Joshua Bennett
There are varying opinions on the day of the week on which Jesus died. While the traditional church teaching is that Jesus died on a Friday, some sources claim that he died on a Thursday. The Bible states that Jesus died on Passover, and the Jewish feast of Passover is always followed by the Feast of Unleavened Bread the next day, which is a high day Sabbath. In the year Jesus died, the day of Passover began on Wednesday night and ended on Thursday at sundown, with the Feast of Unleavened Bread beginning on Friday. This would mean that Jesus died on a Thursday, which is supported by lunar records for the second and third decades of the first century. However, other sources claim that Jesus died on Friday, April 3, AD 33, which is one of the two possible dates during Pontius Pilate's prefecture (AD 26-36) that a Friday crucifixion could have occurred on Nisan 14.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Date of Jesus' death | Friday, April 3, AD 33 |
| Time of death | 3 p.m. |
| Day of the week Jesus rose | Sunday |
| Number of days between death and resurrection | 3 days and 3 nights |
| Number of possible dates during Pontius Pilate's prefecture that a Friday crucifixion could have occurred on Nisan 14 | 2 (April 7, AD 30 or April 3, AD 33) |
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What You'll Learn
The Catholic Church denounces the idea of Jewish deicide
The exact date of Jesus's death is debated, but it is generally agreed that it took place on a Friday. Sources suggest that Jesus died on Friday, 3 April AD 33, at about 3 p.m., a few hours before the Sabbath and Passover day.
The idea that Jews are collectively responsible for Jesus's death, known as Jewish deicide, has been used to fuel antisemitism and massacres in Europe for centuries. This notion has been perpetuated by artistic depictions of the crucifixion scene, literature, and films such as Mel Gibson's "The Passion of the Christ".
The Catholic Church, however, denounces the idea of Jewish deicide. In 1964, Pope Paul VI and the Second Vatican Council issued the "Declaration on the Relation of the Church to Non-Christian Religions" (Nostra aetate), which stated that the crucifixion of Jesus "cannot be charged against all the Jews, without distinction, then alive, nor against the Jews of today". This declaration was a formal repudiation of the belief in collective Jewish guilt for Jesus's death.
The Catholic Church maintains that all sinners are responsible for Jesus's crucifixion and that Christians who sin with knowledge of Jesus are more culpable than those who sin without such knowledge. This belief is reflected in the Church's doctrine of substitutionary atonement, which holds that Jesus willingly sacrificed himself as an act of obedience and love, pleasing God.
Despite the Catholic Church's clear stance, the myth of Jewish deicide has persisted, and antisemitic interpretations of biblical passages such as Matthew 27:24–25 continue to cause harm to Jewish communities.
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The exact date of Jesus' crucifixion is unknown
According to the Gospel of John, Jesus died on Passover day, which was a Friday. This is supported by the fact that the Last Supper, which took place the night before Jesus' death, was a Passover meal. However, other sources suggest that Jesus died on the day before Passover, which would make his death on a Thursday.
One argument for a Thursday crucifixion is based on the interpretation of "three days and three nights" mentioned in Matthew 12:40. If Jesus was crucified on a Friday, he would have only been in the grave for two days and two nights, not three. A Thursday crucifixion, followed by Friday (day 1) and Saturday (day 2), would fit the timeline mentioned in the Bible.
Another piece of evidence for a Thursday crucifixion comes from lunar records for the second and third decades of the first century. These records indicate that the day of Passover, which was the day of Jesus' death, fell on a Thursday.
Furthermore, some scholars have calculated the possible dates of a Friday crucifixion during the prefecture of Pontius Pilate (AD 26-36) as either April 7, AD 30, or April 3, AD 33. However, these dates do not align perfectly with the timeline of Jesus' ministry and other significant events.
While the exact day of Jesus' crucifixion is debated, the day of his resurrection is believed to be on a Sunday, the first day of the week. This is in line with the Scripture, which states that Jesus rose on the first day of the week.
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The day of the resurrection is agreed upon
The Bible contains a detailed account of Jesus' resurrection, and while the day of his crucifixion is debated, the day of his resurrection is agreed upon. Scripture says that Jesus rose on the first day of the week, which is Sunday. This is supported by several passages in the Bible. For example, in John 2:19, Jesus says, "Destroy this temple, and I will raise it again in three days," and three days after Thursday is Sunday. Additionally, when Jesus appears to the two men on the road to Emmaus on resurrection day, they state that "it is the third day since all this took place" (Luke 24:21). This also indicates that the crucifixion took place on Thursday.
Another argument for a Thursday crucifixion is that there were two Sabbaths that week: the Passover Sabbath and the weekly Sabbath. This is supported by Luke's statement that Jesus was taken down from the cross because "the Sabbath was about to begin" (Luke 23:54). John's account also mentions that "the next day was to be a special Sabbath" (John 19:31), referring to the Passover Sabbath. As a result, the first opportunity to prepare Jesus' body for burial was at first light on Sunday, when the women came to the tomb.
The Wednesday viewpoint also considers the two Sabbaths but interprets the "'three days and three nights' of Matthew 12:40" as starting from early Thursday (Day 1) and ending on late Saturday (Night 3). However, this view is contradicted by the account of the two disciples who walked with Jesus on the road to Emmaus on "the same day" of his resurrection (Luke 24:13).
While there may be differing interpretations of the exact day of Jesus' crucifixion, the Bible clearly states that he rose on the third day, which is Sunday. This is significant because it fulfills the prophecy of the sign of Jonah, which includes three nights and three days (Matthew 12:40). It is also important to note that the resurrection of Jesus is central to Christian theology and is the foundation of the Christian faith. According to the Roman Catechism of the Catholic Church, the resurrection of Jesus is the cause and model of the resurrection of all the dead, as well as the cause and model of repentance, or "spiritual resurrection".
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The substitutionary atonement view
This perspective is present in nearly all atonement theories, with some arguing that the specific ideas of satisfaction and penal substitution are later developments in the Catholic Church and Calvinism, respectively. The Catholic doctrine of substitutionary atonement is set forth in the Sixth Session of the Council of Trent, chapter ii. It is also incorporated into Aquinas' satisfaction doctrine, rooted in the idea of penance.
Anselm's satisfaction theory and the penal substitution theory posit that humans cannot rightfully repay the debt incurred through their willful disobedience to God. As only God can provide the necessary satisfaction to repay this debt, he sent Jesus Christ, who was both God and man, to fulfill these conditions. Christ is seen as a sacrifice by God on behalf of humanity, taking on the debt of sin and propitiating God's wrath.
The ransom theory, a classic paradigm of substitutionary atonement, views salvation through the vicarious atonement of Jesus, who died to overcome the supernatural powers of sin and evil. This theory understands Jesus as the Victor over chaos, darkness, the Devil, sin, and death.
While the substitutionary atonement view emphasizes the death and resurrection of Jesus, the moral influence theory of atonement focuses more on the moral content of Jesus's teachings, seeing his death as martyrdom. The conflict between these two views has existed within Western Christianity since the Middle Ages, with Evangelical Protestants typically holding a substitutionary view and Liberal Protestants rejecting it in favor of the moral influence theory.
It is important to note that the day and timing of Jesus's crucifixion and death are debated. While some sources suggest that Jesus died on Friday, April 3, AD 33, in the afternoon, others propose different dates and days.
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The day before Jesus' death was a 'high day' Sabbath
There is no consensus regarding the exact date of Jesus' crucifixion, although it is generally agreed by biblical scholars that it was on a Friday. However, some sources suggest that Jesus was crucified on a Thursday or a Wednesday.
John 19:31 states that Jesus died before a "High Sabbath". If we assume that the High Sabbath is one of the seven annual Sabbaths, it would fall on the first day of the Feast of Unleavened Bread, which according to Leviticus is the 15th of Nisan. This interpretation, however, contradicts Luke 22:7, which states that the Feast of Unleavened Bread took place before Jesus' death.
Another explanation is that there were two different calendars in use at the time. The term "High Sabbath" may refer to the second High Sabbath, which comes at the end of the Feast of Unleavened Bread. This interpretation, however, introduces a new set of complexities, as it would mean that a significant amount of time passed between the Last Supper and Jesus' death.
According to the Hebrew practice, a new day begins at approximately 6 pm. Jesus was taken off the cross on the day of preparation, which was a Friday, before sundown, marking the start of the High Sabbath. This interpretation reconciles the conflicting accounts of the Last Supper and Jesus' crucifixion, as they would have occurred on the same day, with the Last Supper taking place at twilight on Friday, marking the beginning of the Passover.
Therefore, it can be concluded that the day before Jesus' death was indeed a High Day Sabbath, falling on a Friday.
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Frequently asked questions
There is no consensus on the exact day of the week Jesus died. While some sources claim that Jesus died on Friday, April 3, AD 33, others suggest he died on a Thursday.
The day of the week of Jesus' death is not as important as believing that he died and rose from the dead to take the punishment for all sinners.
Some sources claim that Jesus died on Friday, as this was the day before the Sabbath and the Feast of Unleavened Bread.
If Jesus died on Friday and rose on Sunday, there were only two nights in the tomb, not the three mentioned in Scripture. This, along with lunar records, suggests Jesus died on Thursday.
