| (Copyright 2023) by Dwight Fleming (Oroville, California) |
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| Which day of the week did Jesus Christ rise from the dead? Did Jesus die on Friday and then was later resurrected the following Sunday? Millions believe that Jesus of Nazareth was crucified on a Friday; put into a tomb late Friday afternoon, then resurrected early Sunday morning before sunrise. But there are those who challenge that belief. Christ stated that He would be “three days and three nights” in the tomb (heart of the earth). See Matthew 12:38-40. There is no way to count “three days and three nights” between Friday afternoon and early Sunday morning before sunrise. The most that you can count, are two days and two nights. Another view is that Jesus died and was buried late Wednesday afternoon and then was resurrected 72 hours later. This means that He would have risen on a Sabbath day just before sunset and not on the first day of the week as many believe. What is the truth? Does it matter which day of the week that Jesus rose from the dead? Does the Bible provide enough clues so that we can determine which day of the week that Jesus died and later rose from the dead? Which theory do you sub-scribe to, if any? The reason that many believe that Jesus died on a Friday is because it was the day before the Sabbath. They assume that it must have been the weekly Sabbath that falls on the seventh day of the week. This error stems from ignorance of God’s holy days or festivals that are listed in Leviticus 23. After the weekly Sabbath is mentioned, the next festival is Passover which falls on the 14th day of the first month. On the 15th day of the first month is the first day of unleavened bread which is an annual Sabbath. Since Jesus was crucified on the 14th day of the first month as a Passover lamb, the Sabbath that drew near was an annual Sabbath and not the weekly Sabbath. John called that Sabbath “a high day” to indicate that it was not the weekly Sabbath. An annual Sabbath may fall on any day of the week. Thus, there were two Sabbaths the week of Christ’s crucifixion. An annual Sabbath on the 15th followed by the weekly Sabbath on the seventh day of the week. This understanding alone should clear up any misunderstandings. But human nature does not want to let go of long-standing, cherished beliefs. So, they continue to argue against common sense. Yet, those who recognize the error of a Friday crucifixion, since “three days and three nights” won’t fit between Friday and Sunday, make similar errors with their reasoning. How so? First, they argue that “three days and three nights” must equal 72 hours. Then Daniel 9:27 is used to support that Jesus was crucified on a Wednesday. Since Jesus was laid in the tomb late in the afternoon, the conclusion is made that He was resurrected exactly 72 hours later from Wednesday afternoon to arrive at a Sabbath day resurrection. And, for those who recognize and observe the seventh-day Sabbath, this conclusion is very appealing. But is it correct? Jesus forewarned His disciples about His death before they went to Jerusalem: “Now while they were staying in Galilee, Jesus said to them, ‘The Son of Man is about to be betrayed into the hands of men, and they will kill Him, and the third day He will be raised up’” (Matthew 17:22-23). The apostle Paul confirmed this important detail: “For I delivered unto you first of all that which I also received: that Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures. And that He was buried, and that He rose again the third day according to the scriptures” (I Corinthians 15:3-4). There are many more scriptures that mention Christ being raised on the third day. Refer to a good Bible concordance if you want to see how many there are. If you believe that Jesus was buried late Wednesday afternoon and resurrected 72 hours or three days later on the weekly Sabbath, then that Sabbath would be the third day. This theory may appear to fit the “three days and three nights” that Jesus gave as a sign, but which day of the week does the Bible say was the third day? Turn to Luke 24:1, “On the first day of the week, very early in the morning, the women came to the tomb…” Keep reading to verse 21. As you will see, they found the tomb empty. Two angels reminded them what Jesus had taught them about being raised on the third day. Later, that same day (verse 13) two disciples were walking to a village outside of Jerusalem discussing what things had happened the last few days. Jesus joined them but was not recognized by them. He asked them for more details. They responded: “’The events involving Jesus of Nazareth,’ they answered. ‘This man was a prophet, powerful in speech and action before God and all the people. Our chief priests and rulers delivered Him up to the sentence of death, and they crucified Him. But we were hoping He was the One to redeem Israel. And besides all of this, it is the third day since these things took place” (Luke 24:19-21). They said this to Jesus. If they were wrong about the day, then Jesus had the perfect chance to set them straight. Luke 24 makes it absolutely clear that the first day of the week was the third day when Jesus was raised from the dead. Luke 24:21 messes up the 72-hour theory that provides for a Sabbath resurrection which is why it is either ignored or explained away. Yet, a Sunday resurrection was eventually used as an excuse for not keeping the Sabbath. Neither a Sabbath resurrection nor replacing the Sabbath with Sunday are correct. Why would Jesus be raised on the first day of the week rather than on the seventh-day Sabbath? After the Days of Unleavened Bread are listed in Leviticus 23, the next festival is the Feast of Firstfruits. It is a 50-day harvest festival. It begins on the first day of the week and ends 50 days later on the first day of the week. On the first day, a wave-sheaf offering was made with the first cut grain of the harvest. Christ is called the firstfruits of those raised from the dead (I Corinthians 15:20). He fulfilled the wavesheaf offering on the first day of the week when it was supposed to be offered. Then on the 50th day, known as Pentecost, two wave loaves were offered which picture the resurrection of the elect at Christ’s return. This is called the first resurrection (I Corinthians 15:23; Revelation 20:4-6). If Christ is the firstfruits from the dead and the first resurrection occurs at Christ’s return, then it is fitting that both resurrections occur on the first day of the week. But there will always be those that remain hung up on Christ’s statement about being in the tomb for “three days and three nights.” They will insist that this has to mean a period of 72 hours. There is a major flaw in their explanation by insisting on a 72-hour period. If you have watched any videos on how they count 72 hours, did you notice any problems? Christ did not say that He would be in the tomb for three FULL days and three FULL nights as they want to imply. And just as important, Christ did not say that He would be in the tomb for THREE NIGHTS and THREE DAYS as they come up with in their 72-hour scenario. What’s the difference you ask as long as they equal 72 hours? What’s the difference if you put your shoes on first or your socks on first? Christ said days then nights. If Christ wanted to say that He would be in the tomb for 72 hours, then he could have just said that He would be in the tomb for three FULL days. He included nights because that is how it is expressed in Jonah 1:17. Instead of demanding that this expression must mean 72 hours to prove a pet theory, we need to realize something else that Jesus was indicating by including nights with days. Genesis 1:4-5: “And God saw that the light was good and He separated the light from the darkness. God called the light ‘day,” and the darkness He called ‘night.’” So, Christ said that He would be in the tomb for three periods of light (day) and three periods of darkness (night). As we all know, Christ first went into the tomb when it was light (day). This was according to the order that Christ expressed with the “three days and three nights.” Thus, the correct sequence should be: day-night, day-night, day-night. Christ would then exit the tomb at night. However, if you want to follow human reasoning rather than what Christ said, you end up with Christ entering the tomb during the day and exiting the tomb during the day. You then end up with something that is not according to what Christ said. The “three days and three nights must harmonize with the third day; not contradict it. Does the Bible say that Christ was resurrected and exited the tomb at night? In a strange way, it does. Recall that guards were placed at the tomb by the Jewish leaders to prevent any disciples from taking the body in an effort to prove what Jesus had previously proclaimed. However, Christ’s disciples were devastated by His death. They had no interest in faking a resurrection from the dead to draw a following after themselves. Without Jesus, they were lost. When Mary Magdalene found the tomb empty, she thought the gardener had done something with the body (John 20:1-15). Something happened to the body alright. The guards standing outside of the tomb must have been stunned witless when the stone rolled away and a bright light shone from the tomb. Do you think that any of them would ever admit that they ran away like scared rabbits? When the guards reported their news to the chief priests, the evil rulers knew that Jesus had fulfilled His promise to rise on the third day. They could not allow any news of His being raised from the dead to get out. So, they came up with a plan to hide the truth. “While the women were on their way, some of the guards went into the city and reported to the chief priests everything that had happened. And after the chief priests had met with the elders and formed a plan, they gave the soldiers a large sum of money and instructed them, ‘You must tell everyone, “His disciples came by night and stole Him away while we were asleep”’” (Matthew 28:11-13). In their evil attempt to hide the truth of the resurrection, they inadvertently revealed that Jesus exited the tomb at night just as He had said. This probably happened after midnight which means that it was definitely on the first day of the week both by Jewish reckoning and Roman reckoning. Why do I say midnight? The apostle Paul said that Jesus is the firstborn among many brethren. See Romans 8:29. When did the death angel come to strike down the firstborn at the first Passover? It was at midnight (Exodus 12:29). Consequently, Jesus exited the tomb at night on the first day of the week and on the third day since His death. He was also “three days and three nights” in the tomb (in the right order) as a sign to the Jews of His day. This sign was given to a “wicked and adulterous generation.” It was the sign of Jonah. Jonah was also sent to give warning to a wicked, gentile city. The city of Nineveh was given 40 days to repent (Jonah 3:4). It is interesting that Jesus spent 40 days on earth after His resurrection. Does the number “40” have something to do with judgment? “For the time has come for judgment to begin at the house of God; and if it begins with us first, what will be the outcome for those who reject the gospel of God?” (I Peter 4:17). While many Jews did respond to the gospel of Christ, the majority of them failed to repent as did ancient Nineveh many years before. Does history repeat itself? Moses had sent 12 spies into Canaan to search it out. This took 40 days. When the Israelites allowed a negative report from ten of the spies to destroy their faith, God used the 40 days of searching as judgment against that generation. They would wander in the wilderness for 40 years until everyone 20 years and up died. Jerusalem was taken captive and the Temple destroyed by the Romans in 70 AD. Forty years prior would be 30 AD. Is this the year that Jesus was crucified? No one is certain of the year of Christ’s death. The calendar years suggested depend on the day of the week that someone believes that Christ died. It is obvious that He died on Passover day, the 14th day of the first month. The year of Christ’s death is then chosen depending on when Passover is believed to have occurred. If it is on a Friday, then 33 AD is designated. For those who believe Christ died on a Wednesday, 31 AD is claimed as the year of Christ’s death. However, neither a Friday or a Wednesday crucifixion will meet the criteria given by the scriptures we have so far covered. The best conclusion would be a Thursday crucifixion with a Sunday resurrection. This theory would allow a fulfillment of the “three days and three nights” time in the tomb in the right order; and have Christ going into the tomb during the day and exiting the tomb at night on the third day. Those who demand that Christ be in the tomb for 72 hours actually have Christ in the tomb for “three days and three nights and a day” or “three nights and three days.” It is unlikely they would accept a shorter period despite any evidence. Another objection will be Mark 16:1. It appears to say that the women bought spices after the Sabbath which is deemed to have been the annual Sabbath. Then after preparing the spices, the women “rested on the [weekly] Sabbath according to the commandment” (Luke 23:52-56). This appears to prove that there must have been a workday between the annual Sabbath and the weekly Sabbath. Thus, the conclusion is made that the Passover that year fell on a Wednesday and the annual Sabbath on a Thursday. The women then bought and prepared spices on Friday, then rested on the weekly Sabbath. Translations are not perfect. For example, see John 19:34 and Luke 23:43. Nearly all translations have Jesus saying to the thief on the cross that he would be with Jesus in Paradise that very day. Jesus went into the tomb that very day not Paradise. As many of you realize, a better rendering of Luke 23:43 would be, “Truly I tell you today, you shall be with me in Paradise.” The same problem exists with most English translations of John 19:34. The Roman soldiers were going to break Jesus’ legs but found that He was already dead. Verse 34, as translated, says that a soldier pierced His side with a spear. If Christ was already dead, why would a soldier pierce His side? Rather, Christ was already dead because a Roman soldier had previously pierced His side which caused Christ’s death. Christ died from loss of blood from His wound same as a Passover lamb. If you are able to recognize the time order problems of Luke 23:43 and John 19:34, then you should be open to the same possibility of Mark 16:1. Did Mark actually say that the women bought spices after the Sabbath or that they were coming to anoint the body of Christ with the spices that they had previously bought? Looking at the context, it suggests that Mark is referring to the weekly Sabbath and not the annual Sabbath. When did the women purchase the spices? Mark also records that Joseph of Arimathea bought a linen cloth to wrap around the body of Jesus (Mark 15:46). It is likely that the women after seeing where Jesus was laid also went and bought spices the same day. Luke simply says that after the women saw where Jesus was laid that they returned to prepare spices but then rested on the Sabbath according to the commandment which is a reference to the weekly Sabbath. If Jesus died and was buried on Thursday afternoon and the women bought spices the same day before sunset, then they had to prepare the spices on Friday which was also the annual Sabbath. Those who believe Jesus died on a Wednesday will have trouble with this concept. Many Pharisees had trouble with Jesus healing on the Sabbath and accused His disciples of breaking the Sabbath when they plucked some grain in the field to satisfy their hunger. Review Leviticus 23:1-7. Verse three gives details about the weekly Sabbath. A Sabbath of complete rest. No work is to be done (with certain exceptions listed elsewhere). However, verse seven, regarding the first day of unleavened bread, only forbids regular work, meaning your normal occupation. Thus, the preparation of spices would have been allowed on the annual Sabbath but not on the weekly Sabbath. Despite the clear evidence of Luke 24:21 that the third day when Jesus rose from the dead was on the first day of the week, it is highly unlikely that what has been presented in this article will change anyone’s previous held thinking on when Jesus died and was resurrected. This is largely a technical discussion and not something that will affect anyone’s opportunity for salvation. To keep things in perspective, what is important is that a person accepts the death of Jesus for the remission of his or her sins after coming to repentance. And then acknowledges that Jesus is risen whereby we have hope of the Resurrection at His return. This is what baptism symbolizes and is a profession of our commitment to Jesus as our Lord and Savior. May we walk in unity as the Elect of Christ even though we have differences in our understanding of certain details found in the Holy Scriptures. 2 Peter 3:17-18: “Therefore, beloved, since you already know these things, be on your guard so that you will not be carried away by the error of the lawless and fall from your own steadfastness. But grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. To Him be the glory both now and to the day of eternity. Amen” ——————————————————————————————————— See Dwight Flemings other articles at: Fleming, Dwight – Church of God, Bismarck (church-of-god-bismarck.org) ——————————————————————————————————— |
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