What were the sequence of events that occurred on that Holy Week almost 2000 years ago?

Church tradition says that Jesus was crucified on Friday, and rose on Sunday morning, but this is highly improbable since Jesus said that He must be “in the heart of the earth three days and three nights” as Jonah was in the belly of the fish (Matthew 12:40). This tradition arose over the centuries as the Gentile believers separated themselves from the Jewish believers. This separation led to less understanding of the Jewish practices, especially around Passover and the related Sabbaths. Also, there was an increasing hatred for the Jews by the Catholic church, and at the Council of Laodicea, A.D. 364, Christians were forbidden to associate with them or their festivals. Even the Jewish Sabbath was forbidden to observe, but rather a Christian Sabbath was instituted on Sundays rather than Saturday. All of this contributed to Church leaders declaring that Easter (Ishtar, the pagan sun goddess) was to be the celebration of the resurrection of our Lord. This would be celebrated on the first Sunday after the Equinox. However, this tradition actually began as early as the second century, which became one of the first significant controversies that the early church had to work through.

Although many early Christians in the first and second century observed the crucifixion in conjunction with the Jewish Passover, which began on the 14th day of the Jewish month of Nissan, it was even during this era that we see the Roman church changing the tradition. Polycarp, who was martyred during the middle of the second century, who was also discipled by the apostle John, insisted that our Lord’s crucifixion should be observed on the 14th Nissan, as he had learned from John. At that time the Bishop of Rome, not wanting to affiliate with the Jewish tradition, insisted that the crucifixion be observed on Ishtar. Polycarp would not give in to him, and continued the traditional observance. We have evidence that this tradition continued at least through the end of the second century, when Polycrates, the Bishop of Ephesus, argued similarly with another Bishop of Rome, Victor, holding firm to the 14th Nissan observance. Polycrates was almost excommunicated, but Victor did not follow through.

However, in the Roman church’s observance, it is near impossible to get three days and three nights from a Friday crucifixion. The Friday crucifixion is derived from the scriptures stating that it occurred on the “day of preparation” for the Sabbath (Mark 15:42, Luke 23:54), which would be Friday for a normal weekly Sabbath. But, Jews have more than just a weekly Sabbath.

A Sabbath is a holy day, when no work is to be done. Leviticus makes this clear in chapter 23, when the instructions for the Passover declares the first and last days of the celebration to be Sabbath days (Leviticus 23:5-8) John, therefore, in his Gospel, points out that the Sabbath day referred to was a High Sabbath (John 19:31), or, in other words, the day that would begin the Passover days, as referred to in Leviticus.

Why is three days so important? Because Jesus said it would be three days. In the gospel of Mark, Jesus mentions that it would be three days after which He would be raised (Mark 8:31; 9:31; 10:34; 14:58; 15:29). And, as stated earlier, Matthew records his words, “For as Jonah was three days and three nights in the belly of a huge fish, so the Son of Man will be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth (Matthew 12:40). In this passage He specifically says “three days and three nights.” Jesus spoke the truth, and if he says three days and nights, we should believe him.

What we learn from church history is that the separation of the Gentiles from the Jews, and church tradition overshadowed the original observance of these critical events. Therefore, It was more likely that Jesus was crucified on Wednesday and was placed in the tomb before nightfall, before the coming High Sabbath of the Passover.

He would then be in the tomb Wednesday night, Thursday night, and Friday night and raised sometime late Saturday (either just before the end of the weekly Sabbath, or just after).

Tradition has it that he was raised on Sunday, but it was the first day of the week when scripture states that it was discovered that he had been raised. We really don’t know the time, but it could have been late Saturday, which still would be the beginning of the first day. If so, that would make three whole days and three whole nights in the tomb as Jesus stated would happen. Jesus was discovered to have been raised on 18 Nisan, according to the Jewish calendar, the first day of the week, after being crucified on 14 Nisan. Therein lies the three days and three nights as Jesus spoke of numerous times in His teachings (Matt. 12:40, Mark 8:31, John 2:19).

A possible account of the Holy Week (remember the Jewish day begins at sundown):

11 Nisan (Sat night/ Sunday): Jesus rides into Jerusalem on a donkey, curses the fig tree, cleanses the Temple (Mark 11:15-19, Matt. 21:18-19)

12 Nisan (Sunday night/ Monday): Temple teachings and controversy (Mark 11:20, Matt. 21-25) and plot to kill Jesus (Matt. 26:1-5)

13 Nisan (Monday Night/ Tuesday) Passover preparations, prepared for the Last Supper (Matt. 26:17-19, Mark 14:12-16; Luke 22:7-13; John 13:1).

14 Nisan (Tuesday night / Wednesday)

    -Tuesday night:  Eating of Passover, betrayal, Gethsemane, arrest, religious trial (Matt. 26:20-75; Mark 14:17-72; Luke 22:14-65; John 13:2-18:27)

-Wednesday day: Political trials, condemnation, crucifixion, Jesus removed from the Cross and placed in a tomb (Matt. 27:1-61, Mark 15:1-47, Luke 22:66-23:56a, John 18:28-19:42)

15 Nisan (Wednesday night / Thursday) High Sabbath The Romans set the guard over the tomb (Matt. 27:62-66)

16 Nisan (Thursday night / Friday)–When the Sabbath was past, they bought spices so that they could anoint Jesus’ body (Mark 16:1). This would refer to the passing of the High Sabbath day, the first day of Passover.

17 Nisan (Friday night / Saturday) Weekly Sabbath–they rested on the Sabbath (Luke 23:56c.

18 Nisan (Saturday night/ Sunday) Mary discovers that Jesus was already risen (Matt. 28:11-15; Mark 16:10-12; Luke 24:9-32; John 20:2-18)

Conclusion

There were many early Christians who held to the 14th Nissan date of the crucifixion observance, with resurrection celebration on the following Sunday, the first day of the week. By the end of the second century, however, the Roman Church forbade anyone from the 14th Nissan observance.

So, whether you observe the crucifixion on the traditional Good Friday and the Resurrection on the following Sunday, or if you prefer to observe the crucifixion on 14th Nissan, or simply on the Wednesday of the Passion Week, is solely up to your own convictions. I simply wanted to share what I found helpful to reconcile what Jesus taught on the three days and nights of his Suffering and Resurrection in light of the modern traditions.

Most important, however, is that Jesus died for our sins and was risen, proving his deity, and overcoming death, hell, and the grave!! He was the “first fruits” of the coming resurrection, and we can now be assured of our own resurrection on that last day (1Corinthians 15)! It is this glorious event that we celebrate this holy time of year!

Bibliography

Cruse, T. F. Eusebius Ecclesiastical History. Hendrickson Publishers. Peabody, Massachusetts. 1998. pp. 120-121,182-84.

Egbert, Christine. “The Quartodeciman Controversy, Rome Outlaws Passover.” https://vineyardjc.com/the-quartodeciman-controversy/

Westlake, George W., Jr. “The Most Often Asked Questions on Sunday Night Alive.” George W. Westlake, Jr., Kanas City, MO. 1997. pp 265-269.

Categories: Discovery, Kingdom of God, Messiah, Uncategorized

Tags: crucified, crucifixion, resurrection