April 2, 2021 – Click here to listen
A question that used to really bug me was along the following lines: Jesus foretold the length of time He would be in the grave as a sign that He was the Messiah. But that time simply doesn’t fit between a supposed Good Friday crucifixion and burial and an Easter Sunday resurrection.
Did you know that people demanded a miraculous sign from Jesus to prove He truly was the Messiah? They wouldn’t trust He was Savior without proof: “Then some of the scribes and Pharisees said to Him, Teacher, we desire to see a sign or miracle from You proving that You are what You claim to be” (Matthew 12:38)
Jesus told them there would be one proof for them – one miraculous sign. What would verify that Jesus was the Christ, the true Messiah, God in the flesh? Jesus goes on to explain: “For as Jonah was three days and three nights in the belly of the great fish, so will the Son of Man be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth” (Matthew 12:40).
Some believe that Christ’s statement that He would be “three days and three nights in the heart of the earth” does not require a literal span of 72 hours. They reason that any part of a day can be reckoned as a whole day.
Thus, since Jesus died in the afternoon and was entombed just before sunset, they think the closing few minutes of that Friday constituted the first day, Friday night was the first night, Saturday was the second day, Saturday night was the second night, and a few minutes at dawn on Sunday morning made up the third day.
But where, then, is the third night? Even if a few minutes of daylight late on Friday and another few on Sunday morning constitute “days,” this interpretation fails to explain how only two nights – Friday night and Saturday night – can somehow be the three nights of which Jesus spoke.
In fact, Scripture is plain that Jesus had already risen before Mary Magdalene came to the tomb early Sunday morning, arriving “while it was still dark” (John 20:1-2). So in reality, no parts of Sunday could be counted as a day, as Jesus was already resurrected well before the break of dawn. The answer is there were two types of “Sabbaths” mentioned in the Scriptures – the regular weekly Sabbath day, which fell on the seventh day of the week, and a total of seven annual Sabbath Holy Days (listed in Leviticus 23), Sabbaths that could – and usually did – fall on days of the week other than the regular weekly Sabbath day.
Was the day after Jesus was crucified a weekly Sabbath, or one of these annual Holy Days? John 19:31 clearly states that this approaching Sabbath “was a high day.” John is not referring to the weekly Sabbath here, but rather to one of the annual Sabbaths as being the day Jesus was crucified.
Mystery resolved. When we consider the details in all four Gospel accounts, the picture is clear. Jesus was crucified and entombed late on Wednesday afternoon, just before a Sabbath began at sunset. However, that was a high-day Sabbath, lasting from Wednesday sunset to Thursday sunset that week, rather than the regular weekly Sabbath that lasted from Friday sunset to Saturday sunset.
Since Jesus was entombed in the late afternoon just before sundown, according to His own words He would have been resurrected at around the same time three days and nights later. He remained in the tomb from Wednesday at sunset until Saturday at sunset, when He rose from the dead. While no one witnessed His resurrection (which took place inside a sealed tomb), to fit His words and the biblical evidence it had to have happened three days and three nights later, near sunset on Saturday.
This time line perfectly accommodates three full nights (Wednesday night, Thursday night and Friday night) and three full daylight periods (Thursday, Friday and Saturday). This is the only time that fits Jesus’ own prophecy of how long He would be in the tomb. And, as we have seen, it fits perfectly with all the details recorded in the Gospels.
So actually “Good Friday” should be celebrated on Wednesday and Christ arose from the dead on Saturday at sunset the traditional Sabbath day. I don’t think it means much to the Lord that we celebrate His resurrection on Saturday or Sunday any more than going to church on Sunday versus the Old Testament Saturday Sabbath. I believe He desires that we honor the price Jesus Christ paid in order that we may truly forgiven; and thus be allowed to be in His Holy presence and live forever with Him in His heavenly abode.
Enjoy your celebration with your family on this very special day.
John 3:16
For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son that whosoever believe in Him shall have everlasting life.
Have a great weekend and go to church this Easter Sunday!