Bible Studies

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On what day was Yeshua crucified? I hear this question quite often and I am fully aware of the debate that still continues to this day. I have alluded to my opinion on this matter previously. As a believer, I would fully expect that the creation of the second Adam (Yeshua at the crucifixion) would fully mirror the creation of the first man Adam and would therefore fall on the very same day of the week, the sixth day. We should all be familiar with the Creation Story as related in Genesis. I will only recite a few pertinent verses now.

Genesis 1:27,31 (KJV)

27 So God created man in his own image, in the image of God created he him; male and female created he them.
31 And God saw every thing that he had made, and, behold, it was very good. And the evening and the morning were the sixth day.

But how do I know that Yeshua is the second Adam? That fact is related to us by Paul in I Corinthians 15:45 when speaking of Christ.

I Corinthians 15:45 (KJV)

45 And so it is written, The first man Adam was made a living soul; the last Adam was made a quickening spirit.

Before continuing, I will briefly digress to explain the Hebrew week. In the Hebrew culture the days of the week ran through from evening to evening. The days were typically ordinal and the seventh day was called the Sabbath--later, the sixth day would be referred to as the Preparation Day. By the time of Yeshua, the days of the week would be…

Evening to Evening

Sat. to Sun.--First Day
Sun. to Mon.--Second Day
Mon. to Tues.--Third Day
Tues. to Weds.--Fourth Day
Weds. to Thurs..--Fifth Day
Thurs. to Fri.--Sixth Day or Preparation Day
Fri. to Sat.--Sabbath

Therefore, according to Genesis, mankind was created on the Sixth Day or what would later be called Preparation Day. We further learn of the Day of Preparation from Exodus 16:5 when the Israelites are told to gather manna.

Exodus 16:5 (KJV)

5 And it shall come to pass, that on the sixth day they shall prepare that which they bring in; and it shall be twice as much as they gather daily.

So we now understand that the Sixth Day was also the Day of Preparation. It would benefit us to also understand what day the Passover and Feast of Unleavened Bread began. From scripture we know that the Passover was killed on Nisan 14. The entire feast was to last from Nisan 14 to Nisan 21. Let’s look at some additional verses from Exodus.

Exodus 12:2 (KJV)

2 This month shall be unto you the beginning of months: it shall be the first month of the year to you (Nisan).
18 In the first month (Nisan), on the fourteenth day of the month at even, ye shall eat unleavened bread, until the one and twentieth day of the month at even.

At this point, we would expect the crucifixion to be on the sixth day of the week on Nisan 14. Is there any support of this in the New Testament? Indeed, and it is quite extensive. Therefore, we will look at some very important chronological verses in Luke.

Luke 24:1,13,20-21 (KJV)

1 Now upon the first day of the week, very early in the morning…
13 And, behold, tow of them went that same day to a village called Emmaus…
20 And how the chief priests and our rulers delivered him to be condemned to death, and have crucified him.
21 …and beside all this, to day is the third day since these things were done.

In verse 1 above, it is established that Mary Magdalene and the other women went to the tomb early Sunday morning on the first day of the week (Saturday evening to Sunday evening). In verse 13 we learn of two disciples traveling to Emmaus on that same day, Sunday. They meet Yeshua (unbeknownst to them) and have a conversation relating recent events about the crucifixion. In verse 21, they inform Yeshua that it is the “third day since these things were done.” Let’s count back.

Sunday to Saturday--Third Day
Saturday to Friday--Second Day
Friday to Thursday--First Day

Remember that the Jewish week ran evening to evening. Therefore, the day that Yeshua was delivered up and crucified fell on the sixth day of the week, Thursday evening to Friday evening. Further, we know from events detailed in the Gospels, that Yeshua and the Twelve held their Passover Thursday night, Yeshua was later arrested in the garden, and that the crucifixion actually took place the following day--Friday. While there are many supporting chronological verses, let’s look at just a few more before concluding.

Luke 23:52-54 (KJV)

52 This man went unto Pilate, and begged the body of Jesus.
53 And he took it down, and wrapped it in linen, and laid it in a sepulchre that was hewn in stone, wherein never man before was laid.
54 And that day was the preparation, and the Sabbath drew on.

John 19:31 (KJV)

31 The Jews therefore, because it was the preparation…(for that Sabbath was an high day)…

What we learn from the above-cited verses in Luke and John is confirmation that the crucifixion took place on the Day of Preparation, that Yeshua died late in the afternoon as the weekly Sabbath drew near, and that this particular weekly Sabbath was made a High Day owing to the fact that it would fall on the first day of Unleavened Bread (evening Nisan 14). Therefore, we have the Last Supper and Crucifixion taking place on Thursday to Friday (the sixth day on Nisan 14) and the Resurrection occurring on the third day after (the first day of the week on Nisan 16). But why is the first day also the eighth day? Well, we’ll look at that in another article.

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