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!”
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!”
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