This past week was Passion Week, and is a very exciting week, because Passover occured on Wednesday this year. We explored “What If” this morning. What if Jesus was not crucified on “Good Friday” as all of Christendom teaches, but was crucified on Passover Wednesday?
We all agree that the four gospels all end with an empty tomb and a resurrected Savior. The prophecy of Jesus in Matthew 12:38-40, comparing his death, burial, and resurrection to Jonah (Jonah 2:1-10), really brings to light that Jesus said he would be in the heart of the earth for three days and three nights. This could only happen with a mid-week Passover! Jonah 1:17: Now the LORD had prepared a great fish to swallow up Jonah. And Jonah was in the belly of the fish three days and three nights.
Please remember, this is a “What If” Bible study, not a debate. We want to see what the Bible says concerning the day of preparation, Passover, and the Sabbath / high holy day of the feast of unleavened bread. The first day and the last day of the seven days of unleavened bread, according to Leviticus 23:5-8, are declared as special Sabbath days, regardless of the Sabbath day that occurs every week. A mid-week Passover would create an annual “feast” Sabbath on Thursday, in which the same rules of a weekly Sabbath are enforced (Exodus 20:8-11, Leviticus 23:1-4).
All four gospels use the term “day of preparation” which has to do with Passover and the feast of unleavened bread – Matthew 27:62-66, Mark 15:42-47, Luke 23:50-54, and John 19:14, 31, 38-42
The four writers understood Jewish law concerning the passover and the holy convocation “high holy days of the first day of unleavened bread and the last day of unleavened bread. It was John who wanted to educate the gentile world about the day of preparation. He specifically draws attention to the next day after the crucifixion being the first day of the seven days of unleavened bread.
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.
This helps understand that Friday was a regular day in which the women could go buy spices and prepare them for completing the burial process of Jesus. This is something they could not do if Jesus was crucified on Friday. There would be no time to accomplish this task.
Mark 16:1-2: And when the sabbath was past, Mary Magdalene, and Mary the mother of James, and Salome, had bought sweet spices, that they might come and anoint him.And very early in the morning the first day of the week, they came unto the sepulchre at the rising of the sun.
Luke 23:55-56: And the women also, which came with him from Galilee, followed after, and beheld the sepulchre, and how his body was laid.And they returned, and prepared spices and ointments; and rested the sabbath day according to the commandment.
Jesus’s prophecy concderning his death, burial, and resurrection of three days and three nights could only have occurred if Passover fell on Wednesday. The vertical lines on the chart on the board represent 12:00am of each new day on the Roman calendar. The rectangle boxes with corresponding days of the week at the top represent when the Jewish days begin at 6:00pm each day.
Wednesday, the 14th of Nisan – Passover (Exodus 12) – Jesus was betrayed, arrested, faced three trials, crucified, died at 3:00pm, was taken down from the cross and swiftly buried by Joseph of Arimethea before the High holy Sabbath of the first day of unleavened bread.
Thursday, the 15th of Nisan – the annual “holy convocation” Sabbath (the first night and day Jesus was in the tomb / heart of the earth (Ephesians 4:8-10, Matthew 27:52-53). No one was allowed to do any servile work. It was a day of rest, just like the weekly Sabbath.
1 Peter 3:18-20: For Christ also hath once suffered for sins, the just for the unjust, that he might bring us to God, being put to death in the flesh, but quickened by the Spirit:By which also he went and preached unto the spirits in prison;Which sometime were disobedient, when once the longsuffering of God waited in the days of Noah, while the ark was a preparing, wherein few, that is, eight souls were saved by water.
Friday, the 16th of Nisan – The second night and day Jesus was in the tomb. This is the day the women bought spices and prepared them for the final burial of Jesus.
Saturday, the 17th of Nisan, the weekly Sabbath – The third night and day Jesus was in the tomb. Everyone rested on this day in accordance with Mosaic Law – Exodus 20:8-11, Lev. 23:1-3
The first day of the week, the 18th of Nisan — Jesus resurrected from the dead! The tomb was found empty, and Jesus revealed himself several times that day. Jesus resurrected sometime after sundown on the weekly Sabbath, turning into the first day of the week. The women came early in the morning, before sunrise to anoint the body with the spices prepared on Friday. Of course, we know the rest of the story – the tomb was empty! Our Lord and Savior resurrected from the dead!
In conclusion, the Matthew 12:38-40 prophecy of Jesus concerning his own death, burial, and resurrected could have only occurred if he were crucified on Wednesday, the 14th day of Nisan, as our Passover lamb!