Path: utzoo!utgpu!news-server.csri.toronto.edu!rpi!usc!zaphod.mps.ohio-state.edu!mips!dimacs.rutgers.edu!aramis.rutgers.edu!athos.rutgers.edu!christian From: edc!fraser@uunet.uu.net (Fraser Orr) Newsgroups: soc.religion.christian Subject: Day Jesus Christ Died (was Re: the Sabbath) Message-ID: Date: 24 May 91 04:36:32 GMT Sender: hedrick@athos.rutgers.edu Organization: Atex European Development Centre Lines: 121 Approved: christian@aramis.rutgers.edu Paul Hudson Jr wrote inquiring how it could be that Jesus Christ died on Friday if there were 3 days and nights between his death and resurrection. He pointed out that at best there are only three days and two nights between the two (Fri Night, Sat Day & Night, Sun Day). In Mat 12:40 it clearly states: 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. Now I personally think that when the formula day and night is used like this it indicates a clear period of twenty four hours, and I would say any respectful study of the usage of the phrase in the Bible would clearly support this view (feel free to do a complete study on this, I have already, but a few juicy ones from Moses that spring to mind are: Gen 1:5; 7:4, Ex 24:18, Lev 8:35). Notice also that it clearly says THREE days and THREE nights, not even just three days and nights. Illuminating all preconceptions as to the day Christ died let us carefully look at the Biblical record. First of all we must remember the time of year. Jesus was going to the Passover feast (Mt 26:19). Now as I'm sure you are aware Jesus Christ was the Passover lamb that was to be sacrificed, so information concerning his death can be found in the record of the Passover lamb. Ex 12:6 And ye shall keep it [the lamb] up until the fourteenth day of the same month: [the first month] and the whole assembly of the congregation of Israel shall kill it in the evening. Now looking at the verses following we find the institution of the Passover. Ex 12:14,16 And this day shall be unto you for a memorial; and ye shall keep it a feast to the LORD throughout your generations; ye shall keep it a feast by an ordinance for ever. [...] And in the first day *there shall be* an holy convocation, and in the seventh day there shall be an holy convocation to you; no manner of work shall be done in them, save *that* which every man must eat, that only may be done of you. This convocation is a sabbath (Lev 23:2,3), and this is very important to note. The first day of the Passover feast was the day after the sacrifice of the Passover lamb, so fell on the 15th of the first month, and it was a sabbath. It is important to note then that this sabbath could occur on any day of the week, but that it was a special sabbath. Now let us look at the verse that has mistakenly been used to demonstrate that Christ died on Friday. Jn 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 ... People have said, well it was the day before the sabbath, so it must have been Friday since the Sabbath was a Saturday. Just looking at this verse makes it clear that it was not the regular weekly Sabbath that was referred to, but rather the "high day", the "holy convocation", the "preparation" (i.e., the preparation for Passover). Now this clearly establishes that Jesus Christ could have died on any day of the week, so looking at other scriptures we can find just what day that was. Lk 24:1-2 Now upon the first *day* of the week, very early in the morning, they came unto the sepulchre, ... And they found the stone rolled away from the sepulchre. This day is identified as the first day of the week. We know that by very early in the morning Jesus was not in the grave. Mark in fact tells us that they came at the rising of the sun, so Jesus was not in the grave when the Sun rose. There is no reason to suppose that he arose immediately before the women arrived, but he could have arisen some time before. Mt 27:45 identifies the time of his death as about 3pm in the afternoon, so his burial would have been a few hour after that, say for the sake of discussion he was buried at 5pm (although any time before sunset and after the ninth hour, would concur with the word of God). I do not believe that God saw his Son dead longer that needed, and Mt 12:40 indicates that the time needed was 72 hours. By simple calculation then we can work out that Christ died about 3pm on Wednesday the 14th of Nissan (the first month), and was raised to life by the power of God at about the same time, 72 hours later, on Saturday the 17th Nissan. He was then first seen resurrected by Mary Magdalene on Sunday the 18th. Now in a number of places it mentions that Christ was raised the third day. This has lead to some confusion so I've included a diagram below that I hope will help. Wednesday 14th (crucifixion, preparation for Passover) \ First Day / Thursday 15th (First day of the Passover, the high day, the holy convocation) \ Second Day / Friday 16th \ Third Day / Saturday 17th (resurrection, and weekly Sabbath) Now every scripture fits together, and we have the rightly divided word and we stand approved before God (2Tim 2:15). When we realise that Christ was crucified on Wednesday, and raised Saturday, we no longer have to give embarrassing excuses to people on how to get three days and three nights from Friday to Sunday, and can instead proclaim the great meaning of the death and resurrection of the Lord, the salvation of all mankind. God Bless, ==Fraser Orr +44 506 416778x206 UseNet: {uunet,sun}!atexnet!fraser JANet: fraser%edc@cs.hw.ac.uk