Was Jesus Christ crucified on a Friday

 

When was Jesus Christ crucified

The majority of believers grew up with the perception that Jesus Christ was crucified on a Friday and resurrected on a Sunday and hence the reason why there is this Good Friday and Easter Sunday celebrations in the western world, but let us be realistic was Jesus Christ crucified on a Friday and resurrected on a Sunday?

We need not be deceived by any false teachings because we have been given the assurance saying; “But you have an anointing from the Holy One, and you know all things”.  And, “These things I have written to you concerning those who try to deceive you. But the anointing which you have received from Him abides in you, and you do not need that anyone teach you; but as the same anointing teaches you concerning all things, and is true, and is not a lie, and just as it has taught you, you will abide in Him.” (1 John 2:20, 26-27).

Now, with regards to exactly when was Jesus Christ crucified and how long He would be in the tomb He confirmed this on several occasions to the Jews who requested a sign from Him to prove that He was indeed the Messiah. On the first occasion after His first recorded miracle of turning water into wine, and soon afterwards driving out both men and animals from the temple, and over turning the tables; the Jews demanded a sign from Him saying, “What miraculous sign can you show us to prove Your authority to do all this!”

Jesus’ reply to them was, “Destroy this temple, and I will raise it again in three days.” The Jews replied, “It has taken forty-six years to build this temple, and you are going to raise it in three days?” But the temple He was referring to was His body (John 2:18-21).

On another occasion, some of the teachers of the law (Scribes) and Pharisees said to Jesus, “Teacher, we want to see a miraculous sign from you.” Jesus answered, “A wicked and adulterous generation asks for a miraculous sign! But none will be given it except the sign of the prophet Jonah. For as Jonah was three days and three nights in the belly of a huge fish, so the Son of man will be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth” (Matthew 12:38-40).

 On another occasion some Pharisees came to Jesus and said to him, “Leave this place and go somewhere else. Herod wants to kill you.” He replied, “Go tell that fox, I will drive out demons and heal people today and tomorrow, and on the third day I will reach my goal (be perfected)” (Luke 13:31-32).

This He said in reference to what He would be doing during the three days and three nights He would spend in hell, as alluded to by Peter who wrote; “For Christ died for sin once for all, the righteous for the unrighteous to bring you to God. He was put to death in the body but made alive by the Spirit, through whom also He went and preached to the spirits in prison who disobeyed long ago when God waited patiently in the days of Noah while the ark was being built. In it only a few people, eight in all, were saved through water’ (1 Peter 3:18-20).

 These spirits to whom the gospel was preached whilst in hell were judged according to men in regard to the body; and those who heard the voice of the Lord lived. As it is written: “I tell you the truth, a time is coming and has now come when the dead will hear the voice of the Son of God and those who hear will live”(1 Pet.er 4:6; John 5:25).

On many occasions Jesus Christ explained to His disciples saying, “He must go to Jerusalem and suffer many things at the hands of the elders, chief priests and teachers of the law, and that He must be killed and on the third day be raised to life” (Matthew  16:21; 17:22-23; 20:19; Luke 24:46).

Therefore, there is no shadow of doubt that the length of time the Lord was prophesied to stay in the grave was three days and three nights and this is the sign to prove that He indeed is the Messiah So the logical question is, did Jesus say exactly how many hours constitute a day and how many hours constitute a night?

There was no ambiguity in the mind of Jesus Christ, as to how many hours constitute a day and a night; because, when he was told that Lazarus, the one whom He loved was sick, He replied, “This sickness will not end in death. No, it is God’s glory so that God’s Son may be glorified through it.”

Then He said to His disciples, “Let us go back to Judea.” But His disciples replied, “Rabbi, a short while ago the Jews tried to stone You, and You are going back there? Jesus answered, “Are there not twelve hours in daylight? A man who walks by day will not stumble, for he sees by this world’s light. It is when he walks by night that he stumbles, for he has no light” (John 11:4-10).

In this context one has to conclude that, when Jesus said that He was going to spend three days and three nights in the heart of the earth, He literally meant seventy-two (72) hours, and not part of a day as a day, as it is commonly taught.

So then, when was Jesus Christ crucified and placed in the tomb was it on a Friday? The scriptures states clearly “that 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).

When Pilate gave permission to take down the body, Joseph and Nicodemus took the body of Jesus, and bound it in strips of linen with the spices, as the customof the Jews is to bury. Now in the place where He was crucified there was a garden, and in the garden a new tomb in which no one had yet been laid. So there they laid Jesus, because of the Jews' Preparation Day, for the tomb was nearby” (John 19:1-42).

It is absolutely clear that the day following the death and burial of Jesus Christ was a High Day Sabbath which was the first day of the feast of unleavened bread, so the people rested. Now, after resting on the day following the death and burial of Jesus Christ the scriptures state the women who had come with Him from Galilee followed after, and they observed the tomb and how His body was laid. Then they returned and prepared spices and fragrant oils. And they rested on the Sabbath according to the commandment” (Luke 23:55-56).

Please note carefully that, it was after resting of the Sabbath that the women bought and prepared the spices and ointment as confirmed by the Gospel of Mark which reads; “Now when the Sabbath was past, Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of James, and Salome bought spices, that they might come and anoint Him” (Mark 16:1).

And after purchasing and preparing the spices and fragrant oils, they again rested according to the commandment which is the weekly Sabbath, so I therefore beg to ask the question, was Jesus Christ crucified and buried on a Friday?

And if He was crucified and buried on a Friday and after the Sabbath, as the first day of the week began to dawn, meaning that it was not yet the first day of the week, Mary Magdalene and the other Mary came to see the tomb, but Jesus was not in the tomb He was already risen, what is this implying? Is it not implying that Jesus did not spend three days and three nights in the grave as He prophesied He would and this obviously would make Him an impostor because, He did not fulfill His one and only sign to prove that He is indeed the Messiah.

Please note again carefully what He said to the scribes and Pharisees who asked Him and said; “Teacher, we want to see a miraculous sign from you.” Jesus answered, “A wicked and adulterous generation asks for a miraculous sign! But none will be given it except the sign of the prophet Jonah. For as Jonah was three days and three nights in the belly of a huge fish, so the Son of man will be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth” (Matthew 12:38-40).

I therefore, beg to ask a question, are we worshiping the true Messiah! Or are we worshiping a false messiah an impostor who did not fulfill his one and only sign to prove that he is indeed the true Messiah? Let your conscience and the anointing which you have received be your teacher and guide.

With brotherly love

Lucius Joseph