What DAY of the week did Jesus die on?
Greg Witter| Ephraim’s Cry
Hebraic Mindset Study Series
Study Learn Apply Grow Share Repeat
Let us examine the facts.
Many are unaware of the extra sabbaths that occur every year in Israel according to how they keep time and the 3 feasts that they are commanded to keep in Jerusalem (all males were to keep these feasts – Jesus did too.)
The first month of Israels year is called Abib. The 14th of Abib is the Passover (also called the preparation day), the day which Christ was crucified, and the feast of unleavened bread STARTS on the 15th and runs through to the 21st of Abib.
How the Feast of unleavened bread plays a roll in the day of the week Jesus died.
Exodus 12:15 Seven days shall ye eat unleavened bread….. from the first day til the seventh day……And in the first day there shall be a holy convocation and in the seventh day there shall be a holy convocation to you; no manner of work shall be done in them.
18 In the first month, on the 14th day of the month at evening, ye shall eat unleavened bread, until the one and twentieth day of the month at evening.
That totals 8 days not 7 – they were not to eat leavened bread on Passover either which is where the 8 days comes from – Passover PLUS the feast equals 8 days in a row for no leavened bread.
Leviticus 23:5 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.
7 In the first day ye shall have an holy convocation: ye shall do no servile work therein.
8 But ye shall offer an offering made by fire unto the Lord seven days: in the seventh day is an holy convocation: ye shall do no servile work therein.
John 19:14 And it was the preparation of the Passover, and about the 6th hour: and he said unto the Jews, Behold your King!
This is roughly 3 hours BEFORE Jesus dies.
An EVENING AND A MORNING are a day unto the Lord.
He was on the cross/tree already and had eaten the Passover meal the night before with His disciples. The preparation spoke of in this verse is referring to the preparation for the feast of unleavened bread which was going to start in 6 hours.
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.
Here is where most Christians take a wrong turn and start thinking the sabbath day spoke of here is the 7th day of the week – it is NOT the same day as the 7th day, it is the first day of the feast of unleavened bread, which this scripture labels as a ‘high day’, or as i call it a ‘high sabbath’. It is a sabbath day NO matter what day of the week it is. The key word to look for is any day being referred to as a ‘high day’.
Mark 15:42 And now when evening was come, because it was the preparation, that is, the day before the sabbath.
Here again we see the 14th of Abib not being called the Passover (which it was) but ALSO being called the day of preparation for the sabbath day that followed on the 15th, the FIRST day of the feast of unleavened bread.
This shows us clearly and TRULY that there were 3 sabbath days in the week AFTER Christ died.
An IMPORTANT precept to bring up here is that a day in Israel starts at sundown and runs to sundown of the next day.
Gen chapter 1 shows us an evening and the morning were the first day, 2nd day, 3rd day, etc.
That’s how God keeps time and how Israel did too. It had to be this way for each year and month in Israel is based on the moon – which is more clearly visible at night!
Jesus makes this statement to one of the thieves next to Him on the cross. Adding this portion of scripture to this study is VITAL AND CRUCIAL, for without this precept that MUST BE CONSIDERED, it will alter the time that you have Jesus in HELL!!! Some teach that immediately after He dies He goes into HELL, which will also leave out the preaching to the souls in paradise from this study.
ALL POINTS are needed to give people the FULL STORY of His death, burial, and resurrection.
Luke 23:43 And Jesus said unto him, Verily I say unto thee, Today shalt thou be with me in paradise.
Jesus died BEFORE the 2 thieves did, so this meant that He would have to WAIT FOR THE ONE THEIF to die before He could be with him in paradise. WHERE DID HE WAIT FOR HIM? He waited for him in paradise which was in the center of the earth after the fall of Adam and before the resurrection of Christ. Jesus went to that place where Lazarus and Abraham awaited his day, just outside of the gulf which separated them all from the rich man in HELL – see Luke 16 for this story.
Upon His death, Jesus went to fulfill this scripture:
I Peter 3:19 By which also he went and preached unto the spirits in prison; (Important note – this TIME is NOT part of the 3 days and 3 nights NEEDED to redeem us of our sins! Him preaching is NOT the same as Him suffering for our sins.)
The different TIMES OF DEATH between Jesus and the 2 thieves gives us much needed insight to the hours Christ was in HELL. ALL of these scriptures NEED to fit into our story we are telling people!
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.
We see that Jesus preached to the spirits in prison, which included the thief who died besides Him when he finally died and joined the Lord in paradise as the Lord HAD TOLD HIM HE WOULD DO. That DAY thou shall be with me…. He preached in paradise for roughly 3 hours til sundown and a new day began, then He went further DOWN into the earth to the lowest hell or the bottomless pit to fulfill the SIGN of Jonah the prophet.
Matthew 12:40 For as Jonas was 3 days and 3 nights in the whale’s belly; so shall the Son of man be 3 days and 3 nights in the heart of the earth.
This is talking about 72 hours folks!
Some try to change the amount of time in a day to squeeeeeeeze the day He died to agree with tradition and say He died on Friday.
It’s so much EASIER to just believe what was printed and said.
To those who care to change the amount of time during these 3 days to fit doctrines or traditions, why has no one bothered to change the amount of time Jonah was in the whales belly to match this?!
Those 2 amounts of time are IDENTICAL!!! Jonah was a SIGN! It is easily accepted that he was 3 days and 3 nights in the fishes belly, why is the same so hard to believe about Jesus?
John 20:1 The first day of the week comes Mary Magdalene, when it was yet dark….”
This pinpoints to us that she was there early Sunday morning on our calendar, as the first day of the week in Israel starts at sundown Saturday evening. He had risen by the time she got there. He had risen at the start of a NEW day, for He went into hell at the START of a day…..
Now all that remains is a simple math equation!
Now we need to work our way backwards in time from the established point of time reference given in John 20.
Saturday at (sundown) minus 3 full days brings us to Wednesday at (sundown).
Jesus died on a Wednesday at the 9th hour (approx 3 PM) – from 3pm-6pm He preached in paradise for 3 hours.
ALL of Thursday, Friday, and Saturday Jesus was in HELL paying for my sins.
It was a full moon the day He died too.
There is much more to go with this, but this does cover most of the main points.
