Did Jesus die on Good Friday and resurrect Sunday morning

Shayla: Did Jesus die on Good Friday and resurrect Sunday morning?

Meforshim:

Why this is important

First, we must take into consideration that the “Good Friday” tradition is not biblical but Roman Catholic in origin. That it is a Roman Catholic tradition does not necessarily make it wrong, but its human origin necessitates that we examine it carefully to see what the Bible actually claims.

Acts 17:11 HCSB The people here were more open-minded than those in Thessalonica, since they welcomed the message with eagerness and examined the Scriptures daily to see if these things were so.
1 John 4:1 HCSB Dear friends, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to determine if they are from God, because many false prophets have gone out into the world.

Before we go further, let me make clear that I assume that the Bible in its original (not every rendition since) is inerrant. I hold that there is no contradiction in its accounts. I assume that if there seems to be confusion, that that confusion is on my part as a limited fallible human and not inherent within the Scriptures. Having said that, let’s examine the thorny issue of the timing of the death, burial, and resurrection of the Lord Jesus Christ who claimed to be the Messiah, the Anointed One, the holy and only begotten Son of God.

The problem starts with the fact that when the scribes and Pharisees demanded that Jesus prove His Messianic claim, He stated that He would give them the same sign that God had given to the people of Nineveh (which was something of a slam by the way). That sign was called the “sign of Jonah” and in Jesus’ case meant that He prophesied that He would be dead and buried “three days and three nights” before resurrecting.

Matthew 12:38-40 HCSB Then some of the scribes and Pharisees said to Him, "Teacher, we want to see a sign from You." 39 But He answered them, "An evil and adulterous generation demands a sign, but no sign will be given to it except the sign of the prophet Jonah. 40 For as Jonah was in the belly of the great fish three days and three nights, so the Son of Man will be in the heart of the earth three days and three nights.
Luke 11:30 HCSB For just as Jonah became a sign to the people of Nineveh, so also the Son of Man will be to this generation.

Once the disciples came to the conclusion that Jesus was the Messiah, the Master tried to make sure they understood what that entailed. He tried to warn them of what was coming. He taught them that He would suffer many things, be rejected, killed, and then rise “after three days.”[1]

The religious leaders took His teaching literally and even tried to use it against Him.[2] As He was dying, the cruel onlookers mocked His prophecy.[3] They did so because it was such an important statement and was central to His claim to Messianic status.

Because the religious leaders understood what He was claiming, they made every effort to block His resurrection. They desperately took measures to thwart any efforts to make it look as if He had resurrected. It is important to note that they wanted to make sure that the guard detail would remain “until the third day.”[4]

After the Lord resurrected in spite of the stone, the seal, and the guard detail, the angel that greeted the women at the tomb in essence said, “See? He did what He said.”[5] Thus, we have angelic confirmation that Jesus’ prediction came true. We must remind ourselves at this point, “What did He say?” He said He would be in the ground “three days and three nights”[6] and that He would rise “after three days”[7] or “on the third day”.[8]

The disciples on the road to Emmaus clearly thought that Jesus was supposed to rise on the third day after His death, but failed to accept the testimony of “mere women” that it had in fact occurred.[9]

When Jesus later appeared again to the same Apostles, He once more laid claim to that famous sign.

Luke 24:45-46 HCSB Then He opened their minds to understand the Scriptures. 46 He also said to them, "This is what is written: the Messiah would suffer and rise from the dead the third day,

The fact that Jesus literally fulfilled His promise was a tremendous source of strength to the Apostles later.[10] Both Peter and Paul later averred that witnesses confirmed this.[11]

The problem with saying that Jesus died on “Good Friday,” was buried about sundown that same day and rose again on Sunday around daybreak is that this represents only two nights and one day. It would imply that Jesus was not in fact the Messiah since He did not adequately fulfill the sign that He had Himself imposed.

Two Wrong Approaches

The “Figurative” Interpretation

Liberal theologians will prevaricate, saying that the Bible’s language is “figurative” or “metaphorical.” However, this places humans in charge of determining the veracity of God’s Word. If we say that “three days and three nights” means “one day and two nights” then we bring into question every prophetic utterance. This approach ends up totally destroying the credibility of the Scriptures.

The “Part of a Day” Interpretation

Some claim that the Jews counted a part of a day as the whole day and at first glance it may seem that they could have some Scriptural backing.[12] However, none of these passages seem to give the leeway that would be required to turn “three days and three nights” into “one day and two nights”. The only passage that even has the phrase “three days and three nights”[13] seems to indicate exactly and literally “three days and three nights” and no less. Though the wording is slightly different in Esther 4:15, there is again no indication that it means anything less than three full days. Because several Middle Eastern religions (Islam for instance on the occasion of Ramadan) demand fasting during the day but allow for feasting at night, Esther simply clarified that they were not to eat anything at night either.

Even if we granted the point that the Jewish people counted part of a day as a whole day, is there any indication at all that this was Jesus’ meaning or the Pharisees’ understanding? I think not. I believe the safest approach is to take Jesus’ meaning and the fulfillment of His Word literally.

Two important principles to keep in mind

This leaves one option. Our understanding of the days is wrong. I believe two defining issues are critical to our understanding of the Biblical account of the days of the Christ’s suffering, death, and resurrection.

The Meaning of “day” in the Bible (24 hours but starting in the evening)

The general Biblical definition of a day, in the sense of the contrast between night and day, is the same as ours.[14] In this sense, meaning the number of daylight hours, Jesus taught that there were roughly twelve hours of daylight. That means Jesus’ understanding of a full day meant twelve hours of day and twelve hours of night,[15] indicating a full twenty four hour day. Not a partial one.

However, when determining when a day begins, the Bible reckons the start and finish of a day differently than Western Goyim do. The Bible reckons a calendar day as starting at sunset, rather than sunrise.[16] Therefore, a full day was measured from sundown to sundown. For the Jewish people (whether genetic or adopted), the new day starts around six in the evening and lasts until six the next evening. This gives twelve hours of night rest followed by twelve hours of daytime work.

The meaning of “Sabbath” in the Bible (not necessarily Saturday)

The Bible says that Jesus was crucified on “the day before the Sabbath.”[17] The difficulty is in the fact that most assume that this “Sabbath” was like any other weekly “Sabbath.” In this, they are wrong. Once again, it is our Western mindsets that get in the way. This is why Adonaic believers hold that an understanding of the Old Covenant is critical to the proper interpretation of the New.

There were more “Sabbaths” than the regular weekly one which fell on what we now call “Saturday”. “Sabbath” was not merely the name for a day in the week as “Saturday” is for us. A “Sabbath” meant a holy day in which work would not take place. This is the origin of our modern word “sabbatical.” For instance:

The first day of the Passover week, regardless of when it occurred, was an annual Sabbath.[18]
On the seventh day of this feast, the 21st of Nisan, was another annual Sabbath.[19]
The day of Pentecost was an annual Sabbath.[20]
There were even Sabbath years![21]

This is the reason we read about Sabbaths in the plural number in the Old Covenant. It is not just because there are 52 Sabbaths in a year but because there were other types of Holy Days of rest that the Jews were not keeping. The Lord considered it so important that He actually had them deported so that the land could have its Sabbath rests that the humans were not providing.[22]

The principle argument

The Jews kept two calendars, one “secular” and one “sacred” or “ecclesiastical”. This is not as strange as it may seem at first. We moderns generally consider the calendar year to begin January first. However the “school year” generally begins in September and then there is the “fiscal” year that concerns businessmen and tax accountants.

Jesus was buried on the day of preparation before that week’s Sabbath.[23] However, John defines or clarifies this by stating that it was not merely the preparation for the regular Sabbath, but for the Passover.[24] This Sabbath would have been the 14^th of Nisan/Abib,[25] the annual Sabbath. Notice that this Sabbath was a special day. It was in fact the annual high holy day, the Sabbath of the Passover Festival.[26] That means there would have been two Sabbaths that week.

Matthew 28:1 HCSB After the Sabbath, as the first day of the week was dawning, Mary Magdalene and the other Mary went to view the tomb.

The Greek phrase that the HCSB here translates “after the Sabbath” can be transliterated “de oye Sabbatwn.” However “Sabbatwn” is in the genitive case and the plural number. Therefore, in view of the grammar and the historical context (an annual Sabbath starting on Wednesday evening and a regular Sabbath starting on Friday evening) I believe that a better rendering would be “after the Sabbaths…”

If we do not understand that Sabbath to be the annual Sabbath of the Passover, then there is a contradiction between Mark and Luke’s accounts. Mark says the ladies brought spices “when the Sabbath was over.”[27] Luke says they prepared the spices and perfumes and then “rested on the Sabbath.”[28] However, if we understand the Jewish ecclesiastical calendar had brought about two Sabbaths that week with a brief three hour window between 3 and 6 (as will be explained shortly) in which business could be transacted, then Mark and Luke are both perfectly correct.

The Bible states that the two Marys came to the tomb “after the Sabbaths” and, because there had been two that week, qualifies it as the one preceding the “first day of the week.”[29] Had there been only one Sabbath that week, the qualifier would have been completely unnecessary.

Remember, the Sabbath always ended at sunset.[30] However, the Bible further qualifies the time when they arrived. Because they thought Jesus was still dead (they were, after all, on their way to embalm His body) they apparently waited until the morning so that they could have the light to do the job. Had they arrived Saturday evening, the darkness would have overtaken them before they could finish the lengthy and meticulous work.[31]

Therefore, they arrived at the tomb at the crack of dawn on Sunday. However Jesus had already risen from the dead before they arrived. So Jesus rose from the dead sometime around sunset Saturday, not necessarily Sunday morning.

Note that the earthquake occurred “because an angel of the Lord had descended from heaven and approached the tomb” not because the Lord arose as is so often mistakenly portrayed. Though the angel rolled back the stone and was sitting on it, it was not done to “free” the Lord. The angel said specifically “He has been resurrected” in the past tense.[32] In my opinion he rolled back the stone because the ladies had been wondering how they would gain access to the body in order to embalm it.[33]

The Date of the Crucifixion

If that is the case that gives us the following schedule:

13^th of Abib; Tuesday morning;

Prepared for the Passover meal; morning in Jerusalem.[34] Jesus said, “Go prepare the Passover meal.” They did.

14^th of Abib/Nisan starts; Tuesday evening; first Sabbath begins

That evening they went into the room and had the Passover meal;[35] Preparing for the Last Supper there was an argument among the disciples and the Lord rebuked them. [36] Then He said “I fervently desired to eat this Passover with you before I suffer.” So, the “Last Supper” was clearly the Passover meal.

During that meal, Jesus washed the disciples’ feet; predicted his betrayal and Peter’s denial; spoke of the way to the Father; promised the Holy Spirit; spoke of the world’s hatred, the work of the Holy Spirit and of how their sadness would be turned to joy. Then He prayed, sang a hymn,[37] and left for the Mount of Olives.[38] On the way to the garden of Gethsemane He talked about “abiding” and “going away”.[39]

A part of that night is spent in prayer in the garden.[40] Then He was betrayed and arrested that night in the garden of Gethsemane.[41] (235)[42]

14^th of Abib/ Nisan; Wednesday, the Day of Preparation and the Day of Unleavened Bread; Jesus’ trials[43]

Annas questions Jesus (236); Peter’s first denial – entering the gate (237); The High Priest questions Jesus (238); Jesus before the council (239); Peter’s second denial (240); Peter’s third denial (241); High Council leads Jesus to Pilate (242); Judas hangs himself (243); Jesus’ trial before Pilate (244); Jesus before Herod (245); Herod sends Jesus back to Pilate (246); Jesus sentenced to death (247); The soldiers mock Jesus (248); Jesus’ crucifixion (Mark 15) (249); He died (Luke 23:46) (250)

Jesus died at the ninth hour (3:00 P.M. Gentile time).[44] The Passover lamb was to be sacrificed in the temple on Aviv 14 at “twilight” [45] or at the “twain of the evening.” In Hebrew, this is translated, bain ha’arbayim, or “between the evenings.” The last half of the daylight hours (from about noon to 6:00 p.m.) was further divided into two parts: the minor evening oblation (noon to 3:00 p.m.) and the major evening oblation (3:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m.). Thus, “between the evenings” means between these two periods, or about 3:00 p.m. This was the time midway between the beginning of the sun’s descent into the west (about noon) and its setting (about 6:00 p.m.). So, the Passover lamb was killed at about 3:00 p.m. on Aviv 14.

He was taken down before the Sabbath began; Joseph of Arimathea went and begged Pilate for the Lord’s body.[46] Joseph of Arimathea and Nicodemus embalmed and entombed Jesus (251)[47] The Sabbath was close so the women simply noted where He was buried and left, intending to return and finish the job. The Galilean women get spices before the Sabbath arrives. (252) The guards are posted (253)

15^th of Abib/ Nisan starts; Wednesday Evening, Passover Sabbath, Feast of Unleavened Bread[48]

15^th of Abib/ Nisan; Thursday, High Day of the Passover Sabbath,

16^th of Abib/ Nisan starts; Thursday Evening the weekly Sabbath begins FIRST DAY IN TOMB ENDS

17^th of Abib/ Nisan; Friday evening; SECOND DAY IN TOMB ENDS

The other women buy burial spices (254) (probably between 3 and 6; enough time to buy but not enough to use)

18^th of Abib/ Nisan; Saturday evening; THIRD DAY IN TOMB ENDS

Jesus resurrects

18^th of Abib/Nisan; Sunday morning;

Women travel to the tomb early Sunday morning. The guards are bribed to lie. The women see the stone and Mary Magdalene runs to get Peter and John. The women see the angels and leave. Jesus’ first post-resurrection appearance: Mary returns and sees two angels and the Lord.

One Final Objection

Some argue that if Jesus being raised on "the third day" (i.e. Luke 24:21) means three complete days and Wednesday was when Jesus was buried, then Sunday would actually be the fourth day!

However, the Bible clearly states that the Master was buried at sunset Wednesday. That would make Thursday evening the first day, Friday evening the second day, and Saturday evening the third day. Understanding that both the Lord’s death and resurrection took place in the evenings of these days, and that our Sunday (first day of the week) begins Saturday evening at 6:00 deals with the issue. Rather than arguing against this theory, this final objection actually supports it, for if the crucifixion took place on Friday, there is no way to reconcile the Lord resurrecting on Sunday morning with the “sign of Jonah” meaning three full days in the tomb.

Therefore, I contend that “after three days” means the same as “the third day”. In fact, that was exactly how the Pharisees interpreted his prophecy.[49]

Conclusion

There is no Biblical support for the human tradition of a “Good Friday” crucifixion. There were two Sabbaths that week. The Lord died just as the first one was arriving (meeting the criterion as the Paschal Lamb perfectly) and resurrected just as the second one ended, fulfilling His promise literally and fully. According to the “Sign of Jonah”, Jesus of Nazareth was the Messiah.

[1] Matthew 16:20-21; 17:22-23; 20:17-19; Mark 8:29-31; 9:31; 10:34; Luke 9:20-22; Luke 18:31-33

[8] Matthew 16:21; 17:23; 20:19; 27:64; Luke 9:22; 18:33; 24:46; Acts 10:40; 1 Corinthians 15:4

[12] Genesis 42:17-18; 1 Samuel 30:12-13; Esther 4:15-16; 1 Kings 20:29; 2 Chronicles 10:5 cp v. 12

[16] Genesis 1:5; Exodus 12:8; Leviticus 23:32

[17] Mark 15:42-43; Luke 23:52-54; John 19:14, 31, 41-42

[23] Matthew 27:61-62; Mark 15:42; Luke 23:53-55

[25] The Bible also designates Nisan as Aviv (Exodus 13:4 cp Exodus 12:2)

[31] Matthew 28:1; Mark 16:2; Luke 24:1; John 20:1

[34] Matthew 26:17-20; Mark 14:12-17; Luke 22:7-13

[35] Matthew 26:21-35; Mark 14:18-31; Luke 22:14-38; John 13:1-31

[40] Matthew 26:36-46; Mark 14:26-42; Luke 22:39-46

[41] Matthew 26:47-56; Mark 14:43-52; Luke 22:47-53; John 18:2-12

[42] Each of the numbers (235-250) marked in red and between paragraphs represent a section in “The Life of the Master” and the corresponding parallel passages.

[44] Luke 23:44-46; Mark 15:33-37; Luke 23:53-54; Mark 15:42-43