The Day od the week of Jesus' Crucifixion and the Apostolic Constitutions

[Gerhard Ebersoehn]

The Apostolic Constitutions - 5th century after Christ - declares that Judas conspired with the Jews to kill Jesus on a Wednesday - "Fourth Day of the week". Matthew 26:2 says that happened, "two days before the Passover" proper, or Passover Sabbath, 15 Nisan on the Passover Calendar.
So as soon as the day of the Passover's Preparation so-called for being "the day they ought to slaughter the Passover on", Nisan 14, had begun, and opportunity allowed, Judas went out and called those Jews, and he betrayed Jesus. Later on that very day, at 9 am, Jesus would be crucified! It had to have been on a Thursday!
Whence therefore, the fiction Jesus was crucified on Friday?

 

[MNJacob]

Does it matter?

 

[tamborine lady]

Yes, it matters. Because Jesus rose after three days. If He was crucified on thursday, then the "Lords day" would be on Sat, therefore everybody would still be going to church on the Sabbath. (saturday!!)

Selah,

Tam

 

[Helen]

I do think Jesus was crucified on a Thursday. He said He would spend three days and three nights in the tomb. Thursday, Friday, and Saturday are the days. Thursday night, Friday night, and Saturday night are the nights.

"Sabbath" did not refer to one day only for the Jews. There were double Sabbaths, week-long Sabbaths, etc.

 

[Pastor_Bob]

I believe Jesus was crucified on Wednesday. If Christ was crucified on Friday, then how could He have been in the heart of the earth three days and three nights as He prophesied He would be?

The Jewish Sabbath begins at 6:00 on Saturday evening. So Christ had to be resurrected sometime between 6:00 Saturday evening and sunrise on Sunday. He was to be in the grave for 3 days and 3 nights. The prophecy is fulfilled by 6:00 on Saturday evening. Count back three days and three nights and Christ has to be in the grave by 6:00 on Wednesday evening/Thursday morning.

John 19:31 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.

I believe this particular Sabbath that is mentioned in John 19:31 was on Thursday.

 

[prophecynut]

I've always thought Good Friday was His crucifixion day, I also knew this day is controversial among Christians. After investigating I concur with Gerhard and Helen.

Here's how I connected the dots:

For certain the slaughter of the Passover lamb took place near the close of Nisan 14 by Jewish reckoning, Thursday afternoon. The Passover meal was eaten at the beginning of Nisan 15, between sunset and midnight Thursday evening.

Jesus also had to be crucified near the close of Nisan 14, which he was "about the ninth hour" or 3:00 P.M., Thursday afternoon (Mt. 27:46). Jesus would not of been alive for the Passover meal Thursday evening, therefore he held the Last Supper with his disciples after sunset Wednesday Nisan 14.

The term "Passover" includes the week-long Feast of Unleavened Bread which began on the first day of the feast when the Passover lamb was sacrificed (Mk. 14:12). Having the Last Supper after sunset on Wednesday, Nisan 14 before His crucifixion on Thursday, Nisan 14 kept it within the week of Unleavened Bread and Passover.

Timeline:

Passover meal or Last Supper Wednesday after sunset on Nisan 14.

Jesus arrested that night on Mount of Olives (Mt. 26:20,31,34).

Jesus nailed to the cross the sixth hour (noon) and died the ninth hour on Thursday, Nisan 14 (Mt. 27:45-46).

Jesus in the grave three days and three nights - Thursday (laid in the tomb before sunset), Friday, Saturday and resurrected on Sunday the first day of the week.

 

[Pastor_Bob]

Then you have 3 hours on Thursday.
6:00 PM began Friday.
24 hours brings us to 6:00 on Saturday.
24 more hours brings us to 6:00 Sunday.
Jesus rose very early in the moring on the first day of the week.

We now have:
Friday -- Friday night
Saturday -- Saturday Night
Sunday -- ???

We are still missing one night unless you count the three hours on Thursday as a whole night.

 

[AdrianDavila]

Actually, I don't think Jesus said three days. I believe his exact words were "on the third day." Thus day 1 was Crucifixion, day 2 he was in the grave, and day 3 He rose. Also, the Bible says that they laid him in the tomb on the day of Preperation. The day of preperation in was Sundown Thursday to Sundown Friday. It is more likely that he was crufied on Friday. Another reason Christ had to have been crucified on Friday, is that he rose on the first day (Sunday) which was the third day. So the Apostolic Canons, IMHO, are vindicated in their positioning of the Crucifixion and the Resurrection.

 

[AdrianDavila]

Another thing, did y'all know that for the past few centuries, we have been celebrating Easter on the wrong day according to the most ancient authority on the subject. According to the ancient Canons, Easter was to be celebrated the Sunday after the first full moon after Passover. The date was to be determined by the leaders of the Church in Alexandria and sent out into the world.

Well, then Pope Gregory came along, with his new fangled calendar, and he began a new Paschal dating tradition in the West. How his works is confusing, more confusing then the Alexandrian method. That is why we usually celebrate the Resurrection at a different time than the Eastern Churches. In fact, this year Eastern Orthodox Easter (Pascha) was two or three weeks after our Easter.

 

[prophecynut]

Bob

Time expressed in days is 24 hours a day as in Mt. 27:63.

Time expressed in days and nights is 24 hours divided by daytime and nighttime as in Mt. 12:40.

Both expressions of time cover the same time period.

 

[prophecynut]

This is really complicated.

When Christ was crucified during the week-long Feast of Unleavened Bread, a "special Sabbath" was observed according to the lunar calendar (John 19:31). This special Sabbath of the Passover occurred on the Jewish day of Thursday sunset to Friday sunset after the Passover day of Wednesday sunset to Thursday sunset when Christ died on the cross at 3:00 P.M. Thursday. He was buried before sunset Thursday which was also the Preparation day for the special Sabbath that followed.

Jesus was placed in the tomb on Preparation day for the special Sabbath and not the Preparation day for the normal sabbath of the seventh day based on the solar calendar. The day after the normal Sabbath, Mary visited the tomb (Mt. 28:1; Mk. 16:1, Lk 23:56).

Passover and special Preparation day - Wednesday sunset to Thursday sunset.

Special Sabbath and normal Preparation day - Thursday sunset to Friday sunset.

Normal Sabbath - Friday sunset to Saturday sunset.

 

[tamborine lady]

Maybe the reason it seems complcated is because you don't have all the facts.

Matt 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.

Jesus was in the earth 3 days and three nights. So even by the calculations you just did, He would have been in the earth until Sunday at six.

Need to back it up a little, to get it to be Sunday morning!! (first day of the week)

Peace,

Tam

 

[ascund]

Hey Pastor Bob

Originally posted by Pastor_Bob:
[QB] I believe Jesus was crucified on Wednesday. If Christ was crucified on Friday, then how could He have been in the heart of the earth three days and three nights as He prophesied He would be?

Your view has support from Michael P. Germano, “The Last Seder: Unscrambling the Baffling Chronology of the First Christian Passover,” Perspectives (Jul/Sept 2001). Check it out at http://www.bibarch.com/Perspectives/4.3.htm .

The crux of the matter is that the Essenes had their own calendar. Jesus celebrated the Passover according to the Essene calendar on Tuesday. He was crucified on Wednesday. A literal 3 days and 3 nights leads us to Sunday - just like you posted!

Lloyd

 

[prophecynut]

Tam

In the Jewish mind of the First Century, part of the day was considered as a full day.

Thursday sunset to Friday was the annual high Sabbath day and cannot be changed to fit just any chronology. The day before, Wednesday sunset to Thursday sunset, has to be the Passover, no exceptions.

Mary "very early on the first day of the week , just after sunrise" went to the tomb to find Jesus not there (Mk. 16:2). Jesus was resurrected approximately 12 hours before Sunday ended at 6:00 P.M. Insisting on full days to make up the 3 days and three nights is not plausible for any chronology for Passion week.

What ever day one chooses for Passover,his death at 3:00 PM and burial and resurrection Sunday sunrise remains constant.

If Christ was buried 6 PM Wednesday:

Thursday 6 PM would be one day.
Friday 6 PM would be two days.
Saturday 6 PM would be three days.
Sunday 6 PM would be four days.

If Christ was buried 6 PM Thursday:

Friday 6 PM would be one day.
Saturday 6 PM would be two days.
Sunday 6 PM would be three days.

Caculating the time between his death and resurrection in full days cannot be done without changing the fixed times of his death and resurrection.

From 6 PM Thursday to 6 PM Friday is one night and one day.

From 6 PM Friday to 6 PM Saturday is two nights and two days.

From 6 PM Saturday to Sunday sunrise is three nights and part of the third day when Christ was resurrected.

 

[prophecynut]

Originally posted by ascund:
Jesus celebrated the Passover according to the Essene calendar on Tuesday.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Essenes

The Essenes (Issi'im) were a Jewish religious sect that flourished from the 2nd century BC to the 1st century AD. The name Essene, itself, is either a version of the Greek word for Holy, or various Aramaic dialect words for "pious", and is probably not what the groups' members called themselves. Many scholars today believe there were a number of different related groups that were referred to as Essenes.

 

[Gerhard Ebersoehn]

What an overwhelming response! Thank you people, very much!
And thanks for the nice spirit in which you have put your different opinions forward!

I would now like to only answer the one question, "Does it matter?"

Paul in 1Cor.15 says- read it yourself, he didn't proclaim nonsense, but the Gospel, because it was "according to the Scriptures"!
This is but one reason why it matters; and to me it is enough reason why to correctly understand God's times and dispensations.
The Gospel is the history of the unfolding of God's Passover - that is, the whole Bible is! And it witnesses of Jesus Christ our Passover Lamb. If ever there was a 'TRUTH' that 'PROVED' the divinity of our Lord Jesus, it is 'THE SCRIPTURES"!

 

[Gerhard Ebersoehn]

Originally posted by tamborine lady:

Yes, it matters. Because Jesus rose after three days. If He was crucified on thursday, then the "Lords day" would be on Sat, therefore everybody would still be going to church on the Sabbath. (saturday!!)

Selah,

Tam

I assume you realise the implication of what you have said here! It amounts to this, that if everybody then would have believed the Seventh Day Sabbath, the Church (at large) has always been right as far as its MOTIVE or REASON is concerned, for always having believed Sunday for the Day of Church and Worship, namely, Jesus' resurrection!
I believe the reason or motive has been right all along; only not the particular day, Sunday. And I believe so PRIMARILY because attaching such value to Sunday goes AGAINST the whole trend of the Scriptures about the Sabbath Day (Seventh Day of the week) - which Scriptures attached tremendous eschatological value to the Sabbath Day - meaning in Christ Jesus, that is.

 

[Gerhard Ebersoehn]

Originally posted by Helen:
I do think Jesus was crucified on a Thursday. He said He would spend three days and three nights in the tomb. Thursday, Friday, and Saturday are the days. Thursday night, Friday night, and Saturday night are the nights.

"Sabbath" did not refer to one day only for the Jews. There were double Sabbaths, week-long Sabbaths, etc.

Helen, yours was nearly a hit!
Unfortunately not quite! Remember how the Bible and the Jews reckon the day: from sunset to sunset. Therefore: The nights - to start with because 'days' were started with their nights attached before them, the nights were: Thursday's night which was our Wednesday night; Friday's night which was our Thursday night; and Saturday's night which was our Friday night. So that the days were Thusday-day; Friday-day; and Saturday-day. So that : "IN RIPENESS OF SABBATH'S DAY'S-TIME THE FIRST DAY OF THE WEEK PENDING ... there was a great earthquake ..." and Jesus arose from the dead Victor! So that (to say it with Karl Barth's words) "What mader this day this particular day was waht happened ON IT AND TO IT ..." the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead! Thereby, (to say it with the ords of Augustus Hessey) "this day OBTAINED a meaning not before attached BEFORE ..." ...or after!

 

[Gerhard Ebersoehn]

Originally posted by Pastor_Bob:
I believe Jesus was crucified on Wednesday. If Christ was crucified on Friday, then how could He have been in the heart of the earth three days and three nights as He prophesied He would be?

The Jewish Sabbath begins at 6:00 on Saturday evening. So Christ had to be resurrected sometime between 6:00 Saturday evening and sunrise on Sunday. He was to be in the grave for 3 days and 3 nights. The prophecy is fulfilled by 6:00 on Saturday evening. Count back three days and three nights and Christ has to be in the grave by 6:00 on Wednesday evening/Thursday morning.

John 19:31 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.

I believe this particular Sabbath that is mentioned in John 19:31 was on Thursday.

Pastor Bob,
The main flaw in your view is these words: "He was to be in the grave for 3 days and 3 nights."
Mt.12:40 does NOT say that; it says the Son of Man would be "in the heart of the earth three days and three nights". "In the heart of the earth" is symbolic language; "three days and three nights" is literal language. "In the heart of the earth" does not MEAN, "in the grave"; it MEANS, to SUFFER DEATH. That EXPERIENCE of Christ began, when He declared: My hour has come ... to the end" - it was "at the table", and it went on as "He went out" through Gethsemane, and through being delivered over, and through the way to the cross, and through being nailed to the crosss; and through hanging on the cross - by the sheer power of his own volition - until he gave the spirit and died, and through it all, until he was buried, and lay in the grave sealed and guarded, to "REVIVE" - like of old said of GOD, who "revived on the Seventh Day", and confirmed in New Testament: that "He from His own labours entered in into His own rest as God from His own."

 

[Gerhard Ebersoehn]

Quote: "I believe this particular Sabbath that is mentioned in John 19:31 was on Thursday."

Think about it a Jew would have: The 'Sabbath' referred to in Jn.19:31, past? or beginning? It tells of the Jews going to see Pilate for the express purpose to save face for the crucified that would remain hanging on the crosses as stark reminder of the 'Egypt'-bondage (under Rome) while it was the day of remembrance of their deliverance from slavery (Ex.15)! So please Pilate, get them removed! How silly to think they only awoke to this embarrasment when the day had gone through almost!