Was Jesus Crucified On Good-Friday?

WAS JESUS CRUCIFIED ON “GOOD-FRIDAY”?

TEXT: JOHN 19:16-42

INTRODUCTION: In order to really understand the strange and compelling three days of our Lord’s great victory at Calvary, we need to be certain about the Sabbath days.

The importance of the Sabbath to the nation of Israel can hardly be overemphasized. The Sabbath was never given to any other nation other than Israel.

In the coming weeks I am going to be bringing messages surrounding the events of the passion of Christ. In order for us to understand some of what I will be bringing, it is imperative that we understand the time line for each of these events. (I have given you a chart)

And that timeline is predicated on three Sabbaths in a row.

Look at almost any calendar at the Friday before Easter and you will more than likely see “Good Friday” written in the space at the bottom.

Many churches celebrate this day as the day Jesus was crucified. I have one question for them, how do you get three days and three nights into Friday-Sunday?

Jesus said He would be in the heart of the earth for three days and three nights.

Mat 12:39 But he answered and said unto them, An evil and adulterous generation seeketh after a sign; and there shall no sign be given to it, but the sign of the prophet Jonas:

Mat 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.

Some try to explain that they were part days, part Friday, Sat., part Sun, as we will see that can’t be but even so, what about the nights? You only have Friday night and Sat. night because Jesus arose early Sunday morning.

Well why do people think that Jesus was crucified on Friday? Because the Bible says they had to get Jesus off the cross because the Sabbath was drawing close.

Mark 15:42 And now when the even was come, because it was the preparation, that is, the day before the sabbath,

Mark 15:43 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.

What is the Sabbath?

Gen 2:1 Thus the heavens and the earth were finished, and all the host of them.

Gen 2:2 And on the seventh day God ended his work which he had made; and he rested on the seventh day from all his work which he had made.

Gen 2:3 And God blessed the seventh day, and sanctified it: because that in it he had rested from all his work which God created and made.

Exo 20:8 Remember the sabbath day, to keep it holy.

Exo 20:9 Six days shalt thou labour, and do all thy work:

Exo 20:10 But the seventh day is the sabbath of the LORD thy God: in it thou shalt not do any work, thou, nor thy son, nor thy daughter, thy manservant, nor thy maidservant, nor thy cattle, nor thy stranger that is within thy gates:

Exo 20:11 For in six days the LORD made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that in them is, and rested the seventh day: wherefore the LORD blessed the sabbath day, and hallowed it.

Sunday is the first day of the week and Saturday is the seventh or the last day of the week. We don’t think that way though do we. We generally think Monday-Sunday. But look at our calendar. What day is first?

So for the Jews Saturday is the Sabbath day. And since people read that Jesus was taken down from the cross the day before the Sabbath, they assume that Jesus was crucified on Friday.

But as I’ve already stated, it doesn’t fit. So is the Bible in error or is man? How do we rectify this? Well, we need to have an understanding of the Sabbaths.

The Sabbath was very important to the Jewish nation. Its restrictions were severe and when Israel was in God’s favor its observance was rigidly enforced.

You couldn’t travel more than 3,000 ft, just over one-half mile. Look what happened to a man found gathering sticks on the Sabbath;

Num 15:32 And while the children of Israel were in the wilderness, they found a man that gathered sticks upon the sabbath day.

Num 15:33 And they that found him gathering sticks brought him unto Moses and Aaron, and unto all the congregation.

Num 15:34 And they put him in ward, because it was not declared what should be done to him.

Num 15:35 And the LORD said unto Moses, The man shall be surely put to death: all the congregation shall stone him with stones without the camp.