Good Friday

[Theofilus]

Re: Title : Good Friday (03)

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Defining Days & Nights

By performing the computations using literal Days and Nights as they are precisely defined by the Bible's God at Gen 1:3-5 as periods of light and periods of dark; it's a very simple matter to deduce that the Lord was buried Thursday afternoon of crucifixion week. Thursday's daytime hours don't have to be factored in since they were essentially expired by the time Christ was interred. The only partial day that needs to be considered is Sunday since Christ predicted his body would revive "on" the third day, rather than after it ended; ergo : the duration of the Lord's burial consisted of three full nights, two full days, plus one partial day.

The problem with counting Sunday as the third day, as has already been pointed out, is that the women arrived while it was still dark, so the day (period of light) hadn't started yet.

 

[Proverbs3/5]

The way I see it, the bottom line is that a Friday internment does not work. Yes it is very interesting to see the different views on how to recon the 3 days and 3 nights , but the bottom line is it was not on Friday. I agree with the O P that Rome has gotten it wrong all these years. There are many other things Rome is wrong about as well, but that is for another thread.

 

[Guap]

BTW, my KJV bible never said he arose "on" the third day. It simply says "the third day".
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Which is a good reason not to use the KJV.
In the greek, (Mat 16:21, 17:23, 20:3, etc) the third day is in the dative, I can't think of any uses of the dative which would mean after, or before the third day, so on the the third is a pretty good translation. But then again their might be some who know Greek way better than I do.

 

[Guap]

The word "day" can have two meanings. It can mean

1. A period of 24 hours
2. The time between sunrise and sunset

I think it is pretty obvious that I was using it in the latter sense, which is also the meaning in the phrase "three days and three nights". That's three perods of light and three of dark.

Not sure that your use of the word day has much meaning when coming to interpreting the bible. Shouldn't it rather be the way the Holy Spirit intended it to be interpretted?

As for the phrase three days and three nights, if it was for three days and nights, then wouldn't that be on the fourth day?

 

[Theofilus]

Not sure that your use of the word day has much meaning when coming to interpreting the bible. Shouldn't it rather be the way the Holy Spirit intended it to be interpretted?

It has meaning when you're twisting my words to mean something that I obviously never intended. When I speak or write in English, I use the normal definitions of words. If you look in any dictionary, you will see the two meanings I listed for "day". If you have a problem with that, take it up with Mr. Webster.

As for the phrase three days and three nights, if it was for three days and nights, then wouldn't that be on the fourth day?

I already answered this, but in case you missed it, here it is again:

Wednesday night = night 1
Thursday day = day 1
Thursday night = night 2
Friday day = day 2
Friday night = night 3
Saturday day = day 3

Jesus then rose from the grave on Saturday, just at sunset. This way, not only do we not have to count a few minutes on Friday as a whole day, nor do we need to count a day (period of light) that hasn't started yet as a whole day, but also, Christ's own prophesy that he would be in the grave three days and three nights - the only sign we are given to prove he was who he claimed - is fulfilled perfectly, as is the symbolism in Passover and the Feast of First Fruits.

 

[tim-from-pa]

Which is a good reason not to use the KJV.
In the greek, (Mat 16:21, 17:23, 20:3, etc) the third day is in the dative, I can't think of any uses of the dative which would mean after, or before the third day, so on the the third is a pretty good translation. But then again their might be some who know Greek way better than I do.

Still trying to fit scripture to a preconceived tradition regarding Friday? And stuffing that 10 pounds of fudge, I see?

I'll wager my next paycheck that the same people who support the Friday traditions would be the first to holler they were gypped if they were promised a 3 day and 3 night cruise that left Friday evening and returned by pre-dawn Sunday morning. That's the first question from of any new Christian (and even kids understand) that Friday evening until Sunday morning is not 3 days, otherwise, why is the question being asked over and over again?

 

[Webers_Home]

Re: Title : Good Friday (03)

The problem with counting Sunday as the third day, as has already been pointed out, is that the women arrived while it was still dark, so the day (period of light) hadn't started yet.

I'm coming to that.

C.L.I.F.F.
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[Guap]

Still trying to fit scripture to a preconceived tradition regarding Friday? And stuffing that 10 pounds of fudge, I see?

I'll wager my next paycheck that the same people who support the Friday traditions would be the first to holler they were gypped if they were promised a 3 day and 3 night cruise that left Friday evening and returned by pre-dawn Sunday morning. That's the first question from of any new Christian (and even kids understand) that Friday evening until Sunday morning is not 3 days, otherwise, why is the question being asked over and over again?

So is it on the fourth day (i.e. after three days and nights)? Or on the third day? Jesus many times says on the third day, only once, whether quoting Jonah does he say three days and three nights.
I bet there are many cruises that are 'three days' where it is from Friday afternoon until Sunday morning.

 

[tim-from-pa]

I bet there are many cruises that are 'three days' where it is from Friday afternoon until Sunday morning.

Oh, for goodness sakes! And again, the question would not be asked unless "3" is something other than the number "3". I don't know a person in the world who would leave me Friday night, say they'll return 3 days later and be back before Sunday morning. It's absolutely ludicrous.

 

[Webers_Home]

Good Friday (05)

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Times and Procedures

The law of the Passover states that the lambs chosen must be slain during the afternoon of the 14th in the month of Nisan. (e.g. April 18, 2011)

†. Ex 12:1-6 . .Yhvh said to Moses and Aaron in the land of Egypt: This month shall mark for you the beginning of the months; it shall be the first of the months of the year for you. Speak to the whole community of Israel and say that on the tenth of this month each of them shall take a lamb to a family, a lamb to a household. But if the household is too small for a lamb, let him share one with a neighbor who dwells nearby, in proportion to the number of persons: you shall contribute for the lamb according to what each household will eat.

. . .Your lamb shall be without blemish, a yearling male; you may take it from the sheep or from the goats. You shall keep watch over it until the fourteenth day of this month; and all the assembled congregation of the Israelites shall slaughter it at evening.

The word for "evening" is 'ereb (eh'-reb) which technically means dusk; which Webster's defines as : the darker part of twilight after sundown. It's the same word as the evenings of Gen 1:5-31.

'ereb is a bit ambiguous. In spite of its technical meaning; 'ereb doesn't eo ipso indicate twilight. It can also indicate any time after high noon when the sun is losing altitude rather than climbing up higher and higher in the sky; as in 1Sam 17:16 where Goliath taunted Israel twice a Day— once in the morning, and once in the afternoon.

Since it's illegal to cook on a sabbath day (Ex 16:22-30) I'd have to say that the "evening" of Ex 12:1-6 means any time after high noon rather than sometime after sunset; in other words : Passover dinner is supposed to be already prepared and ready-to-eat by sundown and the "preparation day" of Mtt 27:62, Mrk 15:42, Luke 23:54, and John 19:14 is the day set aside expressly for that purpose; and in our own day and age, it's the day when Judaism scours its homes to remove any traces of leavened bread.

FYI : Bread made with yeast isn't Bible leavened bread. True leavened bread is made by blending a fresh batch of dough with the fermented remains of a previous batch; so that scripturally speaking, leavened bread is a corrupted bread consisting of an amalgam of old and new. The side effect is that mixing fermented dough with fresh dough, fails to freshen the fermented dough; but rather, the fermented dough contaminates the new. (e.g. Hag 2:10-13, 1Cor 5:6-8) End FYI

Passover night coincides with the beginning of the Feast of Unleavened Bread. In fact, the pesach could be said to commence the feast.

†. Ex 12:18-20 . . In the first month, from the fourteenth day of the month at evening, you shall eat unleavened bread until the twenty-first day of the month at evening. No leaven shall be found in your houses for seven days. For whoever eats what is leavened, that person shall be cut off from the community of Israel, whether he is a stranger or a citizen of the country. You shall eat nothing leavened; in all your settlements you shall eat unleavened bread.

†. Lev 23:5-6 . . In the first month, on the fourteenth day of the month, at evening, there shall be a passover offering to Yhvh, and on the fifteenth day of that month Yhvh's Feast of Unleavened Bread. You shall eat unleavened bread for seven days.

So in 2011, the Feast of Unleavened Bread will run from sundown April 18 till sundown April 25. The lambs for Passover (were modern Judaism to follow Moses' covenanted law to the letter) would be been slain and roasted ready-to-eat before sundown April 18 so the dinner could be consumed at night during the 19th's hours of darkness. After the sun comes up on the 19th everybody would be free to leave Jerusalem and complete the 7-day feast at home.

FAQ : Why is it that modern Judaism doesn't dine upon lamb Passover night?

Answer : Modern Judaism feels it is improper to do so while there's neither a Temple nor a fully functioning priesthood on duty in Jerusalem.

FAQ : Where do they get that?

Answer : According to the Bible; one of the sacred activities stipulated for the Feast of Unleavened Bread is a 7-day period of daily offerings made by fire.

†. Lev 23:5-8 . . In the fourteenth day of the first month at even is The Lord's passover. And on the fifteenth day of the same month is the feast of unleavened bread unto The Lord : seven days ye must eat unleavened bread. In the first day ye shall have an holy convocation: ye shall do no servile work therein. But ye shall offer an offering made by fire unto The Lord seven days.

With neither a Temple nor a fully functioning priesthood currently on duty in Jerusalem; the 7-day offerings made by fire unto the Lord are clearly out of the question. The original passover law didn't specify seven days of offerings made by fire so it was a bit less complicated.

Personally, I see nothing intrinsically wrong with complying with as much of the passover law as possible. IMO just because modern Judaism has no means for complying with the 7-day offerings is no reason to toss out the parts of the law that they're fully able to fulfill.

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Good Friday (06)

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Special Sabbaths

Sabbath days in scripture are divided in two categories. One is the regular seventh-day sabbath called Shabbat. The other are special sabbaths that designate consecrated days wherein no work is allowed just like the regular seventh-day sabbath. An example of a special sabbath is the Feast of Trumpets.

†. Lev 23:23-25 . .Yhvh spoke to Moses, saying; Speak to the Israelite people thus : In the seventh month, on the first day of the month, you shall observe complete rest, a sacred occasion commemorated with loud blasts. You shall not work at your occupations; and you shall bring an offering by fire to Yhvh.

Another example of a special sabbath is Yom Kippur, a.k.a. Day Of Atonement.

†. Lev 16:29-34 . .And this shall be to you a law for all time: In the seventh month, on the tenth day of the month, you shall practice self-denial; and you shall do no manner of work, neither the citizen, n nor the alien who resides among you. For on this day atonement shall be made for you to cleanse you of all your sins; you shall be clean before Yhvh.

. . . It shall be a sabbath of complete rest for you, and you shall practice self-denial; it is a law for all time. The priest who has been anointed and ordained to serve as priest in place of his father shall make expiation. He shall put on the linen vestments, the sacral vestments. He shall purge the innermost Shrine; he shall purge the Tent of Meeting and the altar; and he shall make expiation for the priests and for all the people of the congregation. This shall be to you a law for all time: to make atonement for the Israelites for all their sins once a year.

Passover week— a.k.a. the seven-day Feast of Unleavened Bread —is notable because it has not just one, but two special sabbaths in it. One at the beginning, and one at the end. Those are floating sabbaths; so no matter what day of the week those sabbaths fall upon they remain consecrated days upon which no one is allowed to work.

†. Ex 12:16 . .You shall celebrate a sacred occasion on the first day, and a sacred occasion on the seventh day; no work at all shall be done on them; only what every person is to eat, that alone may be prepared for you.

Special sabbaths make for some interesting possibilities. It sometimes happens they run back to back with regular seventh-day sabbaths and thus produce two sabbaths in a row because special sabbaths are high days regulated by Judaism's religious calendar rather than the civil calendar.

That very situation occurred in 2001 and 2008. Passover fell on Sunday. So pious Israelites had to observe two sabbaths in a row those years: the regular seventh-day sabbath on Saturday, followed immediately by Passover's special sabbath on Sunday; which for Judaism is normally the first day of the week. At the end of the feast, they did it all over again.

Similar circumstances occurred during the particular Passover season the Lord was crucified. Having back-to-back sabbaths in the mix throws people off when they try to construct a chronology of the three Days and three Nights that the Lord was interred because it's so easy to overlook the special sabbath that occurred during crucifixion week and mistake it for a regular seventh-day sabbath.

Setting The Date

Technically, the pesach should be eaten fourteen days after new moon; viz : on the night of full moon (which facilitated the Israelites' departure from Egypt). However, Judaism don't always observe Passover right on the dot. In the year 2000, it was set for the 20th of April; two days after full moon. So it would seem Judaism has taken the liberty to be somewhat arbitrary about picking the first night of the Feast of Unleavened Bread.

The Bible's Christ was a prophet who spoke as God and for God.

†. John 3:34 . . He speaks God's words, for God's Spirit is upon him without measure or limit.

So then; I seriously doubt that a heavily Spirit-endowed prophet like the Lord would be arbitrary with Passover seeing as how it's a grave offense to eat it at your own convenience.

†. Num 9:11-13 . .The fourteenth day of the second month at even they shall keep it, and eat it with unleavened bread and bitter herbs. They shall offer it in strict accord with the law of the Passover sacrifice. But if a man who is clean and not on a journey refrains from offering the passover sacrifice, that person shall be cut off from his kin, for he did not present Yhvh’s offering at its set time; that man shall bear his guilt.

For some reason, Judaism's religious calendar was off the year the Lord was crucified; which worked to God's advantage because it was apparently His intention that Christ be a Passover offering (1Cor 5:7). Had Judaism's authorities been punctual, they wouldn't have executed the Lord at just the right time because they earnestly endeavored to avoid bloodshed during the Feast.

†. Mrk 14:1-2 . . After two days was the feast of the Passover, and of Unleavened Bread : and the chief priests and the scribes sought how they might take him by craft, and put him to death. But they said : Not on the feast day, lest there be an uproar of the people.

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Good Friday (07)

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Preparation Day

†. John 19:41-42 . . Now in the place where he was crucified there was a garden; and in the garden a new sepulcher wherein was never man yet laid. There laid they Jesus therefore because of the Jews' preparation day; for the sepulcher was nigh at hand.

The "preparation day" about which John wrote in that passage, isn't the day preceding regular seventh-day sabbaths, but rather, the day when Judaism does a couple of Passover-related chores in accordance with Moses' covenanted law : (1) scours its homes to remove leavened bakery products, and (2) slay and cook lambs ready-to-eat before sundown.

The preparation day about which John wrote refers to Judaism's preparation day rather than the Lord's because his own preparation day was over and done with before he sat down to eat the night of his arrest.

The High Day

†. Luke 23:54 . . And that day was the preparation, and the sabbath drew on.

This is the tricky part. The sabbath about which Luke wrote in that passage, wasn't the regular seventh-day sabbath, but rather, the very first day of the Feast of Unleavened Bread (Ex 12:1-27). That particular day (which begins at sundown ) is a sabbath as mandated by Moses' covenanted law.

†. Ex 12:16 . .You shall celebrate a sacred occasion on the first day, and a sacred occasion on the seventh day; no work at all shall be done on them; only what every person is to eat, that alone may be prepared for you.

John called the first day of the feast an "high day".

†. 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.

The regular seventh-day sabbath isn't an high day; no, it's a weekly routine. High days are like Yom Kippur and the Feast of Trumpets; which are also sabbaths. (Lev 16:29-34, Lev 23:23-25)

So that's the two sabbaths that occurred during crucifixion week : the high day, and the regular seventh day. The glitch in most people's computations comes in failing to factor in the high day; and not only failing to factor it; but also failing to correctly position it relative to the regular seventh day.

Positioning The High Day

God inspired three of the gospel authors to report the Lord's preparation for Passover as being right on time.

†. Mtt 26:17-20 . . On the first day of the Feast of Unleavened Bread, the disciples came to Jesus and asked : Where do you want us to make preparations for you to eat the Passover?

†. Mrk 14:12-17 . . On the first day of the Feast of Unleavened Bread, when it was customary to sacrifice the Passover lamb, Jesus' disciples asked him : Where do you want us to go and make preparations for you to eat the Passover?

†. Luke 22:7-13 . .Then came the day of Unleavened Bread on which the Passover lamb had to be sacrificed. Jesus sent Peter and John, saying : Go and make preparations for us to eat the Passover.

However, those three reports are according to the Lord's religious calendar. God inspired John's report relative to Judaism's calendar.

†. John 13:1-4 . . It was just before the Passover feast. Jesus knew that the time had come for him to leave this world and go to the Father. Having loved his own who were in the world, he now showed them the full extent of his love. The evening meal was being served, and the Devil had already prompted Judas Iscariot, son of Simon, to betray Jesus.

The "evening meal" in John's report was the Lord's pesach. It appears from John's report that the Lord dined too soon because he said Jesus dined "before" the Passover feast. But the Passover feast in John 13:1 was Judaism's feast, not the Lord's.

So according to Matthew, Mark, and Luke; the Lord's religious calendar was running 24 hours ahead of Judaism's calendar because according to John's report, the Israelites didn't begin preparations for their own pesach until the next day— the day of the Lord's trial and subsequent execution and burial.

†. John 18:28 . .Then the Jews led Jesus from Caiaphas to the palace of the Roman governor. By now it was early morning, and to avoid ceremonial uncleanness the Jews did not enter the palace; they wanted to be able to eat the Passover.

†. John 19:14 . . It was the day of preparation of Passover week, about the sixth hour. Here is your king : Pilate said to the Jews.

†. John 19:41-42 . . At the place where Jesus was crucified, there was a garden, and in the garden a new tomb, in which no one had ever been laid. Because it was the Jewish day of preparation and since the tomb was nearby, they laid Jesus there.

It's significant that John said it was the "Jewish" day of preparation; clearly indicating that the Lord's Passover dinner was over and done with before the Israelites started getting ready for theirs.

Ironically, even as the Lord's friends were burying him, the Jews were busy slaying lambs and roasting them ready-to-eat for their own annual pesach; utterly oblivious to the God's truth that the man whose execution they had only just that day instigated was the very lamb of God to whom their sacred dinner pointed.

†. John 1:25-30 . . John the Baptist answered them saying; I baptize in water, but among you stands one whom you do not know. It is he who comes after me; the thong of whose sandal I am not worthy to untie. These things took place in Bethany beyond the Jordan, where John was baptizing. The next day John saw Jesus coming to him, and said : Behold, the lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world!

†. 1Cor 5:7 . . For even Christ our passover is sacrificed for us.

FYI : Christ is "our" passover; in other words : Christianity's passover; not Judaism's.

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Good Friday (08)

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The Women

Apparently the Lord had quite an entourage of female supporters.

†. Mark 15:40-41 . .There were also women looking on afar off: among whom was Mary Magdalene, and Mary the mother of James the less and of Joses, and Salome (who also, when he was in Galilee, followed him and ministered unto him) and many other women which came up with him unto Jerusalem.

The "many other" anonymous women, aren't numbered as few, but rather, as many.

Two separate groups of women are mentioned in regards to the Lord's burial. One group of anonymous women prepared spices the very day that he was interred; while another group consisting of Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of James, and Salome went shopping for theirs after the regular seventh-day sabbath ended. It is an all too common error to assume the anonymous women of Luke 23:55-56 are the specifically named Mary Magdalene, and Mary the mother of James the less and of Joses, and Salome of Mark 16:1-2.

†. Luke 23:50-56 . . And behold, a man named Joseph, who was a member of the Council, a good and righteous man (he had not consented to their plan and action), a man from Arimathea, a city of the Jews, who was waiting for the kingdom of God; this man went to Pilate and asked for the body of Jesus. And he took it down and wrapped it in a linen cloth, and laid Him in a tomb cut into the rock, where no one had ever lain. And it was the preparation day, and the sabbath was about to begin.

. . . Now the women who had come with Him out of Galilee followed after, and saw the tomb and how His body was laid. And they returned and prepared spices and perfumes. And on the sabbath they rested according to the commandment.

The "preparation day" about which Luke wrote in that passage was Israel's preparation day rather than the Lord's preparation day. The sabbath that was "about to begin" was Passover's sabbath; viz : the first 24 hours of the Feast of Unleavened Bread. So when the anonymous women left the cemetery, they used whatever time remained before sundown to prepare spices and then that night they ate the official pesach. (The apostles had already eaten a pesach with the Lord).

It's crucial to guard against assuming that the three specifically-named women below represent all of the anonymous women of Luke 23:55-56.

†. Mrk 16:1-2 . .When the sabbath was over, Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of James, and Salome purchased spices so that they might go to anoint Jesus' body. Very early on the first day of the week, just after sunrise, they were on their way to the tomb

The sabbath of Mrk 16:1 is the regular seventh-day sabbath; easily identified by its proximity to the first 24 hours of Judaism's civil week; which is Sunday.

There are some who feel that there had to be a day in between Passover's sabbath and the regular seventh-day sabbath in order for Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of James, and Salome to go shopping. But since the Bible's 24-hour cycle of day and night begins and ends at sundown, there would really be no need for an additional day if shops re-opened for business Saturday evening after the regular seventh-day sabbath ended at sundown. And apparently shops actually were open nights because the apostles thought Judas might be going shopping the very night of the Lord's pesach (John 13:29). So Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of James, and Salome had opportunity Saturday evening to purchase their items and then go home and get some sleep before Sunday morning.

Shabbat

FAQ : Why couldn't "Early on the first day of the week, while it was still dark" (John 20:1) have been Saturday night after sundown when the Bible's 24-hour cycle of day and night begins and ends?

The "day" part of the 24-hour cycle is when the sun is up, and the "night" part of the cycle is when the sun is down. The Bible's Christ predicted himself to be interred during both the day part of the cycle and the night part of the cycle; but to rise during the day part.

†. Mtt 12:39-40 . . For as Jonah was three days and three nights in the belly of a huge fish, so the Son of Man will be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth.

†. Mrk 9:31 . .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 18:33 . . And they shall scourge him, and put him to death: and the third day he shall rise again.

†. Luke 24:6-7 . . He is not here; he has risen! Remember how he told you, while he was still with you in Galilee: The Son of Man must be delivered into the hands of sinful men, be crucified and on the third day be raised again.

†. Luke 24:46 . .Thus it is written, and thus it behooved Christ to suffer, and to rise from the dead the third day

The Bible's God defines "Day" as a time of light.

†. Gen 1:3-5 . . God saw that the light was good, and He separated the light from the darkness. God called the light Day and the darkness He called Night.

The "after sundown on Saturday" theory hasn't a leg to stand on because it's simply the wrong part of the 24-hour night and day cycle.

If people would only accept the Bible God's own personal definitions of Day and Night as per the very first book of the Bible, they wouldn't make so many silly errors in regards to the chronology of thee Lord's burial and resurrection.

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Good Friday (09)

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Length Of Stay

Although the Lord was supposed to stay buried three whole nights, he wasn't supposed to stay for three whole days; but rather, was to revive sometime during the third.

That's the way he predicted it.

†. Mtt 17:22-23 . . And while they were gathering together in Galilee, Jesus said to them : The Son of Man is going to be delivered into the hands of men; and they will kill him, and he will be raised on the third day.

†. Mrk 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 9:22 . . And he said : The Son of Man must suffer many things and be rejected by the elders, chief priests and teachers of the law, and he must be killed and on the third day be roused.

That's the way witnesses saw it.

†. Luke 24:12-24 . . Peter, however, got up and ran to the tomb. Bending over, he saw the strips of linen lying by themselves, and he went away, wondering to himself what had happened. Now that same day two of them were going to a village called Emmaus, about seven miles from Jerusalem. They were talking with each other about everything that had happened. As they talked and discussed these things with each other, Jesus himself came up and walked along with them; but they were kept from recognizing him.

. . . He asked them : What are you discussing together as you walk along? They stood still, their faces downcast. One of them, named Cleopas, asked him : Are you only a visitor to Jerusalem and do not know the things that have happened there in these days? What things? he asked.

. . . About Jesus of Nazareth; they replied. He was a prophet, powerful in word and deed before God and all the people. The chief priests and our rulers handed him over to be sentenced to death, and they crucified him; but we had hoped that he was the one who was going to redeem Israel. And what is more, it is the third day since all this took place.

†. Acts 10:39-41 . . And we are witnesses of all the things He did both in the land of the Jews and in Jerusalem. And they also put him to death by hanging him on a cross. God raised him up on the third day

That's the way it was reported.

†. 1Cor 15:4 . . He rose again the third day

And that's what the Lord testified after he came back.

†. Luke 24:41-46 . . And while they still could not believe it for joy and were marveling, he said to them : Have you anything here to eat? And they gave him a piece of a broiled fish; and he took it and ate it before them. Now he said to them : These are my words which I spoke to you while I was still with you, that all things which are written about me in the Law of Moses and the Prophets and the Psalms must be fulfilled. Then he opened their minds to understand the Scriptures, and he said to them : Thus it is written, that the Christ should suffer and rise again from the dead the third day

So then, working backwards : the three days are Sunday day, Saturday day, and Friday day; and the three nights are Saturday night, Friday night, and Thursday night.

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Good Friday (10)

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FAQ : Why do the hourly times of John's report differ from the other three gospels?

It's a bit complicated.

The Israelites and the Romans kept time differently. The first hour of the Roman 24-hour civil day began at midnight like ours does today; while the first hour of the Israelite 24-hour civil day began— ideally —at sundown. But then the Israelites subdivided their civil day into daytime hours and nighttime hours, with the first hour of daytime beginning at six hours past midnight; which to the Romans was 6:00 am (John 19:14). The sixth hour for Israelites was high noon (Mtt 27:45). So then, according to Roman time, the Lord died at the fifteenth hour, while according to the ancient Israeli daytime clock, he expired at the ninth hour. (Mtt 27:46)

Precisely why John referenced Roman time I don't know; but I suspect he probably just liked their system better because it was a universal system in the Roman world rather than a localized system in the world of Israel. Today universal time is reckoned from zero-degrees longitude at Greenwich England.

Objection : According to Mtt 27:62-63, Mrk 8:31, Jonah 1:17, and Mtt 12:40; the Lord didn't rise during the third day, but after the third day was over day: actually on a fourth day.

I'm afraid that objector was thrown off by attempting to apply the method of counting Days in our own time instead of using the way they counted Days two thousand years ago. Let me show you what I mean.

†. Acts 10:30 . .Cornelius answered; Four days ago I was in my house praying at this hour, at 3:00 o'clock in the afternoon. Suddenly a man in shining clothes stood before me

If you sum the Days in that section regarding Peter's visit to Cornelius' home, you'll find that according to the modern way of thinking, only three Days had transpired, not the four that Cornelius attested. But two thousand years ago, Cornelius counted the very Day that Peter showed up as one of those four Days even though it wasn't over when he arrived.

The preponderance of New Testament evidence— which includes Mtt 17:22-23, Mrk 9:31, Luke 9:22, Luke 24:12-24, Luke 24:41-46, John 2:19, and Acts 10:39-41 —indicates that the length of time the Lord spent in the tomb wasn't three whole days at all; but rather two whole days plus a partial day— that partial day being counted as a third; which informs us that Jonah exited his fishy tomb on the third day too.

NOTE : in order for the Lord to have revived on a fourth day; would require that he spend a fourth night in the tomb too since his stay began with a night rather than a day; but he clearly predicted spending only three nights buried, not four.

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Good Friday (11)

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FAQ : John 20:1 says that Mary Magdalene came to the cemetery while it was still dark; and the Lord was already gone. How then did he revive "on" the third day when the sun wasn't even up yet?

All the available facts have to be taken into consideration in order to make it come out right.

To begin with : It really depends upon whose English version you look at. John 20:1 is somewhat vague and translation committees aren't unanimous how best to render it into English. The NIV says Mary went in the dark rather than arriving in the dark. The Catholic Bible says Mary came to the tomb on the first day of the week rather than during the night that preceded it. And Luke, in just about every version, says she went to the cemetery upon the first day of the week rather than the first night of the week.

In addition; according to some English versions of Mark; Mary's actual arrival in the cemetery was sometime after the sun was up rather than before it was up.

†. Mrk 16:1-3 . .When the sabbath was over, Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of James, and Salome bought spices so that they might go to anoint Jesus' body. Very early on the first day of the week, just after sunrise, they were on their way to the tomb and they asked each other : Who will roll the stone away from the entrance of the tomb? (NIV)

†. Mrk 16:1-2 . .When the sabbath was over, Mary Magdalene, Mary, the mother of James, and Salome bought spices so that they might go and anoint him. Very early when the sun had risen, on the first day of the week, they came to the tomb. (Catholic Bible)

Our mind's knee-jerk reflex upon seeing a word like "dark" is to think of it being pitch black outside; but in reality, dark simply indicates any and all hours prior to the sun's upper limb peeking above the eastern horizon; including twilight; which is roughly an hour and a half long in Jerusalem during Passover season.

That entire hour and a half would be considered "dark" even though there's plenty of light outside just before sunup during Passover. Precisely when Mary and her friends left home during that hour and a half isn't stated; but my guess is there was at least enough light outside so they could easily see where they were going and also safe enough for unescorted women to travel outside of town.

The first official hour of an Israelite day back then began six hours after midnight; viz: 6:00 am. Sunrise this year in Jerusalem during the middle of Passover week will occur at 5:03 am.

In order for the predictions, and the reports, to be accurate that Christ rose on a day rather than a night, the women had to arrive at the cemetery after 6:00 am; which this year will be 57 minutes after sunrise. So then, any time after 6:00 am was easily enough to put the Lord's resurrection on the third day just as it was predicted.

†. Mrk 9:31 . . 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 18:33 . . And they shall scourge him, and put him to death: and the third day he shall rise again.

†. Luke 24:6-7 . . He is not here; he has risen! Remember how he told you, while he was still with you in Galilee: The Son of Man must be delivered into the hands of sinful men, be crucified and on the third day be raised again.

†. Luke 24:46 . .Thus it is written, and thus it behooved Christ to suffer, and to rise from the dead the third day

And just as it was reported.

†. Luke 24:21-23 . . today is the third day since these things were done. In addition, some of our women amazed us. They went to the tomb early this morning but didn't find his body. They came and told us that they had seen a vision of angels, who said he was alive.

†. Acts 10:39-41 . . And we are witnesses of all the things He did both in the land of the Jews and in Jerusalem. And they also put him to death by hanging him on a cross. God raised him up on the third day, and granted that he should become visible, not to all the people, but to witnesses who were chosen beforehand by God, that is, to us, who ate and drank with him after he arose from the dead.

†. 1Cor 15:4 . . He rose again the third day.

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Good Friday (12)

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Objection : I seriously doubt Nicodemus and Joseph of Arimathaea had enough time to return to the city, locate Pilate, obtain an audience, round up a hundred-pound weight of spices, return to the crucifixion site, get the body down off the cross, and prepare it for burial all before sundown.

Christ is recorded as expiring around the ninth hour (Mtt 27:46-50, Mrk 15:34-37, Luke 23:44-46) which corresponds to 3:00 pm. Sunset at Jerusalem, in the middle of Passover week 2011, will take place at 6:12 pm.

In my opinion, three hours was plenty enough time to to find Mr. Pilate, accumulate the spices, get back out to the crucifixion site, take the Lord's body down off the cross, wrap it in cloths and spices, and lay it to rest in Joseph of Arimathaea's tomb especially since the Lord was executed and buried practically right outside the city's walls.

The site of Golgotha has never really been precisely verified; but considering that condemned men had to lug crosses to their own executions after having been flogged and pummeled to within an inch of their lives, it's my guess the distance wasn't all that great or they wouldn't make it. (cf. John 19:1-3, Isa 52:14)

Some people seem to be under the impression that the site where Christ was crucified was a great journey from Jerusalem, but I've no doubt it was just outside town— like most boot hills in America's old West. And the cemetery itself was conveniently situated adjacent to the crucifixion site.

†. John 19:41-42 . . Now in the place where he was crucified there was a garden; and in the garden a new sepulcher, wherein was never man yet laid. There laid they Jesus therefore because of the Jews' preparation day; for the sepulcher was nigh at hand.

Jerusalem 2,000 years ago in the Lord's era was not the sprawling metropolis it is now. If you check a National Geographic map of the old city's boundaries compared to the modern, you'll note a significant difference.

Finding Pilate was the easy part. His palace was right next to the fortress of Antonia, which itself was situated near the Temple in Jerusalem. Pilate had sentenced the Lord from that location only just that very morning.

Pilate and the Lord spent some time together in a personal interview. By the time it was over; Pilate was actually sympathetic to the Lord's plight and knew in his own heart that the Lord was somebody special rather than just an ordinary criminal. I don't think the Lord's friends had much trouble obtaining permission to take the corpse into custody and bury it. The instant Pilate verified the Lord's death, he released the body without argument. (Mrk 15:43-45)

Three hours was easily enough time. Some people don't think it is, but that's their hang-up, not mine. There are always going to be skeptics about the events of the Lord's crucifixion similar to those who cannot bring themselves to believe that Lee Harvey Oswald had enough time to get off all three of the shots fired at JFK; but to this day; no one has been able to prove he didn't.

Objection : You fail to consider how long it would have taken to prepare the Lord's body. Tell me, have you ever washed up a dead body covered in blood etc to make it presentable?

The Lord was buried under severe time constraints because of the Jews' impending Passover because that night was a special sabbath that began at sundown. The Bible makes no mention that his friends made him "presentable" I mean, after all, they just wanted to get him buried before the sun set. It wasn't their goal to groom the Lord for public viewing in a Vatican rotunda.

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Good Friday (13)

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Objection : If the women of Mtt 27:61, Mtt 28:1 and Mrk 16:1 were fully aware that the Lord had already been adequately spiced, why would they come back later with more?

The Lord was well-loved and admired by quite a few people; including an entourage of anonymous women (Mark 15:40-41). It's to be expected that some of the Lord's female friends would want an active part in his burial; like when people toss their own personal little handful of dirt on top of a casket. It's their way of saying good-bye and obtaining closure.

Mary Magdalena was especially fond of the Lord and very upset when she was led to believe his body had been moved before she had a chance to add her own spices. True; the Lord's corpse didn't need her spices. It already had a wheelbarrow load of stuff smeared on it. But none of those spices were Mary's. Some people just don't get it because there's a great big void right through the middle of them where a heart is supposed to be.

Objection : John does not say in chapters 13 and 14 that the Lord's dinner is a pesach.

There are enough sequential incidents duplicated in all four Gospel records to substantiate that the Lord ate a pesach meal in John's account, namely : Judas' betrayal, the Lord's arrest, Peter's denial, the interview with Pilate, and of course the Lord's crucifixion and subsequent resurrection.

FAQ : Within the context of Mtt 26:17 it is daytime. If it was already the daylight part of the first day of the Feast of Unleavened Bread, then the Lord was running late because he should have eaten his pesach last night.

The koiné Greek word for "first" is protos (pro'-tos) which means foremost (in time, place, order, or importance). The word "first" is a bit ambiguous because it doesn't necessarily indicate day-one; but can also simply indicate a primary day and/or a preliminary day; for example : according to Mk 14:12-17, and Lk 22:7-13, the first day of the Feast refers to Ex 12:18-20, and Lev 23:5-6, which is the day of preparation; the 14th of Nisan, when Yhvh's people are supposed to get everything ready for the Passover dinner. On the 14th; they remove chametz from their homes, and slaughter and roast lambs ready-to-eat by sundown for dinner that night.

A correct perspective of preparation day is crucial to understanding the course of events during crucifixion week. The Lord was on his own schedule, and thus his own preparation day; while Judaism was on its own schedule, and thus its own preparation day. If somebody isn't aware of those two schedules, (or worse; chooses to deliberately discount them) they will never get the course of events figured out right.

According to Matt 26:3-5, Judaism's religious hierarchy made it their goal to avoid arresting the Lord during their own feast. And according to Mark 15:42, Luke 23:54, John 13:1-2, John 18:28, John 19:14, John 19:31, and John 19:41-42, they succeeded.

†. John 19:14 . .Now it was the preparation day of the Passover, and about the sixth hour. And Pilate said to the Jews : Behold your King!

By the time of Judaism's preparation day (viz: the preliminary day) the Lord had already eaten his own pesach; and the rest of the Israelites were now getting ready for theirs; which they would consume while the Lord's corpse was spending its first night in the tomb.

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Good Friday (14)

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Objection : Your theory is wrong. The Lord did not eat a day early. According to Mark 14:12 and Luke 22:7, the Lord ate his Passover at the customary time.

That's true, the Lord dined upon his pesach at the customary time rather than the official time. The customary time was right on the dot; while Judaism's hierarchy is not always punctual; and that's very easy to prove.

†. John 18:28 . .Then the Jews led Jesus from Caiaphas to the palace of the Roman governor. By now it was early morning, and to avoid ceremonial uncleanness the Jews did not enter the palace; they wanted to be able to eat the Passover.

Since the Lord ate his own Passover lamb the night he was arrested, and as it was then morning in John 18:28, it should be quite obvious to even the most adamant of skeptics that his own Passover schedule was a full day ahead of Judaism's schedule because they were reluctant to enter Pilate's palace in order to avoid ceremonial uncleanness so they could eat their own pesach according to the official time set by Judaism's hierarchy.

FAQ : Didn't Josephus use the Greek word paraskeue (preparation) to unambiguously mean preparation day for the regular seventh-day Sabbath rather than for Passover?

With all due respect to Mr. Josephus; John specifically says it was the preparation for Passover, not for the regular seventh-day Sabbath.

†. John 19:14 . . Now it was the day of preparation for the Passover; it was about the sixth hour. And Pilate said to the Jews: Behold, your King!

FAQ : If the Lord was eating a pesach on the night he was arrested, then why did the other apostles think Judas was being sent out to buy things for it in John 13:29 since their master's own pesach meal was supposed to be already fully prepared; thus precluding the need to shop for additional foodstuffs?

According to Mark 14:12-17 and Luke 22:7-16, the meal that the Lord ate, the night he was arrested, was clearly a pesach.

The feast to which some of the apostles referred was of course the Feast of Unleavened Bread; which includes, and commences with, the Passover meal. The Lord's dinner was fully prepared, but there is no indication that he and his men were fully prepared for the rest of the feast; viz : the week ahead. They would need a seven-day supply of unleavened bread for that.

It is of interest to me that some of the apostles believed shops to still be open for business after dark; which farther indicates that the Lord ate his own pesach a day ahead since the Passover meal coincides with the Feast of Unleavened Bread, the first evening of which begins a sabbath day, thus precluding normal evening shopping opportunities.

The text doesn't say how many of the apostles thought the Lord sent Judas out to shop, so then not all were of the same mind. The reason I bring that up is because those that thought that way apparently weren't using their heads. Passover night, whether the Lord's calendar or the official calendar, is a sabbath. Surely he wouldn't send one of his own men out to break it.

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Good Friday (15)

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Objection : The Greek word artos is regular bread and azumos is unleavened. According to Mtt 26:26, Mrk 14:22, Luke 22:19, and John 13:18, your Jesus ate artos with his pesach; thus breaking Moses' covenanted law.

Eating regular bread at Passover is a sin for which Moses' covenanted law permits neither atonement nor forgiveness.

†. Ex 12:14-15 . .This day shall be to you one of remembrance: you shall celebrate it as a festival to the Lord throughout the ages; you shall celebrate it as an institution for all time. Seven days you shall eat unleavened bread; on the very first day you shall remove leaven from your houses, for whoever eats leavened bread from the first day to the seventh day, that person shall be cut off from Israel.

As the objector said, there are two words for "bread" in the New Testament.

The first is azumos (ad'-zoo-mos) which means: unleavened. It appears in Mtt 26:17, Mrk 14:1, Mrk14:12, Luke 22:1, Luke 22:7, Acts 12:3, Acts 20:6, 1Cor 5:7 and 1Cor 5:8.

In the Gospels, and in Acts, azumos' use is narrow, It specifically labels Passover week, and never used to identify the kind of bread people actually put on their plates.

The other word is artos (ar'-tos) which doesn't mean unleavened bread; but just simply means bread as a not-otherwise-specified bakery product; viz: any kind of bread; both leavened and unleavened.

Artos is the common word for bread in the Gospels. It's used in Mtt 26:26, Mrk 14:22, Luke 22:19, and John 13:18, plus about ninety-three other places throughout the New Testament.

Artos is the word Matthew employed in the Lord's defense of David's actions escaping from Saul.

†. Mtt 12:4 . . He entered the house of God, and he and his companions ate the consecrated bread— which was not lawful for them to do, but only for the priests. (1Sam 21:1-6)

Was the consecrated bread, that the priest fed David and his men, the Hebrew chametz? I don't think so. Although Lev 24:5-9 doesn't specifically say that the consecrated bread is the Hebrew matzah, it does imply so because the only ingredient listed is choice flour.

Excellent examples of the versatility of the word artos, are 1Cor 5:6-8, and 1Cor 10:16-17. Both passages say believers are bread. The first reference says that believers are azumos, and the second reference says that they (and Christ as well) are artos.

John 6:32-48 says that the Lord is the bread of God and the bread of Life. In both cases, the bread is artos. Surely no one would propose to say that the bread of God and the bread of Life are leavened breads; especially since we know from 1Cor 5:6-8 that leaven represents the presence of corruption.

Artos is a versatile word whose application is similar to the use of a word like "car" which is a broad term that can mean Ford, Mercedes, Volkswagen, or Corvette. Used alone, without clarification "car" only indicates an unspecified conveyance; which could even be an elevator or a section of Amtrak. Artos is actually nondescript, and can apply to any kind of bakery product— leavened and/or unleavened.

And anyway, the Lord and his men weren't dunces. Those guys were all observant Jews who knew better than to eat chametz on Passover. There's just no way they would eat leavened bread with their pesach because doing so would be painfully contrary to their ethnic identity. And whoever prepared dinner for them would certainly never do such a dumb thing as serving regular bread with a meal that commences a week-long festival whose prime focus is matzah.

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