Good Friday is an annual event to commemorate the crucifixion of Jesus and His death at Calvary. But, how can Jesus suffer crucifixion on Good Friday and resurrect in two days – Easter Sunday?

Today’s topic will interest you, because it would show the right day the Lord Jesus was crucified.

Basic Facts to understand about Good Friday

The popular belief in the Christendom is that Jesus Christ was crucified on a Good Friday. The Pope and Pastors told us that Jesus Christ died on a Friday afternoon and resurrected on a Sunday morning.

If this information is true, then Jesus spent about one and half days in the place of death. But, Jesus told His disciples and the Pharisees that He would spend three days and three nights in the place of death.

Matthew chapter 12 verse 38 to 40 says: “Then some of the scribes and Pharisees answered, saying, “Teacher, we want to see a sign from You.”

But He answered and said to them, “An evil and adulterous generation seeks after a sign, and no sign will be given to it except the sign of the prophet Jonah.

“For as Jonah was three days and three nights in the belly of the great fish, so will the Son of Man be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth.”

I asked some Pastors to prove the three days and three nights if Jesus was crucified on a Good Friday. Their common count was:

Friday afternoon (Day 1)

Saturday afternoon (Day 2)

Sunday Morning (Day 3)

The Pastors shy away from the Night count, because they couldn’t formulate the count of three nights!! Anyway, the popular count above is wrong.

Today’s message is not meant to condemn anyone, but to open our mind to the right understanding about the crucifixion day, and the resurrection day of our Lord Jesus Christ.

To understand this message, you must be ready to read the Bible. Thus, don’t skip the Bible verses in this article….thank you.

Counting the Days from Good Friday

A day can never be complete if  the hours is not twenty-four. And each day has the dark time (6pm to 6am) and the light time (6am to 6pm). It is misleading to teach people that the light time (12 hours) is equal to one complete day.

This is my response to the counts of the Pastors:

Friday afternoon cannot be considered as a day, because Jesus died around 3pm on Friday (not up to 24 hours).

Saturday count was a day, but Sunday count was ‘absolutely’ wrong, because Jesus rose before the light time.

“Now on the first day of the week (Sunday) Mary Magdalene went to the tomb early, while it was still dark, and saw that the stone had been taken away from the tomb.” (John 20:1)

Counting the days and nights from Good Friday:

The Nights:

Friday night (1)

Saturday night (1)

No Sunday night.

Thus, total night from Good Friday is two nights.

The Days:

3 hours on Friday

Saturday (1)

No Sunday.

Thus, total day from Good Friday is 1 day and 3 hours.

The Good Friday and Easter Sunday celebration in the church today is on the basis of two nights and 1^1/4 day. This is a contradiction to the word of Jesus Christ.

Jesus is not a liar. He spent three days and three nights in the place of death before resurrection.

John chapter 2 verse 18 to 21: “So the Jews answered and said to Him, “What sign do You show to us, since You do these things?”

Jesus answered and said to them, “Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up.” Then the Jews said, “It has taken forty-six years to build this temple, and will You raise it up in three days?” But He was speaking of the temple of His body.”

If Good Friday is Wrong, then when was the Crucifixion Day?

Before I go ahead on this topic, you must understand these three facts;

1. There is more than one type of Sabbath.

(a) Weekly Sabbath day (Saturday); “…but the seventh day is the Sabbath of the LORD your God. In it you shall do no work: you, nor your son, nor your daughter, nor your male servant, nor your female servant, nor your cattle, nor your stranger who is within your gates.” (Exodus 20:10)

And

(b) Annual Convocation Sabbath (high Sabbath) which can fall to any day of the week;

“Seven days you shall eat unleavened bread. On the first day you shall remove leaven from your houses. For whoever eats leavened bread from the first day until the seventh day, that person shall be cut off from Israel.

‘On the first day there shall be a holy convocation, and on the seventh day there shall be a holy convocation for you. No manner of work shall be done on them; but that which everyone must eat-that only may be prepared by you.” (Exodus 12:15–16)

2. The Jewish clock differs from the one we use; Jewish day starts from the evening (6pm) and ends at the next (6pm) evening, while ours starts from morning (12am) to the next (12am) morning.

3. Jesus spent 3 days and 3 nights in the place of death. “For as Jonah was three days and three nights in the belly of the great fish, so will the Son of Man be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth.” (Matthew 12:40)

Alright! I hope you get it right. Let’s continue….

John chapter 19 verse 30 to 31 says: “So when Jesus had received the sour wine, He said, “It is finished!” And bowing His head, He gave up His spirit.

Therefore, because it was the Preparation Day, that the bodies should not remain on the cross on the Sabbath (for that Sabbath was a high day), the Jews asked Pilate that their legs might be broken, and that they might be taken away.”

The Preparation Day is the day before the Sabbath day; such day is for purchases and conclusion of all activities.

So, there is no dispute that Jesus Christ died on the day that comes before the Sabbath day. The Sabbath day mentioned in John 19 verse 31 is not the weekly Sabbath. That was the reason for the emphasis by the writer who referred to the Sabbath as a high day. This Sabbath is related to the annual Sabbath.

Which Sabbath was a ‘High Day’?

The high day Sabbath was the ordinance of the Lord God as regards festivals such as Passover day and Feast of the unleavened bread.

Leviticus chapter 23 verse 4 to 8 says: “These are the feasts of the LORD, holy convocations which you shall proclaim at their appointed times. ‘On the fourteenth day of the first month at twilight is the LORD’S Passover.

‘And on the fifteenth day of the same month is the Feast of Unleavened Bread to the LORD; seven days you must eat unleavened bread. On the first day you shall have a holy convocation; you shall do no customary work on it.

‘But you shall offer an offering made by fire to the LORD for seven days. The seventh day shall be a holy convocation; you shall do no customary work on it.’”

The passage above revealed the truth that there is more than one type of Sabbath (…you shall do no customary work on it…).

Do not forget that Jesus kept the Passover with His disciples:

“…And He said, “Go into the city to a certain man, and say to him, ‘The Teacher says, “My time is at hand; I will keep the Passover at your house with My disciples… So the disciples did as Jesus had directed them; and they prepared the Passover…”

And Jesus Christ was arrested on the Passover night:

“Then Jesus said to them, “All of you will be made to stumble because of Me this night, for it is written: ‘I will strike the Shepherd, and the sheep of the flock will be scattered’… Then they came and laid hands on Jesus and took Him.” (Matthew chapter 26)

Note: The Jewish day starts from 6pm and ends at the next evening. Jesus was arrested at night that marks the beginning of the Passover day. And on the next day of Passover; He was crucified and died around 3pm. He died when the next day is just about 3 hours to come.

“And about the ninth hour (3pm) Jesus cried out with a loud voice, saying, “Eli, Eli, lama sabachthani?” that is, “My God, My God, why have You forsaken Me?”… And Jesus cried out again with a loud voice, and yielded up His spirit.” (Matthew 27:46-50)

According to the commandment of God (not the modified Jewish version), the next day after the Passover is the first day of the (7 days) Feast of unleavened bread. And, the commandment of the Lord says that the first day of the unleavened bread must be free of work (Sabbath). (Leviticus 23:4-8)

That was the reason for breaking the thieves’ knees, and the quick burial of Jesus before 6pm (which marked the new day of an annual Sabbath).

Crucifixion Day was on Wednesday, Not Good Friday!

Jesus Christ was crucified and entombed on a Wednesday afternoon. You need more scriptural proof? Alright!

Let’s open our Bible to the book of Mark chapter 16 verses 1: “Now when the Sabbath was past, Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of James, and Salome bought spices, that they might come and anoint Him.”

The women bought the spices (on Friday) when the Sabbath attached to the Feast of the unleavened bread was over. They got it prepared on Friday and rested on Saturday (the weekly Sabbath). And, they planned to go to His tomb on Sunday after the Sabbath.

Luke chapter 24 verses 1 says: “Now on the first day of the week, very early in the morning, they, and certain other women with them, came to the tomb bringing the spices which they had prepared.”

By comparing the details above, you can clearly see that two different Sabbaths were mentioned along with a work day in between. The first Sabbath was a holy convocation (high day) – the first day of the Feast of unleavened bread, (which took place on a Thursday). And, the second Sabbath was the weekly seventh day (Saturday).

Good Friday and Easter Sunday are wrong Teachings!

Since we could distinguish the holy annual convocation Sabbath (Wednesday) for feast of unleavened bread, and the weekly Sabbath (Saturday), then, it is clear that Jesus Christ was neither crucified on Good Friday nor resurrected on daylight of the Easter Sunday.

Note: Jesus Christ did not resurrect on the sunrise of Sunday, because John chapter 20 verses 1 says: “Now on the first day of the week Mary Magdalene went to the tomb early, while it was still dark, and saw that the stone had been taken away from the tomb.”

The word of God delivered me from the lies of Good Friday, and I want you to be delivered as well.

I take the full responsibilities of my teaching today, because I know that teachers in the church will be judged with greater strictness. (James 3:1)

Jesus Christ is not a liar, He says:  “For as Jonah was three days and three nights in the belly of the great fish, so will the Son of Man be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth.” (Matthew 12:40)

Jesus Christ was entombed few hours to sunset on a Wednesday.

Counting the Days and Nights from Wednesday:

The Nights:

Thursday night (First)

Friday night (Second)

Saturday night (Third)

Thus, the total night is Three

The Days:

Wednesday to Thursday (First)

Thursday to Friday (Second)

Friday to Saturday (Third)

Thus, the total day is Three

The counts above respect the rule of twenty-four hours make a day.

Jesus Christ was entombed few hours to the sunset of Wednesday, thus He spent three days and three nights in the place of death and resurrected few hours to the sunset of Saturday.

Mary met an empty tomb on Sunday morning when it was still dark, because Jesus Christ had resurrected long before the early morning cock crow!!

I advise you to be careful with the religious traditions and commemoration that are not rooted in the Word of God. Worship God and celebrate Him according to the Biblical truth, and be careful of the popular man-made doctrines in the Christendom.

Please, read this message twice and study the context and content of all the scriptural references for proper understanding. Feel free to share your comments with me.

“God is Spirit, and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth.”