When did Jesus die? Tradition has it pretty much set it in stone that He was killed on a Friday. Catholics historically have Good Friday services, with the rest of the world and some other denominations also taking this as fact. But is that what really happened – is it Biblically accurate?

First, let’s look at how the Jews structured their days during the time of Christ. Remember, context is key!

“Now from the sixth hour there was darkness over all the land unto the ninth hour. And about the ninth hour Jesus cried with a loud voice, saying, Eli Eli, lama sabachthani? that is to say, My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me?”

– Matthew 27:45-46. Also recorded in Mark 15:33-34, and Luke 23:44-45.

The first hour during that time was at sunrise, around 6am. The sixth hour would have been noon, and the ninth hour would have been 3pm. These records show us that Christ was on the cross for several hours and died around 3pm.

“For as Jonas was three days and three nights in the whale’s belly; so shall the Son of man be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth.”

– Matthew 12:40

Taking Christ’s words literally, as we should in the Bible, He tells us that His death would have been on Thursday. Thursday (day), Thursday (night), Friday (day), Friday (night), Saturday (day), and Saturday (night). 3 days, and 3 nights. And scripture tells us that on the dawn of the first day of the week after the Sabbath (Matthew 28:1) the women came and found that the stone was rolled away.

“In the end of the sabbath, as it began to dawn toward the first day of the week, came Mary Magdalene and the other Mary to see the sepulchre.”

– Matthew 28:1

There is no way that you can get three days and three nights if you count from Friday. Friday (day), Friday (night), Saturday (day), and Saturday (night). Two days and two nights. We’re kinda missing a whole day and night.

There are also other key contexts in Scripture that show why Christ did not die on Friday (emphasis mine).

“And he [Joseph of Arimathaea] took it [Christ’s body] down, and wrapped it in linen, and laid it in a sepulchre that was hewn in stone, wherein never man before was laid. And that day was the preparation, and the sabbath drew on. And the women also, which came with him from Galilee, followed after, and beheld the sepulchre, and how his body was laid. And they returned, and prepared spices and ointments; and rested the sabbath day according to the commandment.”

– Luke 23:53

“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.”

– John 19:31

“And now when the even was come, because it was the preparation, that is, the day before the sabbath”

– Mark 15:42

In Jewish history, a day begins at sunset and ends at sunset on the next day. Still 24 hours, just counted differently than we do currently. The Sabbath is traditionally Friday sundown to Saturday sundown. The preparation is the day before the Sabbath, meaning Thursday sundown to Friday sundown. In John 19:31, the phrase “for that sabbath day was an high day” is telling us that it was a really important Sabbath – the Passover, as described a few chapters before (Luke 22:1, being one of the scriptures describing this), which required the Jews to recognize the preparation day. A day used to prepare for the high Sabbath or Passover.

With all of this detail throughout the Bible, we know that Christ rose on Sunday (at the end of the Sabbath, which ended Saturday sundown, when it began to dawn on the first day of the week – Matthew 28:1), and was in the grave for three days and three nights (Matthew 12:40). We’re even given additional context with multiple passages spelling out that the Preparation Day and the Sabbath also occurred during the time Christ was in the grave. While I believe the Bible explicitly describes how Christ was not killed on a Friday, as Rome and older religions have made the world believe, I will say that it doesn’t matter if you do or not.

I do believe you should look at the evidence and come to your own conclusion. But whether you believe Christ died on a Thursday or Friday does not affect the salvation path. All you must do is believe that Christ, fully human and fully God, laid down His life to give us eternal life through Him.

If you are not 100% sure that you’ll go to Heaven when you die, now is the time to repent and put your trust in Jesus Christ. If you have any questions or doubts about your salvation, click here to learn how you can be saved!

Feel free to reach out with any comments/questions/suggestions below, or you can contact me here!

Sources:

All Scripture taken from the Holy Bible, King James Version

https://www.agapebiblestudy.com/charts/jewishtimedivision.htm

Click to access thejewishday.pdf