I grew up in the American denominational world and was taught from a small child that Christ was crucified on “Good Friday”. A few years ago I heard about this nutty theory that Christ was not crucified on Friday but on Wednesday. The first time I listened to this theory, I was skeptical and I remained skeptical until I diagrammed it out on paper.
One thing we have to remember is the Jewish day begins at nightfall (generally 6pm), instead of midnight, which is the western way of thinking. I also am going with the theory that the scriptures are talking about full 24 hour days, for in all other area of the bible we find extreme precision of the facts.
We know that Christ died about the ninth hour, or about three PM. They then had to lower the cross to the ground, remove the spikes holding him to the wood, remove him from the cross and carry the body to a place where they prepared him for burial. Even assuming they were fast and judicial in these tasks, it is not likely that he was placed in the tomb and the tomb was sealed before six PM.
Even if you initially reject this idea as a bunch hokum, just bear with me and continue reading with an open mind.
OK, here is my math. Below I have laid out a timeline, assuming a Wednesday crucifixion with nights starting at 6PM with Christ being crucified on Wednesday and placed in the tomb in the beginning hours of the new day, Thursday (Wednesday night, to us in the west).
According to the scriptures Christ died about 3PM and then His body was removed and prepared for burial and placement in the tomb and the procedure to wash, anoint and wrap the body was not a speedy process and most likely took at least two to three hours.
NIGHT
1 1st Thursday (which generally begins about 6PM) the Feast of Unleavened Bread
2 2nd Friday
3 3rd Saturday (Sabbath)
DAY
1 1st Thursday (which began about 6AM) Feast of Unleavened Bread
2 2nd Friday
3 3rd Saturday (Sabbath)
That would mean he rose from the tomb before sundown on the Sabbath (and remember sundown on the Sabbath is actually the beginning of the next day, Sunday), or sometime after sundown (assuming the count is full days and nights)….and that works. This was the first time I had put it down on paper to look at.
The issue I was having (as I suspect many have) is mentally we start counting with the day and discount the fact that Christ would have been placed in the tomb and starting the clock on the first night. Using that simple fact means that I have proven to myself that Wednesday was the logical day that he was taken out and slain. A Thursday crucifixion would mean Sunday would be day three and inferring full days, that doesn’t work either because the scripture tells us Mary saw him early on Sunday.
Friday doesn’t work at all because that would mean He was in the tomb only for one full night and one full day (according to the Jewish calendar).
God Bless, Jim
Renewed 2-25-22
jimbussell 