Christ's Crucifixion : Friday or
Wednesday?
The Christian community yearly celebrates Jesus' crucifixion on a Friday and his resurrection the
following Sunday at daybreak. Jesus specifically said that he would be in the grave for 3 days
and 3 nights or 72 hours. (It is only about 36 hours or 1 1/2 days from sundown Friday until
Sunday morning). You may have wondered, as I have, about this contradiction. Herein you will
find a chart that explains how Jesus' Crucifixion did not occur on Friday, but rather on
Wednesday.
You might ask, why does it even matter? Why? Well, ...if Jesus erred concerning his own burial
time by 50% (1 ½ days = 50% of 3 days) then to what extent can we rely upon other statements
by Christ? If he stretched the truth or erred once, then we could expect that he did also in a few
other places, too.
Many of the Christian church world have taken on a religious attitude without a high regard for
truth. Every verse we consider to be suspect removes another stone from our spiritual
foundation.
The 3 day and 3 nights in the tomb are easily arrived at when a few scriptural statements are
considered as scriptural anchors, ....and unmovable!
Here are 4 Unmovable Scriptural Anchors
The first .....is Jesus' specific statement of 3 days and 3 nights in the grave.(Matt. 12:40)
The second .....is that of his death and burial between 3 PM (9th hour) and 6 PM (Sunset) on
the day of his crucifixion. (Matt. 27:46-50, John 19:28-42)
The third .....is that Jesus' ressurrection occurrs before daybreak on the following Sunday, the
1st day of the week. (John 20:1, Mark 16:1-8)
The fourth ......is God's reckoning of the length of a 24 hour day is from sunset to sunset, ....not
dawn to dawn. (Gen.1:5)
Five different days of the week are involved.
Day 1 - Preparation Day, the day before the Passover (John 19:14)
Day 2 - Passover Celebration Day, a High Sabbath, rest day (John 19:31)
Day 3 - *Spice buying day when shops reopened.
Day 4 - the 7th day of the week, Sabbath Day, Saturday (Matthew 28:1)
Day 5 - the 1st day of the week, Sunday (John 20:1)
* note: Day 3 is not a scriptural anchor. It is placed there to allow the other FOUR scriptural
TRUTH ANCHORS to remain in place. Doing so does not move any anchor truth.
Follow the chart and the Four Scriptural Truth Anchors with the scripture notations to see
that Jesus had to be crucified on Wednesday afternoon, and not on Friday.
Thus we can depend on God's Word! HE is not fickled, ...Speaking the Truth one moment and
erring the next. God's Word is truly "forever settled in heaven".
Preparation Day (John 19:14)
Tuesday @ Sunset (6 pm)
Disciples eat Passover (Matthew 26:20)
Garden of Gethsemane (Matthew 26:36)
Midnight
Elders Court (Matthew 26:57)
Peter's Denial (Matthew 26:74)
Wednesday Morning / Dawn
Before Pilate / Leaders had not yet eaten Passover (John 18:28)
Noon
Jesus Crucified (John 19:14)
Wednesday / 3pm to 6pm
Jesus' Death & Burial (Matthew 27:46-50, John 19:28)