Was It Really A Good Friday?

Once again we have another Catholic Church tradition which has become deeply engrained in the minds and habits of nearly all Christians. Today is commonly called Good Friday, the day that most Christians worldwide commemorate the crucifixion of Jesus. But knowing that the Catholic Church has its fingerprints on naming and starting this observance on this particular day gives rise to ponder their accuracy. After all, the Catholic Church eats, drinks and sleeps in a pool of error. Therefore, let us do what the Catholic Church for nearly two millennia has discouraged Christians from doing -- that being to turn to the Holy Scriptures for our answers.

(For time’s sake, I will put in the biblical references for you to look up when time allows.)

When studying the Scriptures out -- both Old and New Testaments, here is what one will discover regarding the likely period of Jesus’ death, burial, and resurrection:

1. Jesus died on the “preparation day” of the beginning of Passover* (John 19:14, 31). His body had to come down from the cross before the starting of the “sabbath day” (which was a “high day” - John 19:31). (Leviticus 23:2-5, Numbers 28:16).

* Passover is a term used for the evening meal or feast held on the fourteenth day of the first month. Passover is also the term used for the Feast of Unleavened Bread (Luke 22:1).

2. The next day is the first day of the Feast of Unleavened Bread – a day which is also called a sabbath and a “high day” (Leviticus 23:6-7, Numbers 28:17-18, 25, Exodus 12:15-16). The Feast of Unleavened Bread was for 7 days. The first and seventh days were days of rest (sabbaths).**

** Exodus 12:18 - unleavened bread eaten for 8 days – first evening at Passover Feast and the next 7 evenings for the Feast of Unleavened Bread.

3. The next day is the weekly sabbath.

4. The next day is the first day of the week. (Matthew 28:1, Mark 16:1, Luke 24:1, John 20:1)

Using God’s biblical description of “a day” -- “…And the evening and the morning were the first (second, third…) day.” (Genesis 1:5,8,13,19,23,31), this is what we can conclude:

1. Wednesday day - Preparation Day for the Passover Feast (Jesus is crucified and entombed.)

2. Wednesday evening/Thursday day - Passover Feast is Wednesday evening

3. Thursday evening/Friday day - first day of the Feast of Unleavened Bread, a high sabbath

4. Friday evening/Saturday day - weekly Sabbath 

5. Saturday evening/Sunday day - first day of the week (Jesus rises Saturday evening - Mark 16:9.)

Jesus said, in Matthew 12:39-40, that as Jonah was in the belly of the whale for 3 days and 3 nights, so would Jesus be in “the heart of the earth.” Other references give his raising up as occurring on the third day (Matthew 16:21, 17:23, 20:17-19, 27:62-65; Mark 9:31, 10:34; Luke 9:22, 18:31-33, 24:6-8,20-21,44-46; John 2:19-21; Acts 10:40; 1 Corinthians 15:4), with two references stating “after” the third day (Matthew 27:63, Mark 8:31) -- which from a way of calculating time does not conflict with the other references.

Thus, it can be concluded that Jesus likely was crucified and buried on a Wednesday.

All of this aside, what is reassuring to know and to speak is that we serve a risen Saviour.

HE LIVES !!!!!!