What Day was Jesus Crucified?

What day was Jesus crucified – Wednesday or Friday?

To save reading this entire post my wife pointed out to me, how simple it really is by referring to Matthew 20:19; Luke 9:22; 18:33; Acts 10:40; and many other verses which simply, say, “on the third day He will be raised.”  If Jesus was raised on the first day of the week, Sunday, then Saturday was day 2, and Friday was day 1. If He didn’t die on Friday then He wasn’t raised on the third day. Do we need more, I wish my wife had come in sooner, the rest of this post is my reasoning.

A few people state that the 14th of Nissan fell on the Wednesday because of the full moon, therefore Jesus was crucified on Wednesday. But astronomical calculations show that the 14th could have fallen on Friday, making Thursday night the Passover meal and the crucifixion on Friday. See the International Standard Bible Encyclopedia Vol.1 p.689 to confirm this.

The gospels do say Jesus was crucified on the day of preparation for the Sabbath, which is always a Friday. Mark 15:42; Luke 23:54; John 19:14,31,42;  Some people make the mistake by saying you can have multiple Sabbaths in one week. They err because they call the 14th of Nissan (Friday) a Sabbath when it can only called a holy assembly, or holy convocation. Exodus 12:16; Leviticus 23:7; Numbers 28:16-18; It cannot be a Sabbath for Sabbath means 7 referring to 7th day of the week. You cannot have two Sabbaths in one week, but you can have a holy convocation as taught in the Old Testament.

Now if you accept the 14th of Nissan to be Friday, then the 15th of Nissan falls on the Saturday, falls on the Sabbath that year, thus making that Sabbath a GREAT Sabbath because it is also a holy convocation as John claims in John 19:31; John also calls the Friday, John 19:14;  “day of preparation for the Passover.”  Passover refers to the whole religious feast, Luke 22:1; And in John 19:42; “he calls it the day of preparation”, since the tomb was nearby, they laid Jesus there.’

In John 12:1;  Six days before the Passover they came to Bethany. Counting  backwards from Friday the 14th, puts you on Sunday, the day they traveled from Jericho to Bethany and had a dinner that night at Lazarus’ home. If Thursday was day He was crucified then they traveled on the Sabbath. Since He had dinner at Lazarus’ home on Sunday, it was Monday that Jesus rode in to Jerusalem on the donkey, not Palm Sunday but really Palm Monday. Since Friday was the 14th, Monday was the 10th which was Jesus birthday, the day all Israel picks a lamb for the slaughter and in rides Jesus as they shout Hosanna! They have selected their Lamb of God. Exodus 12:3-6

Finally many struggle with the 3 days and 3 nights in the heart of the earth. Matthew 12:40; and they place the crucifixion on Wednesday to try and obtain a perfect 72 hours for Jesus to be in Hades. To the Jews a partial day equals a whole day. Jesus died when the darkness was on the land, one historian claims the stars came out it was so dark, night? He died at 3 PM and went straight to Hades. what does Jesus say to the thief, Today you will be with Me in Paradise! Luke 23:43; That Friday afternoon, sun comes back, day again, then Friday at 6 we have Sat. night, Sat. Day, then 6pm Sunday night and Jesus rises Sunday morning.

There you have 3 nights and 3 days, I totally accept his 3 hours on Friday as a full day (not needing the darkness explanation) and rising on the first day of the week as a full day as well. But some are literalist so they will demand placing His crucifixion on Wednesday making Him, Thurs, Fri. Sat. Sun. making Him to be 4 days and 4 nights which if that was the case, why didn’t God just say so? That would also make Jesus rise on the 4th day, which really goes against scriptures as we saw earlier.

A perfect 72 hours demands you accept His burial to be at 6 PM  Wednesday so as not to count Wednesday denying Jesus statement to the thief. And Jesus had to rise at 6PM early Sunday night, Late Sat. afternoon so as not to count Sunday. I think there is a reason it has always been accepted that His death was on Friday, because the Bible points to the fact that He did die Friday and rose on the 1st day of the week. Once you demand literal interpretation of the text, where do you stop?

Can we use multiple cups or is only one cup sanctioned by God. Do we all have to sell everything, give to the poor and to be faithful Christians or was that only commanded to that one rich man? Who here hasn’t sinned with his eyes or with his hands and yet you have not cut them off, have you? No I certainly hope not. We have to reason with the text.

Is proper interpretation of scripture important, lets just say the reason there are so many denominations is because people didn’t care about how important interpreting the Bible really is. There is but one Truth, not two. And the logic and reasoning of innocents is the best way to discover that Truth. Mt.18:3 “Truly I say to you, unless you are converted and become like little children, you will not enter the kingdom of heaven.”