Good Friday the Friday before Easter Sunday is celebrated worldwide among Christians as the anniversary of Christ’s death on the cross. This day was set apart as a holy day as far as the 300’s, in the time of Constantine. But the big question is: Was Christ crucified on a Friday?
In predicting His death Jesus Christ said to His disciples, “We are going up to Jerusalem, and everything that is written by the prophets about the Son of Man will be fulfilled. He will be turned over to the Gentiles. They will mock Him, insult Him, spit on Him, flog Him and kill Him. On the third day He will rise again” (Luke 18: 31-34).
On the day of Christ’s resurrection; the women who came to anoint the body of Jesus, were reminded of Christ’s predictions concerning His death by two angels who said to them, “Why do you look for the living among the dead? He is not here; He has risen! Remember how He told you, while He was still with you in Galilee: “The Son of Man must be delivered into the hands of sinful men, be crucified and on the third day be raised again. Then they remembered His words” (Luke 24: 5-8).
To confirm whether Christ was crucified on a Friday and on the third day to be raised from the dead, let us begin with the day of His resurrection to prove whether He spent three days and three nights as He predicted and the only sign He gave to prove His Messiahship.
What day was Christ resurrected from the dead?
Scriptures confirmed that, “On the first day of the week, very early in the morning, the women took the spices they had prepared and went to the tomb. They found the stone rolled away from the tomb, but when they entered, they did not find the body of the Lord Jesus” (Luke 24:1-3; John 20:1).
So the other important question is, at what time on the first day of the week was Christ resurrected from the dead?
The scriptures again confirmed that, “After the Sabbath, at dawn on the first day of the week, Mary Magdalene and the other Mary went to look at the tomb. There was a violent earthquake, for an angel of the Lord came down from heaven and going to the tomb, rolled back the stone and sat on it.” Then the angel said to the women, “Do not be afraid, for I know that you are looking for Jesus who was crucified. He is not here: He has risen, just as He said. Come and see the place where He lay” (Matthew 28:1-6).
The four gospels confirmed that it was very early on the first day of the week(Sunday), while it was still dark and at the dawn of the first day of the week that the women went to the tomb with their ointment to anoint the body of Jesus, so the question is, what time is the dawn of a new day?
The dawn of a new day is the beginning of day, the fist light in the east, day break or sunrise and according to the gospel of Matthew, it was as the first day of the week began to dawn towards the first day of the week, that Mary Magdalene and the other Mary came to see the tomb. Meaning that, the first day of the week had not yet begin, it was just about to begin, and it was after the Sabbath” (Matthew 28:1).
It is therefore conclusive that Our Lord Jesus was resurrected after the Sabbath (Saturday) and before the beginning of the first day of the week (Sunday). Now, another important question is how long is a day?
There is no shadow of a doubt that, a day consists of twenty four (24) hours. For we have all learnt that, there are twenty four (24) hours in a day. Jesus Himself said, “Are there not twelve hours in the day? If anyone walks in the day, he does not stumble, because he sees the light of the world. But if one walks in the night, he stumbles, because the light is not in him." Thus indicating that, a day consists of twelve hours day light time, and twelve hours of darkness (John11:9-10).
Now how long did Christ predict He would have stayed in the grave?
Remember, the scribes and Pharisees wanted a sign from Jesus Christ to prove that He was indeed the true Messiah. The proof which Jesus gave to them was, “An evil and adulterous generation seeks after a sign, and no sign will be given to it (His Messiah-ship) except the sign of the prophet Jonah. For 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” (Matthew 12:39-40).
I have heard so many different interpretations to the meaning of this three days and three nights and in the heart of the earth that it makes me wonder where are these people getting these interpretations from.
Let us study the scriptures to find the true meaning and fulfillment of the three days and three nights which the Lord spent in the heart of the earth. Let us begin with the time Jesus Christ was placed in the tomb. The scriptures confirmed that, “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” (Mark 15:42-43; Matthew 27: 57-61).
The scriptures reveals clearly that, Jesus Christ’s body was placed in the tomb at evening (sunset), the day before the Sabbath". But the question is, which Sabbath was it? Was it the weekly Sabbath which would automatically be on a Friday! Or was it the day before a High Day Sabbath?
The scriptures says clearly, "Therefore, because it was the Preparation Day, that the bodies should not remain on the cross on the Sabbath (for that Sabbath was a high day), the Jews asked Pilate that their legs might be broken, and that they might be taken away" (John 19:31).
So the question now is, when, and what was this High Day Sabbath? This High Day Sabbath was the first day of the feast of Unleavened Bread which followed the Passover, the exact day on which Jesus Christ was crucified for us. As we have been duly admonished saying, "For indeed Christ, our Passover, was sacrificed for us. Therefore let us keep the feast, not with old leaven, nor with the leaven of malice and wickedness, but with the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth" (1 Corinthian 5:7-8).
Now that we have proved that the day before the Sabbath on which Christ died was not the weekly Sabbath, but it was the Passover the day before the first day of Unleavened bread, let us see how ridiculous is the popular teaching of a Friday or Thursday crucifixion to a Sunday resurrection is.
If the preparation Day which preceded the High Day Sabbath was Thursday or Friday, and the High day Sabbath was Saturday the weekly Sabbath, then please explain:-
- How much time did the women who followed Jesus Christ and observed the tomb and how His body was laid had, to return, prepare spices and fragrant oils, and then rested on the Sabbath according to the commandment, when it was already evening when the body was laid in the tomb? (Luke 23:54-56; Mark 15:42)
- If the day which followed the Preparation Day was Saturday the weekly Sabbath, would the chief priests and Pharisees who were strict adherents to the Sabbath law gather together to Pilate on the Sabbath? Saying, “Sir, we remember, while He was still alive, how that deceiver said, after three days I will rise. Therefore command that the tomb be made secure until the third day” (Matthew 27:62-66).
- If they did gather with Pilate on the Sabbath it would have to be after the Sabbath, and Christ would have already been raised from the dead.
Therefore, the Preparation Day for the High Day Sabbath was neither on a Thursday or a Friday but it was on a Wednesday. The preparation was the Passover meal which was eaten between the two evenings. It is written: “In the first month, on the fourteenth day of the month at evening, you shall eat unleavened bread, until the twenty-first day of the month at evening” (Exodus 12:14)
This unleavened bread was to be eaten along with the Passover lamb which was sacrificed at twilight, at the going down of the sun because no leavened bread was supposed to be eaten with it. (Deuteronomy 16:3,6)
The Thursday was the Feast of Unleavened Bread which we are asked to observe in the New Testament. The Jews and the women who followed Christ rested on that day, because it was a High Day Sabbath.
Friday was the preparation day for the weekly Sabbath, the women brought and prepared spices and fragrant oils, they then rested on the weekly Sabbath according to the commandments, and at the end of the Sabbath as the first day of the Week (Sunday) began to dawn, Mary Magdalene and the other Mary came to see the tomb, bringing the spices with them, but Christ had already risen from the dead. (Matthew 28:1-8).
If Christ was buried on Thursday or Friday evening, and rose on Saturday Evening or Sunday Morning, I now beg the question, where are the three days and the three nights that proves His Messiah-ship? And the other question is, did not the prophet Daniel prophesied saying; "Then he shall confirm a covenant with many for one week; But in the middle of the week He shall bring an end to sacrifice and offering" (Daniel 9:27)?
I therefore beg to ask the question, what day is the middle of the week?
The question is, who will you believe? The choice is yours.
Love in Jesus’ name
Lucius Joseph
