When Did Jesus Die?

In What Year Did Jesus Die?

A lot more content is still to be added here.

On What Day Did Jesus Die?

Most Christians, of course, celebrate the crucifixion on Good Friday and the resurrection on Easter Sunday. But what about Jesus saying that, like Jonah, He would be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth? Friday morning to Sunday morning could be counted as three days (Friday, Saturday and Sunday) but not three nights.

Assuming Jesus was not wrong, there are only two possibilities: either that was a figure of speech (i.e. it wasn't literally three days and three nights) or we have the timing wrong.

There are many conflicting views on this. Before digging deeper, here are some things to note:

This difficult issue gives us a good opportunity to practice our critical thinking and our discernment.

In Favour Of A Figure Of Speech (An Idiom)

i.e. it does not mean a literal 72 hours.

Suggestions 1: "Day and night" just means "day" and "day" means any part of a day

"Three days and three nights" suggest three full 2-hour days i.e. Jesus was in the tomb for 72 hours. That accords with the passages that say he rose "after three days" but it appears to conflict with the passages that say "on the third day". After three days would mean on the fourth day. The use of these various phrases all to mean the same thing suggests that they are not to be take strictly literally.

In favour of It Being Literally Three Days and Three Nights

In Favour Of Jesus Dying On The Thursday

This theory suggests that the three hours of darkness from 12:00 noon to 3:00 p.m. were a night and that Jesus was crucified on the Thursday..

Let's think this through.

I am left confused.

Footnote:

In Favour Of Jesus Dying On The Friday

Suggestions 1: The Jews Counted Their Days Differently

i.e. it does mean a literal three days and three nights but they are understood as part-days, starting at sunset.

Suggestions 2: The Time Period Is Not Referring To Jesus' Burial Only

What Do You Think? Be Berean

Doug Batchelor might be right about the time period but what do you think of his reasoning?

Mr Bachelor uses very tenuous links, based on the use of a particular word (earth and hour) in quite different contexts, to reach a conclusion. Are those links sufficient to support that conclusion? You decide.

An Unconventional View

Be aware, this speaker, John Schoenheit, leads Spirit and Truth Fellowship International, a breakaway group from The Way International. Both groups have some unconventional beliefs. For example, they do not believe in the Holy Spirit i.e. they are not Trinitarian.

What Do You Think? Be Berean

Do not accept everything you hear. Christians can be unbelievably gullible at times. We need to test what we hear and here is a good chance to practice some discernment. Listen to the above talk and note down what you find convincing and what makes you suspicious.

The speaker says that Jesus rose on the Saturday evening (i.e. the beginning of Sunday), but...

Was Jesus Raised From The Dead On Saturday Or Sunday? - Wayne Jackson (Christian Courier)

The speaker says that Jesus was arrested on the Monday night, but...

This video presents the same view but, again, comes from a group with unorthodox views. Tomorrow's World is an agency of The Living Church of God which doesn't believe in the Holy Spirit and says that Jesus is less than God among other things.

Views that differ from orthodox Christianity need to be viewed with considerable suspicion.

Conclusion

There is a lot of uncertainty. Any conclusion is likely to have not answered all of the questions. For the time being, I am open to the idea that Jesus died on the Thursday and that both the Friday and the Saturday were sabbaths (although that works for only one year). On the other hand, the fact that "on the third day" and "after three days" are used interchangeably suggests that the expressions are somewhat idiomatic.