. Could be two different Sabbaths under the two sabbath method or one sabbath where the women went and bought some additional spices on the way to the tomb. For in Luke it suggests they prepared spices and ointment on the same day Jesus was buried after they returned from the tomb.
Resurrection:
Luke 24:1-7; Matthew 28:1-8; Mark 16:1-8 — Jesus resurrected on and as firstfruits (1 Corinthians 15:20, 23; James 1:18
Conclusion
I emphasize that for me it is the events that matter not the timing of them. If the timing was that important I believe God would have made it very clear in his word.
Reference for consideration:
Good Friday Crucifixion to Sunday Resurrection — Catholic Version
—–More info on Catholic Good Friday to Sunday Version
—- How long was Jesus in the tomb?
Wednesday Evening Before Sunset Crucifixion-Saturday Evening Before Sunset Resurrection — Alternative is a Saturday Evening After Sunset Resurrection which would be First Day of Week thus depending on time actually put in tomb vs taken down from cross yields 72 hours or a little over 72 hours since Saturday after sunset would be first day of week
Friday Crucifixion Parts 1 and 2 of Reconciliation of Synoptic Gospel and John Gospel Where Sadducees and Pharisees Had Different Passover Schedule — Messianic Teaching
—–Part 1 —–Part 2
Evening and Morning Concept — General
Evening and Morning Concept– Passover Focus
Study Notes Appendix
Below are some observations I make as I have looked at the controversial Friday-Sunday and Wednesday-Saturday/Sunday Timelines. I do not claim what is below to be correct or incorrect. They are just notes I have made which I may or may not look at for further consideration later.
OT Prophecy:
(Dan 9:27) And he shall confirm the covenant with many for one week: and in the midst of the week he shall cause the sacrifice and the oblation to cease, and for the overspreading of abominations he shall make it desolate, even until the consummation, and that determined shall be poured upon the desolate.
The phrase “midst of the week” may or may not refer to calendar week; it could and most likely does refer to the phrase “one week” not to calendar week.
Jesus Trials and Mark Use of Third Hour (Mark 15:25) vs Sixth Hour (John 19:14) for Time of Crucifixion
Well Jesus endured six trials before crucifixion
The first was before Annas, the second before Caiaphas. These two took place before the cock crowed concerning Peter’s denial of Jesus.
At daylight there was the third trial before the Sanhedrin Council
Then there was the fourth trial before Pilate
Pilate sent Jesus to Herod and that was the fifth trial.
Herod sent Jesus back to Pilate and that was the sixth trial
So starting with daylight until noon there are four trials over that 6 hour period from 6am to 12 noon.
If one say each trial lasted 1 hour that would put Jesus crucifixion at about 10am.
If one add the time to go between locations to total 1 hour that would put the hour of crucifixion at 11 am.
So then the actual crucifixion would be closer to the start of the 6th Jewish hour (12 noon) than the start of the third (9am)
That is most likely why John uses the word about in saying about the sixth hour. For in John summary of events it was at that time that Pilate released Jesus to be crucified.
But Mark chose to reference it as the third hour.
Some say in John 19:14 John uses the Roman time rendering instead of the Jewish time rendering in that sixth hour refers to on about 6am. Bur for me that would not account for the time required to conduct the third, fourth, and fifth trials and the time to go between those locations
But no matter how one resolves it one ought to by faith in the truth of God’s word that both are correct even if one does not completely understand how both are correct.
General Comments:
Nisan 14 for that year was on the preparation day for the weekly sabbath which was a high sabbath for that year being also the first day of the feast of unleavened bread. For John 19:31 says “that Sabbath was a high day”. By that he means for that year the first day of the Feast of Unleavened bread fell on that day. Note that John does not say that day was a high sabbath but rather that sabbath was a high day. I mention this because some claim that the first day of unleavened bread is a sabbath referred to as a high sabbath. However, in Leviticus 23 and elsewhere the first and last day of the feast of unleavened bread is no where identified as a sabbath but only as a day of holy convocation and rest from servile work; the word sabbath is not used. Yes the functionality of the Sabbath is partially present but the word sabbath is not used. Indeed, when the word sabbath is used it is understood that no type of work is to be done not just no servile work. Of course, God could modify things for a special sabbath just as for the Day of atonement the eighth (not seventh) day is called a sabbath though not for the day of the week sabbath.
Mark 15:25,33-34 says Jesus was crucified at the 3rd hour (9am) and died at the 9th hour (3pm). This took place on the preparation day which is the day before the weekly Sabbath. In the Book entitled the Jews Wars Josephus says “So these High-priests, upon the coming of that feast which is called the passover, when they slay their sacrifices, from the ninth hour till the eleventh…”. So Jesus death approximated the normal slaying of the sacrifices.
As the feast of unleavened bread approached (Luke 22:1), which is also called the Passover, Judas planned his betrayal. When the day of unleavened bread came when the Passover lamb is to be killed, Jesus sent Peter to kill a lamb to prepare the Passover (Luke 22:7-8). They then ate it in the upper room as Christ last supper (Luke 22:1-22). Soon after his last supper Jesus was arrested (Luke 22:39, 47, 54). It is done at the beginning of the day of preparation or right before it. It is what we know as Thursday evening which is in Bible time the beginning of Friday; thus, the probable beginning of Jesus three day reference.
The next morning at daylight they took Jesus to the Sanhedrin Council for trial (Luke 22:66). They then took him before Pilate (Luke 23:1). It is now early morning on the preparation day which will lead to his crucifixion at 9:00 AM that morning on what we know as Friday.
Jesus was placed in tomb on the day of preparation for weekly Sabbath (G4521, Sabbaton) per Matthew 27:62; Luke 23:54; and John 19:14, 31, 42 which is the day before the Sabbath (G4315, proSabbaton) per Mark 15:42. On the Sabbath (G4521, Sabbaton) the people rested (Luke 23:56) on what we know as Friday evening to Saturday evening and most likely until daylight on what we know as Sunday morning. For early in the morning on the first day of the week (G4521, also Sabbaton, here indicating interval between two Sabbath Days) the women came to the tomb and found Jesus gone (Matthew 28:1, 6). Note that since in bible rendering of time the night part of a day precedes the daylight part. This means that the first day begin at sunset on the seventh day of the week. This means that Jesus could have arisen during the night part of the first day of the week and his resurrection discovery taking place at sunrise or daylight part of the first day of the week.
Three Day Three Night Idiom and Friday-Sunday Method Comments:
Esther 4:16-17; 5:1
In counting the days consider that the Jews seem to count days inclusive rather than exclusive. In other words, where we would say from today to tomorrow is one day they would say two days. Consider Leviticus 7:16-17 which says:
(16) But if the sacrifice of his offering be a vow, or a voluntary offering, it shall be eaten the same day that he offereth his sacrifice: and on the morrow also the remainder of it shall be eaten:
(17) But the remainder of the flesh of the sacrifice on the third day shall be burnt with fire.
Notice how the sequence is today (1 day), tomorrow (2 day), and then the next day (3 day). In other words the third day is the day after tomorrow. That is not 72 hours. This is consistent with the idea that Jews count any part of a day as a day in the count of 3 days.
As to the fact that the Friday to Sunday at dawn scenario does not account for three 12 hours periods of daylight and three 12 hours periods of night or even any part of three periods of daylight and three periods of night. The Friday to Sunday proponents say the phrase “three days and three nights” was a common idiom use by Jews of that day to figuratively refer to a period encompassing three days.
Wednesday-Saturday/Sunday Notes
Other proponents use a Wednesday evening to Saturday evening timeline with some saying Daniel 9:5 refers to Jesus crucifixion happening in the middle of the week which is the fourth day or Wednesday. Some who refute Daniel 9:5 point out why is it that the middle of the 70th week points to a literal 7 day week whereas the other weeks refer to 7 years. For me I consider the possibility that the 70th week could have a dual purpose as there are other prophecies that have a dual purpose such as Isaiah 7:14 which points to Isaiah having a son and Christ later being a son of a virgin.
For me there are problem with both the Friday to Sunday and Wednesday to Saturday lining up with Exodus 12 events concerning Passover and the Feast of Unleavened Bread and the Last Supper and crucifixion, burial, and resurrection. The scripture seems not to provide enough detail for people this far away from bible days who do not have intimate non-speculative knowledge about how things were in that day.
