I have a curious mind. I see things that do not quite make sense and it drives me nuts until I examine every aspect. And I look at all things in light of the Bible. Current events and historical events all have Spiritual implications. To me, nothing happens in a vacuum.

But I am driftingeeeeeeeee

The subject today is this; In the Book of Matthew, Jesus is giving some hints to the Pharisees and scribes as to what was soon to happen. They have asked for a sign, so He gives them the sign of Jonah; Matthew 12:40---For just 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. The question is; if Jesus was crucified on Friday and then buried before sundown that same day (remember that Sabbath began at sundown on Friday and ended at sundown on Saturday), how do you get three days and three nights before Sunday morning?

We know that Jesus was crucified the day before the Sabbath. John 19:31---Since it was the day of Preparation, and so that the bodies would 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 day of Preparation was the day before Sabbath. It was the day when all work was wrapped up and all cooking was done so that there would be no work done on Sabbath. Since Sabbath is sundown Friday to sundown Saturday, the day of Preparation has to be sundown Thursday to sundown Friday. So, this has to be Friday late afternoon. And we know that the Resurrection absolutely took place one the first day of the week. So how does three days and three nights fit into thirty six hours?

The first explanation has to do with our two very different cultures. We look at things very differently, including how we keep and judge time.

Among the people of the Middle East (not just the Jews, but the Arabs, too) a day is not measured as we measure a day. Their day begins at sundown. This is why when we say that their Sabbath is Saturday, we are not really correct. Friday sundown to Saturday sundown is Sabbath. But also, a portion of one day is considered all that day. For instance, hypothetically speaking, say that sundown happens on a particular day at 6 PM and you came in from a hard day at work at 5 PM, it might be that supper was being prepared but not yet completed. So, if you lay down at 5:30 to catch a nap before supper and you slept until 6:30, you could be said to have been asleep for two days because you were asleep during two separate days. That seems weird to us, but that is just the way they came to see the world. The same was with the way in which they looked at years. A few days of one year was considered the entire year. Their history is complicated until you figure this in. This king served so many years and that king served so many years and on down the line, but then you see the years overlap. There just are not enough years for all the years that are credited to all the kings. King David served so many years, then died. King Solomon then served so many years and then died. But they both are considered to have served the full year of David’s death and Solomon’s accension. It is only complicated to us because we think differently. Now, when you apply this to days, Jesus was placed in the tomb on Friday, which even though it was a very short time until sundown, was considered the complete day. Then, Jesus was in the tomb from sundown Friday to sundown Saturday, another full day, and then was in the tomb on Sunday until right at sunrise, which is still considered a full day. Hence, three days.

That is a complicated explanation, but it does explain the discrepancy in time. Except for one little thing, and it is that little thing that makes it even more complicated. That little thing is the phrase three days and three nights.

No matter how we look at it, we know that burial had to be before Sabbath. In fact, the ladies had to go back to finish the job of preparing Jesus’ body later because Sabbath was upon them, which was why they were at the tomb Sunday morning. We know that Sabbath is sundown to sundown, Friday to Saturday. Just not always. (If you think you are confused, just remember; my blog and I LOVE this stuff!)

The word Sabbath means rest. God wanted His people to have at least one day of rest a week. But there were other Sabbaths throughout the year.

During the days of Passover there are seven days of rest, or Sabbath. During the Feast of Weeks, what we call Pentecost, there is one Sabbath in addition to the weekly rest day. Also, the Day of Atonement is a Sabbath and the Feasts of Trumpets and the Feast of Tabernacles each have a Sabbath and, finally, the Eighth Day of Assembly has a Sabbath. None of these coincide with the weekly Sabbath. Altogether, throughout the year, the Jews have 70 Sabbath Days. AND, in the year of Jubilee, which happened every 49 years, they had a full year of Sabbath! But that doesn’t matter here.

The final day of Passover is referred to as a High Sabbath. So is the Day of Atonement Sabbath. Jesus was crucified during the Passover Days. What if the Sabbath referred to in John 19:31 (which is quoted above) is the Passover Sabbath rather than the weekly Sabbath? In the verse it says it is a high day. That would make the crucifixion and burial on a different day than Friday. How does that work out?

For the three days and three nights to work out correctly in our way of thinking, Jesus would have to have been crucified on Thursday. Placed in the tomb just before sundown, thus that would be the whole of Thursday. Then that night, then Friday night and then Saturday night, which would actually be the beginning of the first day of the week. At sunrise the ladies found out He was no longer in the tomb. The only way three nights and three days can be satisfied, for us, is a Thursday crucifixion. How can this be?

Going back to Jesus being crucified at Passover. The Jewish calendar moves differently from ours because they have 360 days. Every so many years they add another month to their year to make up for it. We add another day every four years. Whatever works for your culture. It does mean that our days, weeks and months don’t always coincide. This is why Easter moves around the calendar for us. Anyway, the High Sabbath day of Passover for them, always falls on Friday, so they have the High Sabbath and the weekly Sabbath back to back. John calls it a high Sabbath. So, it is entirely possible that Jesus was crucified on Thursday rather than Friday.

Who decreed that Friday was the Day of Crucifixion? The Roman Catholic Church. Where reality can easily be suspended.

Anyway, it really depends on how you figure it. The important thing is that there was a mighty sacrifice made by Jesus. The important thing is that death could not hold Him. The important thing is that He rose from the dead. The important thing is that He now sits on the right hand of God pleading our case.

I love this season so much more that the season of the birth!