“Good” Wednesday?

Good Friday. I had a nice chat at the YMCA on Wednesday with a young man about WHEN Jesus was actually crucified. He was surprised to learn that Jesus may have died on a Wednesday afternoon [at the very time we were chatting], and not on a Friday according to tradition. Here are some of the things that I shared with him.

Many Bible scholars think that Jesus was born in 3 B.C. and died in 28 A.D., since he was about 30 when he began his ministry and it lasted about a year [“the acceptable YEAR of the Lord,” as Jesus quoted in Luke 4:19].

Looking at lunar calendars [since Passover was on a full moon] for 28 A.D. shows that it was on a Wednesday in that year. Paul wrote in 1 Corinthians 5:7 that “Christ our passover is sacrificed for us.” Jesus was the passover sacrifice FOR ALL TIME, and fulfilled all the law as the Lamb of God [Matthew 5:17; John 1:29,36].

Hebrews 10:10,12 speaks of Jesus and his sacrifice being completed once and for all.

“By the which will we are sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ ONCE FOR ALL.
But this man, after he had offered one SACRIFICE FOR SINS FOREVER, sat down on the right hand of God.”

One problem with “Good Friday” is that Jesus said he would be in the grave for 72 hours, 3 days and 3 nights, just as Jonah had been in the sea creature.

Matthew 12:40:
For as Jonas was three days and three nights in the whale’s belly; so shall the Son of man be THREE DAYS AND THREE NIGHTS in the heart of the earth.

If you count from 3 p.m. [Matthew 27:46 gives that as the time when Jesus cried out] on Friday to Mary Magdalene seeing Jesus on Sunday morning, that is NOT THREE DAYS AND THREE NIGHTS!

John 20:1:
The first day of the week cometh Mary Magdalene EARLY, WHEN IT WAS DARK, unto the sepulchre, and seeth the stone taken away from the sepulchre.

At best, that is only a little over a full day [from sunset when Jesus was buried] on Friday to Sunday before dawn. But if Jesus died on a WEDNESDAY and was buried at sunset, he would have risen THREE DAYS AND THREE NIGHTS LATER on Saturday at sunset. Then Mary could find the empty tomb a few hours later. It all fits with scripture and time.

One reason people think of “Good Friday” is because of John 19:31. It says, “The Jews therefore, because it was the preparation, that the bodies should not remain upon the cross on the sabbath day, (for that sabbath day was an high day,) besought Pilate that their legs might be broken, and that they might be taken away.”

They think this was the WEEKLY sabbath, or what we call SATURDAY. Therefore, they think Jesus died the day before, on a Friday. But this verse explains “for that sabbath day was an HIGH DAY.” During Passover, the day after the lamb was sacrificed was a “special” or “high” sabbath. It did NOT HAVE TO FALL ON A SATURDAY. I grew up going to mass in the Roman church on “high” days. Those were like “special Sundays” for us. The same is true of Passover in Jesus’ time. So if Jesus died on a Wednesday, the next day [Thursday] was a “high” sabbath, not on a weekly Saturday sabbath.

The most important thing we can gain from this study is that God’s Word is very accurate and makes sense. Tradition gives us Jesus dying on Friday and in the grave less than two days. But if we look at scripture and real lunar time, knowing Eastern culture and religious practices, we can find the truth.

When Jesus said “It is finished” nearly 1,998 years ago, all of our sin and separation from God was healed and forgiven. Today we rejoice that Jesus fulfilled the scriptures, for three days and three nights in the heart of the earth, and that God raised him from the dead to sit at His own right hand! Now Jesus is Lord of all. When we admit that spiritual reality, then we are saved.

Philippians 2:9-11:
Wherefore God also hath HIGHLY EXALTED HIM, and given him a name which is above every name:
That at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of things in heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth;
And that every tongue should confess that JESUS CHRIST IS LORD, to the glory of God the Father.

Romans 10:9:
That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth THE LORD JESUS, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, THOU SHALT BE SAVED.