Final notes on the timeline for the death and resurrection of Jesus

A Couple Loose Ends

John 19:14 uses the phrase “the preparation of the Passover.”  This has been taken to mean that the day was used to prepare for the Passover, rather than for the Sabbath.  Other bible verses, Mark 15:42; Luke 23:54, and John 19:31, state that the preparation day was the day before the Sabbath.  The only other use of the phrase “the preparation of the…” is in Eph 6;

Eph 6:15  And your feet shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace;
 

In this case the gospel is complete.  Could it be that “the preparation of the Passover” is not preparation for the Passover, but a preparation day that occurs after the Passover meal, on the day that the Passover is completed, and is used to prepare for a weekly Sabbath that happens to be contained during the feast of unleavened bread?  That would better align it with the other gospels and Eph 6:15.

Another verse that was not addressed is ICor15:3-4

I Cor 15: 3  For I delivered unto you first of all that which I also received, how that Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures;
4  And that he was buried, and that he rose again the third day according to the scriptures:

This also supports the Friday to Sunday “traditional” view. He “died” the first day, the second day was the Sabbath, and the third day he rose again!

Did Christ die for our sins?  Absolutely.  Was He buried?  Absolutely.  Did He rise the third day?  Absolutely.  And according to the Scriptures...

Bottom line, once again…

Acts 16:31…”Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and thou shalt be saved.”

A Time Line for the Death and Ressurection of Christ

Let’s look at what the Gospel accounts say regarding the time frame.  Days will be considered to start at night…

The Passover
Matt 26:17; Mark 14:12; Luke 22:7 Cleary indicates that Jesus and His disciples ate the Passover meal.  It was the “first day” of unleavened bread.  John 13:1 does not contradict this, but adds commentary on Jesus’ love for His own and also adds a time frame for when Jesus knew that His hour had come. 

Day1 Night
John 13:31 indicates that “it was night” when Judas went out to betray Jesus. 
   
Matt 26:30; Mark 14:26 Following the feast they proceeded to the Mount of Olives…

Matt 26:47; Mark 14:32; Luke 22:47; John 18:3 Garden arrest.  Note that this may have been the point where Jesus took our sins.  His prayer in the Garden.  But He still was God.  Able to heal the soldiers ear.

John 18:28 indicates that some have not eaten the Passover yet.  At this point there is no indication of time other than early.  We will see that John’s time frame is midnight to 6am is the first part of the day.  Whereas in Matt, Mark, and Luke, 6am appears to be the morning.   Also remember from Exodus, the Passover meal needed to be finished by morning.  From Exodus 12:10
10  And ye shall let nothing of it remain until the morning; and that which remaineth of it until the morning ye shall burn with fire.
Perhaps those who haven’t partaken of the Passover yet were waiting.

Day1 Morning
Matt 27:1; Mark 15:1; Luke 22:66; John 18:33 Now it is “morning” and Jesus is delivered to Pilate.  The first time Pilate is mentioned in John, he is just addressing the people.  Now he comes into the judgment hall to address Jesus.  The gospels now present specific times of events…

Day1 6:00am

John 19:14  And it was the preparation of the passover, and about the sixth hour: and he saith unto the Jews, Behold your King!

Day1 9:00am

Mark 15:25  And it was the third hour, and they crucified him.

Day1 12:00pm

Matthew 27:45  Now from the sixth hour there was darkness over all the land unto the ninth hour.
Mark 15:33  And when the sixth hour was come, there was darkness over the whole land until the ninth hour.
Luke 23:44  And it was about the sixth hour, and there was a darkness over all the earth until the ninth hour.

Day1 3:00pm

Matthew 27:46  And about the ninth hour Jesus cried with a loud voice, saying, Eli, Eli, lama sabachthani? that is to say, My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me?
Mark 15:34  And at the ninth hour Jesus cried with a loud voice, saying, Eloi, Eloi, lama sabachthani? which is, being interpreted, My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me?

Day1 Before the sabbath

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.

Matt 27:57 When the even was come, there came a rich man of Arimathaea, named Joseph, who also himself was Jesus’ disciple:
58  He went to Pilate, and begged the body of Jesus. Then Pilate commanded the body to be delivered.
59  And when Joseph had taken the body, he wrapped it in a clean linen cloth,
60  And laid it in his own new tomb, which he had hewn out in the rock: and he rolled a great stone to the door of the sepulchre, and departed.

Mark 15:42 And now when the even was come, because it was the preparation, that is, the day before the sabbath,
43  Joseph of Arimathaea, an honourable counsellor, which also waited for the kingdom of God, came, and went in boldly unto Pilate, and craved the body of Jesus.

Luke 23:52  This man went unto Pilate, and begged the body of Jesus.
53  And he took it down, and wrapped it in linen, and laid it in a sepulchre that was hewn in stone, wherein never man before was laid.
54  And that day was the preparation, and the sabbath drew on.

From these passages it can be seen that Jesus was buried before the Sabbath day.  Yet Matthew and Mark use the phrase “when the even was come.”  “The even” did not start the next day.  There was still time to request the body, take the body off the cross, wrap it up, lay the body in the sepulcher, and roll a stone to the door.  Also of interest is that Nicodemus brought quite a large quantity of myrrh and aloes for the burial.

John 19:39  And there came also Nicodemus, which at the first came to Jesus by night, and brought a mixture of myrrh and aloes, about an hundred pound weight.

So it is not hard to imagine that the women could have prepared their spices and ointments prior to the Sabbath.

Luke 23:56  And they returned, and prepared spices and ointments; and rested the sabbath day according to the commandment.

This verse does is not contrary to the passage in Mark.  The passage in Mark could be read either way, either spices bought prior to or following the Sabbath, but to be consistent with the rest of scripture the proper interpretation could be…the women had bought sweet spices prior to the Sabbath, that they might come and anoint him after the Sabbath.

Mark 16:1 And when the sabbath was past, Mary Magdalene, and Mary the mother of James, and Salome, had bought sweet spices, that they might come and anoint him.

Day2 The Sabbath

Something actually was recorded as occurring on the Sabbath.

Matt 27:62  Now the next day, that followed the day of the preparation, the chief priests and Pharisees came together unto Pilate,

This passage was mentioned before.  The request was to secure the sepulcher until the third day so that the disciples would not come by night and steal the body.  From what we have seen, if they meant the third day from Wednesday that would be Friday, and the third day from Thursday would be Saturday.  Either way, the tomb would be unguarded Saturday night (Sunday), the critical night!

Day3 The Resurrection

Mark 16:9 Now when Jesus was risen early the first day of the week, he appeared first to Mary Magdalene, out of whom he had cast seven devils.

The other passages all deal with events that happened the first day of the week.

Matt 28:1 In the end of the sabbath, as it began to dawn toward the first day of the week, came Mary Magdalene and the other Mary to see the sepulchre.

Mark 16:1 And when the sabbath was past, Mary Magdalene, and Mary the mother of James, and Salome, had bought sweet spices, that they might come and anoint him. 2 And very early in the morning the first day of the week, they came unto the sepulchre at the rising of the sun.

Luke 24:1 Now upon the first day of the week, very early in the morning, they came unto the sepulchre, bringing the spices which they had prepared, and certain others with them.

John 20:1 The first day of the week cometh Mary Magdalene early, when it was yet dark, unto the sepulchre, and seeth the stone taken away from the sepulchre.
Conclusion
Reviewing the days in reverse order…
Day3 is Sunday, the first day of the week, Jesus is risen from the dead and is alive.  It follows Day2 which would be Saturday, or the Sabbath.  Day1 is Friday, the day Jesus was crucified.  Based on what has been mentioned about the events, Friday was a pretty full day.

The traditional Friday/Sunday death and resurrection view holds and has been shown to be a biblical view.  But more importantly it is necessary to know that Jesus died and rose again to pay for our sins, and as the scripture says…“Whosover believeth in Him should not perish but have everlasting life!”

Time Study (Continued...)

When Did Jesus Rise?
One of the key questions in the debate is, "When did Jesus rise?" 
Mark 16:9 appears to be the only direct reference to when Jesus rose.

“Now when Jesus was risen early the first day of the week,…”

Although this is the only scripture reference that gives the day of the week, nowhere in scripture does it say that Jesus rose on any other day of the week.  Other scriptures imply the first day of the week as being the third day, but this one clearly states it.

A Study in Time…
Let us go back now and determine what the Bible says about the events that took place.  This may further help explain the “third day.”  The assumption appears to be that the “three days and three nights,” “after three days,” and “third day” counting starts when Jesus is entombed to when He rises again.  That is the basis for the Wednesday/Thursday scenarios (48-72 hours) and the difficulty for the Friday scenario (24-36 hours).
What is the biblical basis for that?  Does scripture perhaps present a different picture?
Let’s start in Luke 24, paying special attention to v21…

7  …The Son of man must be delivered into the hands of sinful men, and be crucified, and the third day rise again.

20  And how the chief priests and our rulers delivered him to be condemned to death, and have crucified him.
21  But we trusted that it had been he which should have redeemed Israel: and beside all this, to day is the third day since these things were done.

46  And said unto them, Thus it is written, and thus it behoved Christ to suffer, and to rise from the dead the third day:
 
“…to day is the third day since these things were done.”  “To day” would be the first day of the week.  In fact, it is late in the day not early in the morning.  It is the “third day.” What are “these things?”  Note the passage does not say, “since He was buried.”  These things include being delivered, condemned, and crucified.  Vs7 and vs46 also support that.  In fact, all the verses dealing with the three-day time frame deal with all these events, and that is what Jesus taught His disciples.

Mt 16:21 From that time forth began Jesus to shew unto his disciples, how that he must go unto Jerusalem, and suffer many things of the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be killed, and be raised again the third day.

Mr 8:31 And he began to teach them, that the Son of man must suffer many things, and be rejected of the elders, and of the chief priests, and scribes, and be killed, and after three days rise again.

Mr 9:31 For he taught his disciples, and said unto them, The Son of man is delivered into the hands of men, and they shall kill him; and after that he is killed, he shall rise the third day.

Luke 18:31 Then he took unto him the twelve, and said unto them, Behold, we go up to Jerusalem, and all things that are written by the prophets concerning the Son of man shall be accomplished.  32  For he shall be delivered unto the Gentiles, and shall be mocked, and spitefully entreated, and spitted on: 33  And they shall scourge him, and put him to death: and the third day he shall rise again.

 
Also see Matt 17:22-23; Mt 20:19; Mr 10:34; Lu 9:22.

For those of you who are keeping track, you know that Mt 12:40 is missing.

Mt 12:40 "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."

What does “in the heart of the earth” mean?  Unfortunately, perhaps, that phrase is only used once in the bible.  Is a tomb on the surface of the earth, the same as the heart of the earth?  Could “in the heart of the earth” mean separated from the Father and fully engulfed by what is in/on the earth?  When Eve took a bite of the fruit, she didn’t physically die, she spiritually died (separated from God).  Jesus took on the sins of the world and needed to be separate from God the Father.  That would fit what happened to Jonah.  He was separated from normal human living conditions, and was totally engulfed by the whale.  It seems from Jesus’ teaching that everything from being betrayed to being put to death and buried is encompassed by the phrase “in the heart of the earth.”  Scripture does not contradict itself.  This explanation seems plausible.

More on three days...

After Three Days

Another difficult phrase that generates a lot of discussion is found in Mark 8:31

“And he [Jesus] began to teach them, that the Son of man must suffer many things, and be rejected of the elders, and of the chief priests, and scribes, and be killed, and after three days rise again.”

Reading through the Bible, one will come across 7 other references that contain the phrase “after three days.”  Of these, two are very helpful in establishing the time frame.  2Chron10:5 and Matt27:63.  In 2Chron10:5 the king asks the people to return after three days.  In 2 Chron10:12 the people return and here is how the passages read…

5 “And he said unto them, Come again unto me after three days. And the people departed.”
12 “So Jeroboam and all the people came to Rehoboam on the third day, as the king bade, saying, Come again to me on the third day.”

In Matthew 27 the religious leaders make a request to secure the tomb…

63  Saying, Sir, we remember that that deceiver said, while he was yet alive, After three days I will rise again. Command therefore that the sepulchre be made sure until the third day,…

From these passages, it appears that “after three days” is the same as on the third day.  It is not the second day or the forth day. 

The Third Day

Which day is the third day?  It is pretty clear that the third is one part of three.  Here are two references to demonstrate this.

1 Samuel 20:12  And Jonathan said unto David, O LORD God of Israel, when I have sounded my father about to morrow any time, or the third day, and, behold, if there be good toward David, and I then send not unto thee, and shew it thee;

Luke 13:32  And he said unto them, Go ye, and tell that fox, Behold, I cast out devils, and I do cures to day and to morrow, and the third day I shall be perfected.

“Three day and three nights,” “after three days,” and “the third day” all point to the same time period.  It is a time period that starts on day one and ends on day three.

Three Days and Three Nights

Let’s address one of the "difficult" passages first.  Jesus said in Matthew 12:40
"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."
The question is how long is "three days and three nights?"  Is it 72 hours, as some would propose?  Where is that supported in scripture?  There are two other references in the Bible that use the term "three days and three nights."  They are I Sam 30:12 and Jonah 1:17.  A cursory reading of both of these references would give no better indication of how long three days and three nights are either.  And it would seem that now would be a good time to jump to a commentary or marginal notes, but let’s look around the passage and see if the context reveals anything new…

Finding anything related to the use of “three days and three nights” in Jonah requires a little more than looking at the context immediately surrounding the verse.  Reading to Jonah chapter 3 one finds:

Jonah 3:3  So Jonah arose, and went unto Nineveh, according to the word of the LORD. Now Nineveh was an exceeding great city of three days’ journey.

What does three days’ journey mean?  It probably means that it takes three days to cross Nineveh, not necessarily 72 hours, but three normal travel days.  In those days, probably in daylight and probably walking.  So what?  Maybe not much, but it could be that the time that God had Jonah in the whale was to parallel the journey through Nineveh.  He could not go in during the day and spend the night outside.  But he could start his journey the first day, and exit the third day, three days journey…three days and three nights.

There is another verse in I Sam 30 that discusses a time frame.

ISam30:12-13  And they gave him a piece of a cake of figs, and two clusters of raisins: and when he had eaten, his spirit came again to him: for he had eaten no bread, nor drunk any water, three days and three nights.
13 "And David said unto him, To whom belongest thou? and whence art thou? And he said, I am a young man of Egypt, servant to an Amalekite; and my master left me, because three days agone I fell sick."
 
“Agone” is only used once in the Bible.  What does “agone” mean?  It is probably some variant of ago, most every source available simply says, “it means ago.”  It is not clear if substituting “ago” for “agone” violates any grammatical rules, or if “agone” actually mean something a little different, or if perhaps it was used to draw attention to this verse.  [Agone is an adjective, Ago is a adverb] There are 13 uses of “ago” in the bible, so that word was available.  In fact, one of the uses is in ISam9 with the same time frame.

1 Samuel 9:20  And as for thine asses that were lost three days ago, set not thy mind on them; for they are found.

Another use is in the book of Acts.

Acts 10:30  And Cornelius said, Four days ago I was fasting until this hour; and at the ninth hour I prayed in my house, and, behold, a man stood before me in bright clothing,

This passage is revealing, here are the events…
Cornelius has a vision and sends for Peter.  Day 1
The next day, they travel to get Peter.  Day 2

Acts 10:9 On the morrow, as they went on their journey

The men stay with Peter and leave the next day back to see Cornelius.  Day 3

Acts 10:23  Then called he them in, and lodged them. And on the morrow Peter went away with them…
 
The day after they are back in the city, they see Cornelius.  Day 4

Acts 10:24-25  And the morrow after they entered into Caesarea….  25  And as Peter was coming in, Cornelius met him, …
 
That same day Cornelius says, “…four days ago…”, albeit partial days, is the forth day from when he had his visions.

From this “three days ago” would be the day before yesterday, and would give the time frame for three days and three nights.

Three Days...

There is an ongoing debate as to when Jesus was buried and rose again due to the "time" that we suppose that the Bible says elapsed between the two events.  The following was written to present a biblical explanation of the time frame.  An attempt will be made to address each of the various time references found in the Bible, and to demonstrate how they agree.

Most will agree that Jesus was not crucified on Saturday, Sunday, Monday, or Tuesday.  That leaves Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday as the most likely days.  Most will also agree that on whatever day Jesus was crucified he was buried before sunset due to the next day being a Sabbath day. 

Those who believe that Jesus was crucified on Wednesday also believe that he rose again Saturday before sunset.  This argument is based on the belief that the phrase "three days and three nights" indicate a full 72 hour period.  Those who believe that Jesus was crucified on Thursday believe that Jesus rose on Sunday, the first day of the week.  This would allow for a significant part of the three day time period and would seem to be supported by other scripture references regarding the "third" day.  The Friday crucifixion/Sunday rising scenario is supported by mention of the preparation day before the Sabbath, the events preceding the Sabbath, and a Sunday resurrection.  The three days are defined as individual days that events took place on, no matter how partial.

These all seem plausible to some extent.  But many arguments seem to rely on extrabiblical texts and information while ignoring or minimizing what the Bible actually says.  The approach that follows assumes that the Bible, in English, is really complete and can stand alone regarding all matters of faith and practice.  No commentaries, no Greek/Hebrew, God has preserved His word for us.   That can be debated elsewhere if needed.

Let's dive in.  In case you plan to search the scriptures to prove to yourselves whether these things were so…all references are taken from the Authorized King James Version (AKJV).