When Was Jesus Crucified?

Jesus said, “JUST AS JONAH WAS THREE DAYS AND THREE NIGHTS IN THE BELLY OF THE SEA MONSTER, so shall the Son of Man be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth” (Matthew 12: 40 NASB).

Most Gentile believers, including me, have been taught that Christ was crucified on Friday, put in the tomb before sundown, and raised from the dead before sunrise on the first day of the week (Sunday).  Here’s the problem.

Jesus indicated that He would be in the tomb three days and three nights  Do the math.  It doesn’t add up.  The key is in the Sabbath.  The regular Sabbath is from sundown Friday to sundown Saturday.  But in Leviticus, you’ll find more than one Sabbath during Passover.  In fact, two”special” Sabbaths are observed in addition to the regular Sabbath.  (However, sometimes a special Sabbath falls on the regular Sabbath.)

In the first month on the fourteen day of the month [Nisan] at twilight is the LORD’s Passover.  Then on the fifteenth day of the same month there is the Feast of Unleavened Bread to the LORD; for seven days you shall eat unleavened bread.  On the first day you shall have a holy convocation; you shall not do any laborious work.  but for seven days you shall present an offering by fire to the LORD.  On the seventh day is a holy convocation; you shall not do any laborious work (Leviticus 23: 5-8 NASB).

English: The Last Supper of Jesus Christ (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

I’m convinced that Christ was in the tomb three days and three nights.  To begin with, a day on the Hebrew calendar is from sundown to sundown (Genesis 1: 5), while a day on the Gregorian calendar is from midnight to midnight.  So the Last Supper/Passover meal was held after sundown (Tuesday on the Gregorian calendar; Wednesday on the Hebrew calendar.)   Jesus died on the cross at 3 p.m.  Wednesday.  He was placed in the tomb before sundown because the following day was a special Sabbath, the first day of the  Feast of Unleavened Bread.  Therefore, Christ was in the grave Thursday, Friday, and Saturday.  He arose from the dead before dawn on the first day of the week (Sunday).  (For a timeline, click on http://www.centuryone.com).

Related articles

• Good Friday or Passover? (biblethingsinbibleways.wordpress.com)
• Jesus came to Jerusalem to celebrate passover (ivarfjeld.com)
• The Seven Feasts of Israel (Part II) (bibletim.wordpress.com)
• “Christ Is Our Passover Lamb” / The Message of the High Sabbath beginning the eve of March 25, 2013 (owprince.wordpress.com)