Bible Question

When was Jesus crucified?

Short Answer: When was Jesus crucified?

The true sign revealing Jesus’ identity lies in His three days and three nights spent in the heart of the earth, as mentioned in Matthew 12:39-40. Unfortunately, this significant period is often overlooked or shortened in our preaching, mistakenly claiming He died on Friday and rose on Sunday morning.

The Sabbath before Jesus’ crucifixion was a high day, coinciding with the Passover, not the regular Saturday weekly Sabbath (John 19:14, 31). The first Passover lamb was slain on a Wednesday (Leviticus 23:10-11, 16), and in fulfillment of being the firstfruits, Jesus had to rise on Saturday and be waved on Sunday (Leviticus 23:10-11, 15-16; 1 Corinthians 15:20, 23).

In light of this, Jesus was crucified on Wednesday, was resurrected on Saturday, and had already risen and departed when they arrived on Sunday morning (Matthew 28:1-6; Mark 16:1-6; Luke 24:1-7; John 20:1-7).

Scripture outline: Jesus crucified Biblical Outline

  • Matthew 12:39-40 and the only sign Jesus said He’d give them was that of Jonas — three days and three nights in the whale’s belly 
  • We say Jesus was crucified Friday evening & already risen or rising on Sunday morning — NOT TRUE
    • If that was the case He was in the grave two nights (Friday & Saturday) and one morning (Saturday morning) — we cut the sign in half 
  • John 19:30-31 “the bodies should not remain upon the cross on the sabbath day, (for that sabbath day was an high day,)”
    • The Sabbath day is a Saturday so if based on days of the week, the day before the Sabbath is a Friday 
    • Lev. 23 – there were other sabbath days that were not based on a day of the week but on the day of a month 
    • The passover was never based on the day of the week so Jesus was crucified the day before the passover (John 19:14) which was a Sabbath day that was a HIGH DAY, a holy day, a holiday
      • Ex. Christmas on the 25th of Dec., this year on a Tuesday – every year a different day but always the same day of the month
        • This year the day before Christmas is a Monday but that’s different every year 
  • Jesus was crucified the day before a sabbath but that Sabbath day was day not was a Saturday Sabbath but a High Day Sabbath 
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