It’s Only Friday, Sunday Is Coming
by Floyd Chappelear
Sentry Magazine, December 31, 2003
Searching the scriptures can be exceedingly profitable. It can also be an exercise in futility. The Jews searched them seeking eternal life (at least this seemed to be their expectation when the Lord told them to examine the sacred text), but they were apt to miss the message of the Messiah contained therein (John 5:39). Why might this have been so? Because they were wont to start with a conclusion and follow the text so as to prove it. One of the greatest problems we have with regard to our study of the Word of God is that too often we start with a conclusion and then advance into the pages of the sacred writ in an attempt to establish it. This is called "proof-texting." When this is done then a core issue of the Bible may well be missed. This can be shown with our Baptist friends who start with the conclusion that salvation is by "faith only" and who, because of that conclusion, overlook any passage that teaches that there is more to salvation than faith alone.
The problem is that our denominational friends are not the only ones to do this. As an example, many have started their studies of the covering question by advancing from their preconceived conclusion; i.e., that there was a problem at Corinth involving the wearing of a covering. Now, it matters not what conclusion one may reach on this topic insofar as this article is concerned, one can hardly reach a right one by starting from a wrong premise. There was no problem there. None at all. Paul began the passage by pointing out that they were doing what he had instructed them to do (I Corinthians 11:2). Should one reach the view that a man must not cover his head, or that a woman should veil herself while praying or prophesying, or that her hair is given "instead" of a covering, one should reach that conclusion because of what he believes the text requires, not because of the assumption that they had a problem there. Start with the text, not with a conclusion.
What does the foregoing have to do with this article?
One of my favorite sermons comes from an idea I got from Ney Rieber. It has to do with the fact that Jesus suffered horrendously on the last day of his life and left us an example of right behavior. The point of the lesson was "how could Jesus endure His suffering?" Because Jesus was not focusing on the moment but on the future. In fact, he accepted these things because of the joy that was set before Him (Hebrews 12:2). His mind was not on the dying, but on the living (experiencing the resurrection). It was Friday (the day of the crucifixion), but Sunday (the day of the resurrection) was coming.
While all that sounds hopeful, the title is based on a preconceived idea (that the crucifixion was on Friday) which I've since concluded is not the case. I believe that when one looks at the Scriptures first, then one's understanding should be that Jesus was offered as that sacrificial lamb of God on a Thursday, not a Friday (see John 1:29). The popular concept probably rests on the assumption that Mark 15:42, Luke 23:54, and John 19:31 all refer to Saturday (the day we would call the Sabbath). The text in John 19:31 specifically suggests otherwise, but that is the point of this article and we will examine that text more later.
The Coming Passover
The place to begin this study is before Jesus entered Jerusalem, not with the day He died. Brethren generally start with the day He died because they know the next day was a Sabbath. By working backward, and skipping Wednesday (the fourth day) one concludes the day He entered the city was a Sunday (first day of the week). This represents a classic example of starting with a conclusion, instead of starting with the text.
An interesting thing is stated about the day before Jesus came to the Holy City: "Then Jesus six days before the Passover came to Bethany, where Lazarus was which had been dead, whom he raised from the dead" (John 12: 1). This was the day before he entered the city. Please note: The Passover was to be observed six days later.
On the next day He came into Jerusalem: John 12:12-15: "On the next day much people that were come to the feast, when they heard that Jesus was coming to Jerusalem, took branches of palm trees, and went forth to meet him, and cried, Hosanna: Blessed is the King of Israel that cometh in the name of the Lord. And Jesus, when he had found a young ass, sat thereon; as it is written, Fear not, daughter of Zion: behold, thy King cometh, sitting on an ass's colt."
Now, let us do a little "math" so as to determine when He was offered.
| The day he came to Bethany | 0 - Saturday |
| He entered Jerusalem | 1 - Sunday |
| Jesus cleanses the Temple | 2 - Monday |
| Jesus' authority questioned | 3 - Tuesday |
| The Supper | 4 - Wednesday |
| Betrayal and Death | 5 - Thursday |
| The Passover | 6 - Friday |
| The Sabbath | 7 - Saturday |
When counting time as we do, one notes that there were six days to the Passover. The result will show that 1 (Sunday), 2 (Monday), 3 (Tuesday), 4 (Wednesday), 5 (Thursday), and 6 (Friday, the Passover). If one counts days as we sometimes argue that the Jews did (any part of a day is counted as a whole day) then the sixth day was Thursday, making the crucifixion on a Wednesday. The obvious problem with that is that it doesn't allow for the events of the days given in scripture chronologically.
The Final Week
The day he entered the city being a Sunday, we should have no trouble following the remaining days as they are marked by "the following day" or its equivalent. ("In the morning" Matthew 21:18 would be an example.)
Sunday; the first day. In the morning (each day beginning with the evening followed by the morning), Monday. (Matthew 21:18; Mark 11:20). This is the day he cleansed the Temple (Mark 11:15-17). Tuesday is treated the same way when Jesus' authority is challenged (Luke 20: 1-8).
Wednesday is generally skipped over as if nothing happened on that day. I think that the events of Wednesday are generally held to be the events of Thursday. [Note: Jesus said that there were two days until the Passover (Matthew 26:2; Mark 14:1).] As established earlier, the feast was on Friday. However, just to make sure let's double-check and count days. From Wednesday; two days to Friday. If one figures that the Passover was on Saturday, then one must ignore the fact that it was not a Sabbath referred to earlier, but a high Sabbath (John 19:31). Besides, whoever heard of a day of preparation for an ordinary Sabbath? Jesus was crucified, not on the Passover (a Sabbath), but on the Day of Preparation for it (see; Matthew 27:62; Mark 15:42; Luke 23:54).
Nevertheless, many of us are bound to the tradition of a Friday crucifixion and in holding to it must assume that Wednesday was simply left out of the narrative. I like the recently encountered words of F. LaGard Smith:
"First, in an action-filled final week, what reason is there to believe that there would be a whole day of either actual inactivity or activity which is left unrecorded?" [The Daily Bible in Chronological order, page 1454.]
Such a conclusion seems highly unlikely. The week progresses logically: Sunday, Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday (the supper) and after going into the garden at night to pray, Thursday (the trial and crucifixion after daybreak).
When one adds in the words of the Jewish leaders (made at the time the supper was going on), that Jesus could not be slain on the Passover (Mark 14:1-2) it makes complete sense that Thursday was the day of His death, not Friday. On the Day of Preparation, He gave His life (John 19:14).
[As an aside, it is interesting to note that Herod would not make a trial of Peter until after the Passover had passed as this would have been unacceptable to the Jews (Acts 12:1-5).]
When Jesus appeared before the High Priest on that Thursday the Jews had still not observed the Passover (read John 18:28), since it was the next day (Friday). (At this point it matters not at all whether or not the meal was on Wednesday or Thursday, in either case, it was before the Jews would have traditionally kept the Passover.) The Passover was the next day (Friday).
At this point, we should take notice of something Jesus said about his burial. He was to be in the tomb for three days and three nights (Matthew 12:40). With a Thursday crucifixion, Jesus was indeed in the tomb three days and three nights.
A real problem arises with a Friday crucifixion. At dusk on Friday night the burial. Saturday night and day in the tomb. Sunday night and part of Sunday morning in the tomb. As the Jews counted time (any part being regarded as the whole) Jesus was not in the tomb three days and nights. With a Friday crucifixion, one can argue that Jesus was in the tomb for a short period on Friday, all night/day on Saturday, and night/day on Sunday. Three days mentioned (or parts of same) and only two nights. (In the Jewish method of counting time the day follows the night; evening and morning were the first day - Genesis 1:5.)
If one counts the time the same as we did at the beginning then it all works out. With a Thursday crucifixion, the three days and three nights (all or part of any) can be accomplished without any mental gymnastics or shenanigans with regard to the timing of the three days. One should use the same way of reckoning time at the end of the crucifixion week that is demanded at the beginning else one is not being entirely fair with the text. Again, F. LaGard Smith's comments are interesting:
"Second, and far more important if Jesus is crucified on Friday afternoon and thereafter hurriedly put into the tomb, how can there be sufficient time to match Jesus' own prediction that he would remain in the tomb for three days and three nights before being resurrected? Even if one stretches imagination within the traditional time frame in order to find parts of three days, it is not possible to find three nights." (Ibid)
The day after the preparation for the Passover the Jews went to Pilate and sought a guard for the tomb (Matthew 27:62-66). This was the day of the Feast or the day before the ordinary Sabbath (John 19:31). Please note what is easily overlooked. This was not an ordinary Sabbath, but a high day (the Passover).
When the text is looked at beginning with the day before Jesus entered into the city of David, the progression is simple and logical: Sunday to Thursday the day of the crucifixion. No day is left out and the numbering of days does not have to be contorted to fit our previously held convictions. Jesus was crucified on Thursday and was raised from the dead three days and nights later, just as he had predicted.
