Page 124 - Advanced Life of Christ - Student Textbook

(night two), Friday day (day two), Saturday night (night three), Saturday day (day three). We do not
know exactly what time He rose, but we do know that it was before sunrise on Sunday. The discovery of
the empty tomb was made just at sunrise (Mark 16:2), before it was fully light (John 20:1). That makes
three days and three nights in the tomb, just as Jesus told us.

Some scholars who do not accept a Wednesday death point out the problem with this scenario in that
when Jesus met Cleopas and his companion on the road to Emmaus, Cleopas told Jesus on Sunday that
“it is now the third day since these things came to pass.” (Luke 24:21). Using this same logic, three days
previous to Sunday would be Thursday!

With all of that said, it must be noted that the day of the week that Jesus was crucified is not something
we know from Scripture because it is not clearly stated. We can only conjecture. If God wanted us to
know whether it was Wednesday, Thursday or Friday, it would have been clearly stated. His crucifixion
on Wednesday, however, would validate the literal words of Jesus when He said He would be in the
grave for three days and three nights (the sign of Jonah).

What we do know is that it occurred on Passover as a model of the sacrifice of the perfect Lamb, and
that He rose again on the Feast of First Fruits, since He is the First Fruit of the resurrection. It is fine to
hold a personal view, but unwise to become dogmatic about it. We should celebrate the cross and the
resurrection every day, not just once a year on Easter.

The Last Supper and the Garden of Gethsemane (Luke 22:7-13, Mark 14:12-16, and Matthew
26:17-19; Matthew 26:20-35, Mark 14:17-26, Luke 22:14-38, John 13; 1 ; Mark 14:27-
31 and John 15; Matthew 26:36-46, Mark 14:32-42, Luke 22:39-46; John 18:2-12, Matthew
26:47-56, Mark 14:43-52 and Luke 22:47-53)

Jesus and the 12 departed for the High Feast of Unleavened Bread in late afternoon. In anticipation of
that feast, Jesus dispatched Peter and John to take the lamb to the temple for slaughter, then to go to a
prearranged place to make preparation for the feast. All was done according to the specific
prescriptions of the Torah.

At the Passover meal, during which
time Jesus washed the feet of the
disciples, Jesus announced that the
betrayer was with Him at the
table. The twelve began to
question who that might be. Jesus
replied that the betrayer would be
the one whom He will give a
morsel of the meal. Jesus then
gave Judas the morsel. His soul
must have been smitten by Jesus’
act of kindness. Jesus probably
whispered something to Him. The
other disciples really did not think
much of the conversation between
the two, because Judas has been
The Garden of Gethsemane – Olive Trees keeping the money bag. He was,

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