Over centuries the Church has proclaimed that Jesus Christ was crucified and buried on the Friday before the Sabbath, but if this is then true, how is it possible that He was in the grave for 3 days and 3 nights according to scripture.\u00a0 Jesus spoke to the Pharisees and said:<\/p>\n
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.<\/em><\/strong> Mat 12:40<\/em><\/strong>\u00a0 <\/em><\/strong><\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n So, if this is true according to the words of Jesus Christ, somewhere, something is wrong because the math\u2019s don\u2019t add up for Him to have been in the grave for such a period if it was from the Friday \u2013 and then being raised from the dead on the first day of the week (which was early Sunday morning according to the doctrines of the Church).\u00a0 This fact was accepted by millions of people without any proof and even in my younger days, we accepted it without questioning it.\u00a0 It was a case of faith without proof.\u00a0<\/p>\n But God don\u2019t expect me and you to accept things blindly, especially not when it is doctrines from man and when it don\u2019t match up with His Word.\u00a0 All doctrines should be tested against the Word of God and at least two to three other scriptures should attest to the truth being proclaimed.\u00a0<\/p>\n The Apostle Paul writes to the church in Corinth and \u201cdeclares unto you the gospel<\/em><\/strong> which I preached unto you,\u00a0 <\/em><\/strong>which also ye have received, and wherein ye stand; by which also ye are saved\u201d;<\/em><\/strong>\u00a0 and then he continues in verse 3 & 4 \u201cthat Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures and that he was buried, and that he rose again the <\/span><\/em><\/strong>third day <\/span><\/em><\/strong>according to the scriptures.\u201d (1Cor 15:1-4) <\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n With this in mind now that Jesus was buried and IN the grave for at least 3 days and 3 nights (72 hours),\u00a0 that means He did not rise on the Sunday morning, but rather on the Monday \u2013 which is the second day of the week.\u00a0 Coming back again to Scripture, we find more than one statement that Jesus in fact rose on the first day<\/span><\/strong> and therefore we can accept this as truth according to scripture. (Mar 16:9; Luk 24:1).\u00a0 But the puzzle is not solved yet and therefore we have to search Scripture for the real and true answer.\u00a0<\/p>\n The Word of God teaches us that the disciples asked the Lord Jesus where He wants them to prepare for the Passover meal as it was the time for the celebration of the feast of Passover.\u00a0 After they have eaten the Passover meal, the Lord introduced what we know today in the Church as the Lord\u2019s Supper (New Testament Passover), which is the partaking of the symbolism of the Saviour\u2019s broken body and shed blood, in remembrance of His sacrificial death, until He comes.\u00a0<\/p>\n Now there is a deep revelation in connection with the three feasts that is celebrated at the same time and it starts with the feast of Passover (14th<\/sup> day) and continues over the next 7 days and includes 2 other feasts, such as the Feast of Unleavened Bread and First fruits (Barley harvest).\u00a0 All these feasts refer to and is a type of the work and ministry of Jesus Christ.<\/p>\n With Passover,\u00a0 they would kill a lamb (which originated in Egypt with the last plague and the blood had to be smeared on the door posts), and eat the Unleavened Bread also as a reminder of the same time when they did not have the time to leaven the bread because of the haste to leave Egypt.\u00a0 But all three feasts refer to Jesus Christ as follows:<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n \u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n Passover<\/strong><\/p>\n \u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/td>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n First Month,<\/p>\n 14th Day<\/p>\n (April 14)<\/p>\n<\/td>\n Israel\u2019s Deliverance<\/p>\n out of Egyptian<\/p>\n bondage<\/p>\n<\/td>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n Death of the true Lamb of God on the Cross<\/p>\n<\/td>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n Justification by faith in the<\/p>\n \u00a0Blood. Repentance, regeneration, redemption adoption<\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n \u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n Unleavened Bread<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/td>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n First Month,<\/p>\n 15th-21nd Day<\/p>\n<\/td>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n The going out of Egypt<\/p>\n<\/td>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n The burial of Christ<\/p>\n<\/td>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n Sanctification and Separation from evil. Water Baptism<\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n \u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n First fruits<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/td>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n First Month,<\/p>\n 18th Day<\/p>\n<\/td>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n Crossing the Red Sea<\/p>\n<\/td>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n The Resurrection of\u00a0 Christ<\/p>\n<\/td>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n Walking in resurrection and newness of life<\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n Jesus Christ was crucified exactly on the Feast of Passover to completely fulfill the feast and the true meaning behind it all \u2013 to finally bring salvation and redemption through His blood and sacrifice.\u00a0 He is also the Unleavened Bread being broken and eaten by His people, because He is the Bread of Life (Joh 6:48) and also the first fruit from the resurrection from death.\u00a0<\/p>\n The 1st<\/sup> century people in Judea measured their days from sunset to sunset.\u00a0 After sunset on the 13th<\/sup> day (which in actual fact is the start (evening to day) of the 14th<\/sup> day) Jesus ate the Passover with his disciples and introduced the New Testament Passover (the Lord\u2019s Supper).\u00a0 He was in actual fact then taken into custody the same night and then flogged and crucified on the Wednesday the 14th<\/sup> and died before 15:00 the same day and buried before sunset.\u00a0 The next day (Thursday) of the feast (first day of Unleavened Bread) was a special \u201chigh day\u201d and also a Sabbath.\u00a0 (See Lev 23:6-7<\/em><\/strong>).\u00a0 The first day of the feast of unleavened Bread was also seen from the Law as a holy day and therefore also a Sabbath.\u00a0 Therefore, in the week of Jesus\u2019s crucifixion there were two Sabbath\u2019s (the annual Sabbath (Wednesday\/Thursday) of the Feast and the weekly one on Friday\/Saturday).\u00a0\u00a0 Then Jesus also rose on the third day {which is now the 18th<\/sup> day of the feast when they celebrated the Feast of First fruits (Barley harvest)} and therefore Christ completely fulfilled all three feasts.\u00a0<\/p>\n \u00a0The Word of God gives true evidence in this regard from the book of John:\u00a0<\/p>\n \u201c<\/em><\/strong>When Jesus had received the sour wine, he said, “It is finished,” and he bowed his head and gave up his spirit. <\/em><\/strong>Since it was the day of Preparation, and so that the bodies would not remain on the cross on the Sabbath (for <\/span><\/em><\/strong>that Sabbath was a high day),<\/span><\/em><\/strong> the Jews asked Pilate that their legs might be broken and that they might be <\/em><\/strong>taken away. (Joh 19:30-31) <\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n So, the real answer about the crucifixion of Jesus Christ was all along written in the Word of God but unfortunately it was the Roman Catholic Church who changed the celebration dates of it all \u2013 for whatever reason I don\u2019t know.\u00a0 He was never crucified on a Friday, but on the Wednesday and buried before sunset and rose again after sunset on Saturday evening \u2013 which makes it three days and three nights (72 hours).\u00a0\u00a0 The women who went to the tomb only arrived on the morning of the first day, but by then Jesus had already risen to fulfill His word.\u00a0 They did not see the resurrection \u2013 they only found an empty tomb.<\/p>\n And he said to them, “Do not be alarmed. You seek Jesus of Nazareth, who was crucified. He has risen<\/span>; he is not here. See the place where they laid him. (Mar 16:6 \u2013 ESV) <\/em><\/strong><\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n
\n \n \n \u00a0<\/p>\n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n Past Eric Heath is the President of Galilee International Ministries (SA) in Pretoria and is available to lecture or minister on specific subjects as required. He can be contacted through this website.\u00a0 <\/em><\/strong><\/h6>\n<\/p>\n
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