Why do most Christians celebrate Good Friday? And now when the even was come, because it was the preparation, that is, the day before the sabbath, |
The Word "Sabbath" caused those who were only casually knowledgeable about Judaism to think that the day after the Crucifixion was the 7th day that is referred to in the Commandment.
It was not that Holy day. It was actually the Passover Sabbath.
On the day before Passover the Lamb was to be slain, prepared, eaten and its Blood spread on the doorposts. That evening the Death Angel passed over all houses in Egypt. Those houses where the Blood was not present lost their first born sons. Those with the Blood present were spared.
This day called Passover is a High Holy day to Jews. It is a Sabbath - a time of Rest and reflection on the Mercy of God. There are actually 3 periods of High Holy Days:
1) Passover
2) Pentecost
3) Tabernacles.
Why does Easter float on our Calendar?
Steven Engler, a professor in religious studies at Mount Royal University, says the basic reason the two differ is because Christmas is fixed to a solar calendar, near the winter solstice, and Easter is based on the lunar cycles of the Jewish calendar.
- CBC.
Since the Resurrection of Jesus is a Christian Holy Day and not a Jewish Holy Day, there is no reason to continue connecting it with the Jewish Calendar. We should have a fixed solar Calendar Resurrection Day just as we have a fixed Christmas - birth day. (Editorial)
What year was the Crucifixion?
But he answered and said unto them, An evil and adulterous generation seeks after a sign; and there shall no sign be given to it, but the sign of the prophet Jonah: |
This statement by Jesus that He would be in the earth three days and three nights is non-negotiable.
It was to be the sign of His veracity, His Truthfulness.
Jesus arose sometime after 6:00PM Saturday after the 7th-day-Sabbath ended, on the first day of the week (which began at sundown). before the women arrived at His tomb.
Jesus could not have been crucified on Friday since that would leave only 1 full day between His Crucifixion and His Resurrection
⇒ Late Friday afternoon, Saturday Sabbath, early Sunday morning.
Doing the math backing up from Resurrection Day - early Sunday morning - we can determine Crucifixion day.
The 7th-day-Sabbath ended at 6:00PM on Saturday. Jesus may have risen from the dead as early as 6:01 PM on Saturday. Let`s assume so.
Back up 1 day from Resurrection. That would be 6:01PM Friday.
Back up 2 days from Resurrection. That would be 6:01PM Thursday.
Back up 3 days from Resurrection. That would be 6:01PM Wednesday,
Jesus was Crucified on Wednesday - not Friday.
There had to be a Sabbath the day after Crucifixion - .
This means the Passover High Holy Day, Sabbath, must have been on Thursday of Crucifixion Week.
Passover is always on the 15th of Nissan in the Jewish Calendar. The Jewish Calendar is based on lunar months.
So when did the 15th of Nissan occur around 30 AD?
Researchers have gone back through historical archives and astronomical records to determine that the 15th of Nissan occurred on Thursday in 31 AD,
So, Jesus was Crucified on Wednesday Nissan 14, 31 AD - the day before the Passover Sabbath.
Again based on the research mentioned above Wednesday Nissan 14, 31 AD corresponds to
Wednesday April 25, 31 AD by our Calendar.
We are not to judge people based on how they observe or don`t observe Holy Days.
But, it is not a good idea to correct ignorance when it violates a very important statement that our Lord made about His Truth -
3 days and 3 nights .