Some Christians believe that Christ died on a Friday because the next day after his crucifixion was a Sabbath. But this Sabbath was not a weekly Sabbath, it was an annual Sabbath. See Jewish Holy Days. 

The problem with the "Friday burial hypothesis" is that the length of time from Friday evening to Sunday morning is not 72 hours (3 days and 3 nights); it is only 1 1/2 days.  

There are not 3 full  nights, but only one night -- Saturday--, and part of another night -- Friday;  there are not 3 full  days, but only  one day --Saturday; and we cannot count any daylight hours of Sunday because He was already resurrected before daybreak  of Sunday. John 20:1 "On the first day of the week Mary Magdalene came to the memorial tomb early, while there was still darkness, and she beheld the stone already taken away from the memorial tomb."  So we can not count any daylight hours of Sunday, and we cannot count any daylight hours of Friday either because his burial was FINISHED when it was already late at night.

We need to have exactly 3 days and 3 nights because Jesus said that he would be buried "in the heart of the Earth" for 3 days and 3 nights, Mathew 12:40 "..the Son of man will be in the heart of the earth three days and three nights."  This is the sign of Jonah, the only sign he would give that he is the true messiah.  Ma 12:39 "A wicked and adulterous generation keeps on seeking for a sign, but no sign will be given it except the sign of Jonah the prophet."   For more information on this topic, read Sign of the Messiah.

We know that for him to be the true messiah he must be inside the Earth for three whole days and nights. That means not only dead, but also BURIED. Counting back from Sunday morning 3 days and 3 nights we arrive at Thursday morning as the time of his finished burial. All we need to do is find out if all the passages of the bible fit into this time frame.

Sequence of Events:

1.  Tuesday night around 7:00 pm. -- Christ sits down to eat the passover with his disciples

 Ma 26:19-20 and the disciples did as Jesus ordered them, and they got things ready for the Passover.  When now it had become evening, he was reclining at the table with the twelve disciples.

2.  Tuesday night around 8:00 pm. -- Jesus washes the feet of the apostles.

John 13:3-12  He...got up from the evening meal and laid aside his outer garments.  and, taking a towel, he girded himself.  After that he put water into a basin and started to wash the feet of the disciples and to dry them off with the towel...when now he had washed their feet and had put his outer garments on and laid himself down at the table again, he said to them 'Do you know what I have done to you?'

3.  Tuesday night around 10:00 pm. -- Jesus and his disciples go to the Mount of Olives.

Matthew 26: 30-31 Finally, after singing praises, they went out to the Mount of Olives.  Then Jesus said to them:'all of you will be stumbled in connection with me on this night..' 

4.  Tuesday night  around 10:20 pm -- Jesus goes to Gethsemane to pray for the first time

Mark 14:32-34 So they came to a spot named Gethsemane, and he said to his disciples: ' Sit down here while I pray' And he took Peter and James and John along with him....and he said to them 'my soul is deeply grieved, even to death. Stay here and keep on the watch '

5.  That night around 11:20 pm   -- Jesus find the apostles sleeping 

Mark 14:37 And he came and found them sleeping, and he said to Peter 'Simon, are you sleeping?  Did you not have strength to keep on the watch one hour?'

6.  That night around 11:30 AM --Jesus goes to pray for a second time

Mark 14:39 And he went away again and prayed

 

 

7.  That night (Wednesday) around 12:30 AM -- Jesus goes to pray for a third time and finds the Apostles sleeping again.

Mark 14:41 And he came the third time and said to them 'At such a time as this you are sleeping and taking your rest! It is enough! The hour has come! Look! The Son of man is betrayed into the hands of sinners.

8.  That night around 1:30 AM  -- Christ is taken prisoner.

Mark 14:42-43 Get up, let us go.  Look! My betrayer has drawn near.  And immediately, while he was yet speaking, Judas, one of the twelve, arrived and with him a crowd with swords and clubs from the chief priests and the scribes and the older men.  Matthew 26:47-48  ....Judas, one of the twelve, came and with him a great crowd with swords and clubs from the chief priests and older men of the people.  Now his betrayer had given them a sign , saying: 'whoever it is I kiss, this is he; take him into custody.'

 

9.  That night around 2:00 AM.-- Jesus is taken to Annas.

John 18:12-13 Then the soldier band and the military commander and the officers of the Jews seized Jesus and bound him.  and they led him first to Annas; for he was father in law to Caiaphas, who was high priest that year

10.  Around 2:30 AM -- Peter and another disciple follow Jesus into the courtyard.

Matthew 26:58 But Peter kept following him at a good distance, as far as the courtyard of the high priest, and after going inside, he was sitting with the house attendants to see the outcome.  John 18:15 Now Simon Peter as well as another disciple was following Jesus.  That disciple was known to the high priest, and he went in with Jesus into the courtyard of the high priest, but Peter was standing outside at the door.  Therefore the other disciple, who was known to the high priest, went out and spoke to the doorkeeper and brought Peter in.

11.  Around 3:00 AM -- Peter denies Jesus for the first time

Luke 22:57 ..."I do not know him woman" John 18:17 the servant girl, the doorkeeper then said to Peter 'you are not one of this man's disciples, are you?'  He said 'I am not.'

12.  Around 3:00 AM -- Peter sits down with them around a fire.

Mark 14:48 ...and he [Peter] was sitting together with the house attendants and warming himself before a bright fire.

13.  Around 3:00 AM -- Jesus is questioned by the chief priest.

John 18:19 And so the chief priest questioned Jesus about his disciples and about his teaching. 

14.  Around 3:30 AM -- Jesus is mocked.

Luke 22:63 Now the men that had him in custody began to make fun of him, hitting him and after covering him over they would ask and say 'prophesy, who is it that struck you?'

15.  Around 4:00 AM -- Jesus is bound to be sent to Caiaphas, the high priest.

 John 18:24 Then Annas sent him away bound to Caiaphas the high priest.

16.  Around 4:00 AM -- Peter denies Jesus for the second  and third time.

Luke 22:59 -- and after an hour intervened, a certain other began insisting strongly 'for a certainty this also was with him, for in fact he is a Galilean, but Peter said 'man I do not know what you are saying.' 

 John 18:25  ... Simon Peter was standing and warming himself.  Then they said to him  'you are not also one of his disciples, are you?'  He denied it and said 'I am not'  One of the slaves of the high priest, being a relative of the man whose ear Peter cut off, said: 'I saw you in the garden with him, did I not?'  However Peter denied it again and immediately a cock crowed.


Peter Denies Jesus 

 


Jesus before Caiaphas

  Caiaphas was the high priest, son in law of Annas

17.  At dawn, around 6:00 AM – Christ is taken to the Sanhedrin. 

Matthew 27:1 When it had become morning, all the chief priests and the older men of the people held a consultation against Jesus so as to put him to death Mark 15:1 And immediately at dawn the chief priests with the older men and the scribes, even the whole Sanhedrin, conducted a consultation...Luke 22:66 At length, when it became day, the assembly of older men of the people, both the chief priests and scribes, gathered together, and they haled him into their Sanhedrin hall.

18.  Wednesday morning around 7:00 AM -- Judas returns the thirty pieces of silver.

Matthew 27:3-7 Then Judas, who betrayed him, seeing he had been condemned [by the Sanhedrin] felt remorse and turned the thirty silver pieces back to the chief priests and older men...After consulting together they bought with them the potter's field...

 19.  Wednesday morning around 8 AM – Christ is taken to Pilate where He is questioned.  

John 18:28 ... they led Jesus from Caiaphas to the Governor's palace (the pretorium).  It was now early in the day.  Luke 23:1 So the multitude of them rose, one and all, and led him to Pilate.  John 18:29 Therefore Pilate came outside to them and said :  'what accusation do you bring against this man?'...So Pilate entered into the Governor's palace again and called Jesus and said to him:'Are you the king of the Jews?'

 

Pilate interrogated Jesus for a long time and finding no fault in him went back to the crowds and told them "I find no crime in this man."   Luke 23:5-7  But they began to be insistent saying 'He stirs up the people by teaching throughout all Judea even starting out from Galilee to here.  On hearing that, Pilate asked whether the man was a Galilean, and after ascertaining that he was from the Jurisdiction of Herod, he sent him on to Herod...

20.  Wednesday morning around 9:30 AM  – Christ is taken to Herod where he is questioned for a long time.

Luke 23:8-9 When Herod saw Jesus he rejoiced greatly, for over a considerable time he was wanting to see him because of having heard about him, and he was hoping to see some sign performed by him.  Now he began to question him with a good many words...

21.  Wednesday morning about 11:00 AM – Christ is taken back to Pilate

Luke 23:11-12 Then Herod together with his soldier guards discredited him, and he made fun of him by clothing him with a bright garment and sent him back to Pilate.  Both Herod and Pilate now became friends with each other on that very day; for before that they had continued at enmity between themselves.

22.  Wednesday morning around 11:30 AM -- Pilate's wife tells him about the dream she had with Jesus.   

Matthew 27:19
While he was sitting on the judgment seat, his wife sent him a message, saying, "Have nothing to do with that righteous Man; for last night I suffered greatly in a dream because of Him."

23.  Wednesday morning about 12:00 noon -- Pilate is sitting  at the judgmment seat in the stone pavement (Gabbatha) and the angry crowd asks Pilate to release Barabbas and kill Jesus.

Matthew 27:20-23
But the chief priests and the elders persuaded the crowds to ask for Barabbas and to put Jesus to death.  But the governor said to them, "Which of the two do you want me to release for you?" And they said, "Barabbas."  Pilate *said to them, "Then what shall I do with Jesus who is called Christ?" They all *said, "Crucify Him!"  And he said, "Why, what evil has He done?" But they kept shouting all the more, saying, "Crucify Him!"
Matthew 27:24 When Pilate saw that he was accomplishing nothing, but rather that a riot was starting, he took water and washed his hands in front of the crowd, saying, "I am innocent of this Man's blood; see to that yourselves."


Matthew 27:25
And all the people said, "His blood shall be on us and on our children!"

Luke 23: 18 But with their whole multitude they cried out, saying: 'take this one away, but release Barabbas to us.'

Matthew 27:26
Then did he release to them Barabbas, and having scourged Jesus, he delivered [him] up that he may be crucified;

Pilate tried over and over to convey to the angry mob that he did not find in Jesus  any cause deserving punishment.  The angry crowd answered:

John 19:12-13 ...if you release this man you are not a friend of Caesar, everyman making himself a king speaks against Caesar. Therefore Pilate, after hearing these words, brought Jesus outside, and he sat down on a judgment seat in a place called the stone pavement, but in Hebrew, Gabbatha.  Now it was preparation of the Passover, it was about the sixth hour.  and he said to the Jews:  'See your King!'......at that time, therefore, he handed him over to them to be impaled.

This is a quote that tells us exactly what time it was when Jesus was with Pilate at the stone pavement.  It can not be 6:00 AM, because we know Jesus was taken to the Sanhedrin about that time (dawn).  It can not be 6:00 pm because it took Jesus 6 hours to die in the cross, and you would need to add the time it took Jesus to walk to Golgotha ... get nailed to the cross and the cross be lifted up.  That would put his death into the early hours of the next day. 

The explanation is that John is using the Hebrew way of counting time, the first hour being after dawn and therefore, six hours from dawn being noontime.  Therefore, the  sixth hour in Hebrew time is 12:00 PM (noon) of our time.

Also compare what is said by Mark 15:25.  Mark is using our way of reckoning time.  

Luke 23:24-25 So Pilate gave sentence for their demand to be met, he released the man that had been thrown into prison for sedition and murder and whom they were demanding, but he surrendered Jesus to their will.

 24.  Wednesday around 12:30 pm. -- Pilate gives ssentence to Jesus and Jesus is whipped.

Mark 15:15 At that, Pilate, wishing to satisfy the crowd, released Barabbas to them, and after having Jesus whipped, he handed him over to be impaled.

25.  Wednesday around 1:00 pm. -- Jesus is led into the pretorium and is given a crown of thorns.

Mark 15:16-19 The soldiers now led him off into the courtyard, that is, into the pretorium, and they called the whole body of troops together, and they decked him with purple and braided a crown of thorns and put it on him.  And they started greeting him 'good day you king of the Jews' also they would hit him on the head with a reed and spit upon him and bending their knees, they would do obeisance to him

26.  Wednesday afternoon around 2:00 pm. -- Christ is given a cross to carry to be crucified.

Mark 15:20 Finally when they had made fun of him, they stripped him of the purple and put his outer garments upon him and they led him out to impale him.

 

27.  Wednesday afternoon around 2:30 pm. -- Simon of Cyrene carries the cross foor Jesus.

Mark 15:21 Also they impressed into service a passerby, a certain Simon of Cyrene, coming from the country, the father of Alexander and Rufus, that he should lift up his torture stake [cross].

28.  Wednesday afternoon at 3:00 pm. – Christ is crucified

Mark 15:24-25 And they impaled him and distributed his outer garments by casting the lot over them as to who takes what.  It was now the third hour, and they impaled him.

This is a text that tells us exactly the time it was when Jesus was nailed to the cross.

Mark 15:27 Moreover, they impaled two robbers with him, one on his right and one on his left.

29.  Wednesday at  6:00 pm. -- Darkness falls upon the earth.

Luke 23:44-45 Well by now it was about the sixth hour, and yet a darkness fell over all the earth until the ninth hour, because the sunlight failed; then the curtain of the sanctuary was rent down the middle. 

Mark 15:33 When it became the sixth hour a darkness fell over the whole earth until the ninth hour.  

The darkness that fell between 6:00 pm and 9:00 pm could be observed because that day, Nisan 14/ Passover, always falls in the spring around March or April of our calendar and there is always a full moon.  At a time when no electricity existed, variations in the light were very obvious.

30.  Wednesday night at 9:00 pm. -- Jesus side is pierced, he dies, an  earthquake occurs, and the curtain of the sanctuary is rent in two pieces.

Mark 15:34-37 And at the ninth hour Jesus called out with a loud voice; 'Eli, Eli, lama sabachthani' which means when translated: 'my God, my God, why have you forsaken me? And some of those standing near, on hearing it, began to say: 'See, he is calling Elijah' but a certain one ran, soaked a sponge wit sour wine, put it on a reed, and began giving him a drink, saying: 'Let him be.  Let us see whether Elijah comes to take him down.  But Jesus let out a loud cry and expired.

  Matthew 27:49-54 But the rest of them said: 'Let him be.  Let us see whether Elijah comes to save him.'  Another man took a spear and pierced his side, and blood and water came out.  Again Jesus cried out with a loud voice and yielded up his spirit..and the curtain of the sanctuary was rent in two.....but the army officer and those with him watching Jesus, when they saw the earthquake and the things happening, grew very much afraid, saying: 'Certainly this was God's Son.'

Mark tells us exactly the time it was when Jesus died.

We have listed the major events in order to help the reader realize that the hypothesis that states that: 

1. Christ died on a Friday

2. He was crucified at 9:00 AM in the morning and died at 3:00 pm in the afternoon 

is impossible.

So Jesus, our Christ, did not die on a Friday.  If he did, he is not the true Messiah.  He died on a Wednesday.

He did not die at 3:00 PM.  He died at 9:00 PM.  We know from reading the scriptures that it was already morning when Jesus was taken to the Sanhedrin.  All the listed events from the time He went into the Sanhedrin to the time he was actually crucified cannot happen in three hours from 6:00 AM to 9:00 AM.  Besides, this theory would contradict the statement made by the apostle John that it was the sixth hour (12:00 PM noon of our time) when Jesus was with Pilate in the Gabbatha John 19:13. It would contradict the statements made by Mark, Mark 15:24-25 that he was crucified at the third hour and  Mark 15:33-37 that he died at the ninth hour.

To continue the story from Jesus death to his finished burial read Time of Christ's Burial.

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