Christianity has for many years taught that Jesus was crucified on Good Friday and arose early on the following Sunday morning (first day of the week). However, Jesus said, "For as Jonah was in the belly of the great fish for three days and three nights, so will the Son of Man be in the heart of the earth for three days and three nights." (Matthew 12:40)
My problem with Good Friday is that Jesus could not have fulfilled the above prophecy because He was only in the grave for two nights and barely two days. Many wonder why this is even important? It's very important because Jesus based His claim to being the Messiah on this prophecy! If He was unable to carry out this prophecy to the exact time, then that meant He was not Who He claimed to be - God Almighty - come in the flesh - the Messiah!
In answer to this century-long debate regarding Good Friday and the Crucifixion, I decided to "Do the Math" for myself. Before we start "doing the math", we need to remember that from the beginnning of Creation, God set up our days to begin from sunset to sunset (not from morning to evening). Given that fact, the first day of the week (Sunday) actually begins after sundown on Saturday night (which is the 7th day weekly
Sabbath Day).
To make this easier to understand, I'm going to do the math backwards - starting with the known fact that Jesus arose on "the first day of the week". Beginning with Saturday night to Friday night (which is the weekly Sabbath day), we have one day that Jesus was in the grave. Friday night to Thursday night counts as the second day, and Thursday night to Wednesday night makes the third day that Jesus was in the "belly of the earth". (Matt. 12:40) This explains the three days, but what about the three nights?
Doing the math backwards in the above paragraph, we now see that Wednesday night was the first night Jesus was in the grave. That would mean that Jesus was crucified sometime on Wednesday. If Jesus was crucified on Wednesday, by going forward we can figure that Wednesday night would be the first night, Thursday would be the second night, and Good Friday would be the third night He was in the grave. This totally "fits" with the above prophecy!!
If you still aren't sure this math is correct, I found something else very interesting that definitely solves this age-old puzzle regarding Good Friday NOT being the day of Christ's crucifixion. In Mark 16:1 it reads, "Now when the Sabbath was past, Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of James, and Salome bought spices, that they might come and anoint Him." Remember, the weekly Sabbath began from sundown Friday night to sundown Saturday night. My question is: How did the women go shopping "when the Sabbath was past?" It was dark outside and shop owners would be getting ready to go to bed. That made me wonder if there was another Sabbath in that week?
Indeed, there was another sabbath in that week. Leviticus 23:5-7 states: On the 14th day of the first month at twilight is the Lord's Passover. And on the 15th day of the same month is the Feast of Unleavened Bread to the Lord; seven days you must eat unleavened bread. On the first day (of this Feast), you shall have a holy convocation; you shall do no customary work on it." That was a special sabbath day, a high sabbath day. This was NOT the weekly 7th day Sabbath Day, which is what has confused people for so many centuries!
In other words, Christ was crucified on Passover (Wednesday). The next day, Thursday, was the Feast of Unleavened Bread - a high sabbath day, on which no one was to do any work. Shops were closed. However, when THAT sabbath (Thursday) "was past" - they went shopping and "bought spices, that they might come and anoint Him." The truth is: Good Friday is the day the women went shopping. It was NOT the day Christ was crucified! After they bought the spices, they rested on the 7th day Sabbath (Friday night to Saturday night). Then "very early in the morning, on the first day of the week (Sunday), they came to the tomb..." (Mark 16:1) and of course, Christ was not there because He had already risen!
The "Sign of Jonah" was completed right down to the exact minute: Three days and Three nights in the "heart of the earth". It proves that Jesus Christ is Almighty God, the Creator God, the One Who is coming again to judge both the living and the dead. "Do the Math"! Jesus is Who He claims to be: The Messiah!
