Timeline of the Crucifixion
Timeline of the Crucifixion
The most important day in Christianity is approaching. It’s the day that Jesus showed that there is life after death and that He is the way for us to have that life also.
Good Friday though has always puzzled me. The prophecy of Jesus’ death stated that He would be in the tomb for three days and three nights as seen in 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.”
Many scriptures in the Bible have dual meanings and foreshadow things to come. Such is the case with Jonah. Jesus was referring to 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.”
The Good Friday tradition holds that Jesus was crucified on Friday and that He resurrected on Sunday morning. How does that fulfill Jesus’ own words of being in the tomb three days and nights? Tradition sometimes distorts science, and in this case, math.
Jesus said in Mark 7:13, “Making the word of God of none effect through your tradition, which ye have delivered: and many such like things do ye.”
I’ve seen Pastors try every way possible to explain how to account for the one missing night and two missing days in a Friday crucifixion. They state Jews count days differently than we do, which is true. Their day runs from sunset to sunset while we count midnight to midnight.
However, math is math. Neither of these ways of counting days comes even close to three days and nights in the tomb.
The confusion, and the tradition, comes from the fact that the week of Jesus’ crucifixion had two Sabbaths. The usual weekly Sabbath on Friday at sundown and a High Day or High Sabbath which was called the Lord’s Passover that started on Wednesday at sundown to Thursday at sundown as seen in Leviticus 23:4-6:
4. These are the feasts of the LORD, even holy convocations, which ye shall proclaim in their seasons.
5. In the fourteenth day of the first month at even is the LORD'S passover.
6. And on the fifteenth day of the same month is the feast of unleavened bread unto the LORD: seven days ye must eat unleavened bread.
The day of the crucifixion took place on what was called the preparation day for the Passover. Just as lambs blood was placed on the door posts of the Israelites assuring the angel of death would passover their household before their Exodus out of Egypt, the Lamb of God shed His blood so that death may passover us upon acceptance of Jesus. Jesus being crucified at Passover shows the dual meaning and foreshadowing of the original Passover.
The Passover, or High Sabbath, started at sundown on the 15th of Nisan, Wednesday at sundown, and ended on the 16th of Nisan, Thursday at sundown. Nisan is the first month of the year as referenced in Leviticus 23:5 above.
The preparation was for the Feast of Unleavened Bread and Passover which would start Wednesday at sundown as seen in 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,)...”
The crucifixion of Jesus takes place on the 14th of Nisan, Wednesday at 9 a.m., which was what Jews called the third hour. We read of this in Mark 15:24-25:
24. And when they had crucified him, they parted his garments, casting lots upon them, what every man should take.
25. And it was the third hour, and they crucified him.
It was at the 6th hour, or noon on Wednesday, that the sun was darkened as we see in Matthew 27:45, “Now from the sixth hour there was darkness over all the land unto the ninth hour.”
We get Luke’s view of this in Luke 23:44-45:
44. And it was about the sixth hour, and there was a darkness over all the earth until the ninth hour.
45. And the sun was darkened, and the veil of the temple was rent in the midst.
We see another view in Mark 15:31-34:
31. Likewise also the chief priests mocking said among themselves with the scribes, He saved others; himself he cannot save.
32. Let Christ the King of Israel descend now from the cross, that we may see and believe. And they that were crucified with him reviled him.
33. And when the sixth hour was come, there was darkness over the whole land until the ninth hour.
34. And at the ninth hour Jesus cried with a loud voice, saying, Eloi, Eloi, lama sabachthani? which is, being interpreted, My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me?
At this point, I have to point out one of the most egregious Christians beliefs. Many believe this was a moment of doubt by Jesus by saying “My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me?”
Jesus is God. How could He doubt Himself? His human nature can not override His divine nature.
Before creation, Jesus existed as seen in John 1:1-4:
1. In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.
2. The same was in the beginning with God.
3. All things were made by him; and without him was not any thing made that was made.
4. In him was life; and the life was the light of men.
Before writing existed the prophecy of Jesus being sacrificed for man’s sin was placed in the stars of the Zodiac. The Old Testament is filled with the prophesies of Jesus’ coming sacrifice. It was to be the most important action Jesus would take as a human. He was well aware of what was coming.
Foreshadowing His resurrection while also preparing for it, Jesus was transfigured as seen in Mark 9:2-13, Luke 9:28-36 and in Matthew 17:1-8:
1. And after six days Jesus taketh Peter, James, and John his brother, and bringeth them up into an high mountain apart,
2. And was transfigured before them: and his face did shine as the sun, and his raiment was white as the light.
3. And, behold, there appeared unto them Moses and Elias talking with him.
4. Then answered Peter, and said unto Jesus, Lord, it is good for us to be here: if thou wilt, let us make here three tabernacles; one for thee, and one for Moses, and one for Elias.
5. While he yet spake, behold, a bright cloud overshadowed them: and behold a voice out of the cloud, which said, This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased; hear ye him.
6. And when the disciples heard it, they fell on their face, and were sore afraid.
7. And Jesus came and touched them, and said, Arise, and be not afraid.
8. And when they had lifted up their eyes, they saw no man, save Jesus only.
Here we see Jesus transfiguring His body, consulting with Moses and Elias (Elijah) and being lauded by God. Does this sound like a man who would later doubt what He was doing?
The best evidence that Jesus was not expressing doubt when He said “ My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me?”, is that Jesus never called God God. He always referred to Him as Father showing Jesus’ relationship in The Trinity.
Rather than expressing doubt, Jesus was actually teaching us while He was dying. He was quoting Psalm 22:1, “My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me? why art thou so far from helping me, and from the words of my roaring?”
Why point us to Psalm 22? He was showing us that He was fulfilling the prophecies. Psalm 22 contains every element of the crucifixion including being despised of men, being scorned, the water coming out of His side when pierced, having His hands and feet pierced and the casting of lots for His garments. Jesus went down teaching, not in doubt.
Jesus died in the 9th hour, 3 p.m. as we read in Luke 23:44-47:
44. And it was about the sixth hour, and there was a darkness over all the earth until the ninth hour.
45. And the sun was darkened, and the veil of the temple was rent in the midst.
46. And when Jesus had cried with a loud voice, He said, Father, into thy hands I commend my spirit: and having said thus, He gave up the ghost.
47. Now when the centurion saw what was done, he glorified God, saying, Certainly this was a righteous man.
Since sundown was quickly approaching and the Feast of Unleavened Bread and Passover was about to begin, Joseph of Arimathaea, Mary Magdalene and Mary the mother of Joses took Jesus’ body and prepared it in the sepulcher. It was Jewish law that the body be interned before the Sabbath.
This means that Jesus was in the tomb Wednesday night, Thursday day, Thursday night, Friday day, Friday night and Saturday day. Three days and three nights. Since the new week started at sundown on Saturday, this means Jesus could not have spent Saturday night in the tomb. He rose sometime that night, not Sunday morning as we read in Matthew 27:63, “Saying, Sir, we remember that that deceiver said, while he was yet alive, After three days I will rise again.”
Proof that Jesus rose Saturday night, not sunup on Sunday, is shown when the women went to the tomb before dawn. The stone guarding the tomb was rolled away and Jesus was already gone as seen in John 20:1-2:
1. The first day of the week cometh Mary Magdalene early, when it was yet dark, unto the sepulchre, and seeth the stone taken away from the sepulchre.
2. Then she runneth, and cometh to Simon Peter, and to the other disciple, whom Jesus loved, and saith unto them, They have taken away the Lord out of the sepulchre, and we know not where they have laid him.
We read of another view of the event in Mark 16:1-6:
1. 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.
2. And very early in the morning the first day of the week, they came unto the sepulchre at the rising of the sun.
3. And they said among themselves, Who shall roll us away the stone from the door of the sepulchre?
4. And when they looked, they saw that the stone was rolled away: for it was very great.
5. And entering into the sepulchre, they saw a young man sitting on the right side, clothed in a long white garment; and they were affrighted.
6. And he saith unto them, Be not affrighted: Ye seek Jesus of Nazareth, which was crucified: he is risen; he is not here: behold the place where they laid him.
We see confirmation of this in Matthew 28:1-6:
1. In the end of the sabbath, as it began to dawn toward the first day of the week, came Mary Magdalene and the other Mary to see the sepulchre.
2. And, behold, there was a great earthquake: for the angel of the Lord descended from heaven, and came and rolled back the stone from the door, and sat upon it.
3. His countenance was like lightning, and his raiment white as snow:
4. And for fear of him the keepers did shake, and became as dead men.
5. And the angel answered and said unto the women, Fear not ye: for I know that ye seek Jesus, which was crucified.
6. He is not here: for he is risen, as he said. Come, see the place where the Lord lay.
Notice “where the Lord lay” is past tense.
It’s not a sin to celebrate the death, burial and resurrection of Jesus on Good Friday. It should be celebrated everyday. This is where we derive our hope that the insanity we all have to face everyday is worth it. It also gives us a glimpse into the glorified afterlife we will have because of the great price He paid. However, being that it’s the most important event in human history, we should at least know the truth about it.