Throughout the four Gospels there are at least 13 references foretelling of Jesus being raised from the dead after the third day, with Acts 10:40 and 1 Corinthians 15:4 confirming that He rose after the third day.
93 Old Testament and 58 New Testament refererences speak of the Jewish Sabbath, with many telling us the Sabbath is the seventh day of the week, a day of rest after 6 days of work. In addition, the Jewish day runs from the beginning of night to the beginning of morning, or from sunset to sunrise, with the Sabbath runnning from sunset on Friday to sunset on Saturday, with the first day of the week beginning on sunset Saturday and running until sunset on Sunday (Aish.com).
Luke 24:1 and Mark 16:2 tell us that they went to the tomb on the first day of the week and found the tomb empty, with Mark 16:2 saying it was very early on the first day of the week which could be any time after sunset on Saturday evening.
So putting this all together, if Jesus rose after the third day it would have been after sunset or the next day after the end of the third day. Further, if the tomb was found empty early on the first day of the week, that would have been any time after sunset on Saturday, the Sabbath, after which the first day of the week starts. Therefore if the tomb was empty sometime after sunset on Saturday and Jesus rose after the third day, Jesus must to have died on Wednesday afternoon, not Friday afternoon and been laid in the tomb by sunset on Wednesday. Day one in the tomb would complete by sunset on Thursday, Day two by sunset on Friday and Day three by sunset on Saturday, the start of the first day of the week very early on which the tomb was found empty.
Therefore it appears that Jesus may have been crucified and died on a Wednesday, not a Friday? So, should we celebrate good Wednesday or good Friday.
The bottom line is that it really doesn't matter! Be it Wednesday or Friday, we are celebrating what the Lord did for us over this several day period so we could be reconciled back to God, something we should celebrate and live out each and every day of our lives.
Jesus lives!
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