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Get your own Free Home PageGood Friday -- Truth or Error?
By Jim Gazzaway
For centuries the majority of Christians of the world have celebrated the Friday before "Easter" as a special holy day, calling it "Good Friday," because they believe Christ was crucified on that day. They believe that Christ partook of the Passover meal, went to the Garden of Gethsemane, was taken captive by the Roman soldiers, and taken before the Jewish council immediately following the Passover meal.
Many arrive at this conclusion because of a lack of understanding of the many Sabbath days celebrated by the Jewish Nation, and a thorough understanding of the Passover, the week of the feast of unleavened bread, and the Sabbath days associated with it.
Because it is assumed that the seventh day of the week is the only Sabbath day celebrated by the Jews, a subjective view is taken of John 19:31 and the day of preparation therein is therefore assumed to be Friday. The verse reads: "The Jews therefore, because it was the preparation, that the bodies should not remain upon the cross on the Sabbath day, (for that Sabbath day was an high day,) besought Pilate that their legs might be broken, and that they might be taken away." The context of the verse makes it quite clear that this particular day of preparation was for a "special" Sabbath, "an high day." We know from a study of the Old Testament that there were "other" Sabbaths contained within the special feasts days which the Jews were commanded to observe.
Ordinances pertaining to one series of these special feast days are found in the following scripture.
Exodus 12:18-19 "In the first month, on the fourteenth day of the month at even, ye shall eat unleavened bread, until the one and twentieth day of the month at even. Seven days shall there be no leaven in your houses."
Leviticus 23:4-8 "These are the feasts of the Lord, even holy convocations, which ye shall proclaim in their seasons In the fourteenth day of the first month at even is the Lord's passover. And in the fifteenth day of the same month is the feast of unleavened bread. In the first day ye shall have an holy convocation: ye shall do no servile work therein. But ye shall offer an offering made by fire into the Lord seven days: in the seventh day is an holy convocation, Ye shall do no servile work therein."
God told Moses in Exodus 31:13 "Speak also to the children of Israel, saying, Verily my Sabbaths ye shall keep: for it is a sign between me and you throughout your generations; that ye may know that I am the Lord that doth sanctify you. Ye shall keep the Sabbath therefore; for it is holy unto you and every one that defileth it shall surely be put to death: for whosoever doeth any work therein, that soul shall be cut off from among his people."
Please note the two days of holy convocation contained in the feast of unleavened bread. Note also that these two days are on the fifteenth and twenty first day of the month respectively, placing them six days apart. Note also that "no servile work" is to be done on these two days. They were days of rest, Sabbath days.
Let us now make a calendar for the period of the passover and the week of the feast of unleavened bread and see on what days of the week these Sabbaths and the weekly Sabbath might fall. The month is the month of Nisan (Greek) or Abib (Hebrew), the first month of the Jewish year. Since the passover day was determined by the phase of the moon, the fourteenth day of Abib did not always fall on the same day of the week each year.
Thurs......Fri......Sat......Sun......Mon......Tues.
13.......14+.......15*.......16.......17.......18 Wed......Thur......Fri......Sat......Sun......Mon. 19.......20+......21*.......22*......23.......24* denotes a Sabbath
+ denotes a day of preparation
Take note that there are three (3) Sabbath (days in which no servile work was to be done, days of an holy convocation) from the day before the passover, Abib 13, until the day following the day after the feast of unleavened bread, Abib 22. These were Sabbath days appointed by the Lord and spoken of to the nation of Israel by Moses in the book of Exodus, Leviticus, and Deuteronomy.
Take note also that there are two (2) days of preparation for these Sabbaths. The first on Abib 14 for the weekly Sabbath which in this example, would also be the first Sabbath, or day of holy convocation, of the feast of unleavened bread (Lev. 23:6). The second would be on Abib 20, the seventh day of the feast, a day of holy convocation or Sabbath (Lev. 23:8). This latter day of preparation also served as the day of preparation for the weekly Sabbath on Abib 22.
I present the above calendar and the notes pertaining to it only as a suggestion that it was possible to have two Sabbaths back to back, one on Friday the twenty-first day of Abib, as commanded by the Lord, and the weekly Sabbath (the seventh day) as commanded, on the day following, which was Saturday the twenty-second day of Abib.
God not only appointed a time for the passover and the week of unleavened bread to be celebrated, but he also appointed a place where it was to be celebrated. Deuteronomy 16:5-7 "Thou mayest not sacrifice the passover within any of thy gates, which the Lord thy God giveth thee: But at the place which the Lord thy God shall choose to place his name in, there thou shalt sacrifice the passover at even at the going down of the sun, at the season that thou camest forth out of Egypt. And thou shalt roast and eat it in the place the Lord thy God shall choose: and thou shalt turn in the morning, and go unto thy tents." Exodus 12:5-6 "Your lamb shall be without blemish, a male of the first year: Ye shall take it out from the sheep, or from the goats: And ye shall keep it up until the fourteenth day of the same month: and the whole assembly of the congregation of Israel shall kill it in the evening."
There was no other time authorized, nor other place authorized for the celebration of the passover for the Jew that was clean or not on a far journey. The time was "The fourteenth day of Abib" (Lev. 23:5); the place was "The place which the Lord thy God shall choose to place his name in" (Deut. 16:6). And the writer of 2 Chronicles tells us in verses 12 and 16 where that is. "And the Lord appeared to Solomon by night, and said unto him, I have heard thy prayer, and have chosen this place to myself for an house of sacrifice" (v.12). "For now have I chosen and sanctified this house, that my name may be there for ever: and mine eyes and mine heart shall be there perpetually" (v.16). God's name was in the temple built by Solomon in Jerusalem Therefore, Jerusalem was the place in "which the Lord thy God had chosen to place his name in."
Now if any man be unclean by reason of touching a dead body, or in a journey afar off, we find an appointed time for him to celebrate the passover in Numbers 9:10-11. "Speak unto the children of Israel, saying, If any man of you or of your posterity shall be unclean by reason of a dead body, or be in a journey afar off, yet he shall keep the passover unto the Lord. The fourteenth day of the second month at even they shall keep it, and eat it with unleavened bread and bitter herbs."
We have learned from these Old Testament passages, the day the passover was to be celebrated, the days of the feast of unleavened bread and its Sabbaths, the only place authorized for the passover to be celebrated, and an alternate time upon which the unclean man or distant traveler could partake of the feast.
Let's now look at some scripture pertaining to the preparation days. What were they and why were they given to the nation of Israel?
Moses wrote in Exodus 16:22-23 "And it came to pass, that on the sixth day they gathered twice as much bread, two omers for one man: and all the rulers of the congregation came and told Moses. And he said unto them, This is that which the Lord hath said, To morrow is the rest of the holy Sabbath unto the Lord: bake that which ye will bake today, and seethe that ye will seethe; and that which remaineth over lay up for you to be kept until the morning." And he wrote further in verse 29: "See, for that the Lord hath given you the Sabbath, therefore he giveth you on the sixth day the bread of two days; abide ye every man in his place, let no man go out of his place on the seventh day." The day preceding a Sabbath was a day of preparation, for the Sabbath was an day of holy convocation in which no servile work could be done.
It is quite evident from the scriptures, that the male Jew was commanded by God to observe the passover and the week of unleavened bread, at Jerusalem in the first month of the Jewish year.
The sequence of events would be as follows:
The Jew would travel to Jerusalem, from wherever he lived, arriving in time to prepare, or have prepared, the sacrificial lamb before the going down of the sun on the fourteenth day of the first month of the Jewish year (Abib). At the going down of the sun the passover feast was observed, remembering that the Lord had delivered the nation of Israel from captivity in Egypt at that season of the year.
The day following the passover feast on Abib 14, was an day of holy convocation or Sabbath day; the first day of the feast of unleavened bread, Abib 15. Therefore, Abib 14 was not only the day of the feast of the passover, it was also a day of preparation for the first Sabbath of the week of the feast of unleavened bread.
For seven days he could have no leaven in his house nor eat any leavened bread, and on the seventh day of the feast, the twenty-first day of the month, Abib 21, he was to observe an day of holy convocation or Sabbath, ending the feast of unleavened bread.
Because Abib 21 was a Sabbath of the week of the feast of unleavened bread, it was preceded by a day of preparation, Abib 20. Remember that on the day preceding a Sabbath the Jew was commanded to gather enough for the Sabbath, for he could do no servile work on a Sabbath (Exodus 16:23).
Clearly shown is the feast of the passover, the week of the feast of unleavened bread, the two Sabbaths of that week, and two preparation days for the Sabbaths. Since the feast of the passover and the week of the feast of unleavened bread covered a span of eight days, there must also be at least one weekly Sabbath included, for a total of three (3) Sabbaths during the two feasts.
Jesus of Nazareth came to Jerusalem at the season of the passover and taught in the temple (Mark 12:35), remaining there to observe the feasts.
Mark 14:1 "After two days was the feast of the passover, and of unleavened bread: and the chief priests and the scribes sought how they might take him by craft, and put him to death. 2. But they said, Not on the feast day, lest there be an uproar of the people."
Luke 22:7 "Then came the day of unleavened bread, when the passover must be killed. 8. And he sent Peter and John, saying, Go and prepare us the passover, that we may eat." And we read in Luke 22:15 "And he said unto them, With desire I have desired to eat this passover with you before I suffer:"
There remains no doubt that Jesus of Nazareth, the Christ partook of the feast of the passover at the appointed time and in the appointed place. If any doubts arise concerning the chronology of the death, burial, and resurrection of Christ: they must begin following the passover meal; for Christ was neither unclean because of a dead body nor on a far journey. Therefore, for him to partake of the Passover meal at any time other than the appointed time would have been a sin and we all know that he was without sin.
If he went to the garden to pray, was taken captive, accused by the priest and scribes, tried before the council, and taken to Pilate for sentencing, on the very night after partaking of the passover meal, then he was crucified on the fifteenth day of the first month, Abib 15, an holy day in which no servile work was to be done, a Sabbath day. Remember that the passover meal was to be eaten on the fourteenth day of the first month, Abib 14, at the going down of the sun. Therefore, the day following the passover meal was an holy day, a Sabbath. Yet we are told in John 19:31 that the day on which He was crucified was ". . . the preparation". If it was the day following the passover, it was a "Sabbath" and not "the preparation" for a Sabbath.
Remember also what was said by the chief priests and scribes in Mark 14:1,2 concerning putting him to death on the feast day, --"lest there be an uproar of the people."
We know from reading John 19:31,41 & 42 that Christ was crucified and buried on a preparation day: "The Jews therefore, because it was the preparation, that the bodies should not remain upon the cross on the Sabbath day, (for that Sabbath day was an high day,) besought Pilate that Their legs might be broken, and that they might be taken away."John 19:41 "Now in the place where he was crucified there was a garden; and in the garden a new sepulchre, wherein was never man yet laid. 42. There laid they Jesus therefore because of the Jews' preparation day; for the sepulchre was nigh at hand."
The crucifixion day could not have been the day following the passover meal, because that day was an holy day, a Sabbath, not a preparation day for a Sabbath.
The next preparation day following the passover meal could only be the preparation day for a weekly Sabbath or the preparation day for the second day of holy convocation, a Sabbath, of the feast of unleavened bread. That day would be on the twentieth day of the first month, Abib 20, the preparation day for the appointed day of holy convocation, a Sabbath on the twenty-first day of the first month, Abib 21(Lev. 23:4-8)
Let us take another look at our proposed calendar.
Thurs......Fri......Sat......Sun......Mon......Tues.
13.......14+.......15*.......16.......17.......18 Wed......Thur......Fri......Sat......Sun......Mon. 19.......20+......21*.......22*......23.......24* denotes a Sabbath
+ denotes a day of preparation
Looking at our sample calendar again, we see that day of preparation could have been on Thursday, Abib 20. If so, it was followed by two Sabbaths, Abib 21, the second Sabbath of the feast of unleavened bread, and the weekly Sabbath, Abib 22. Therefore, Christ could have been taken in the garden on Wednesday and crucified on Thursday, Abib 20.
It would appear, on the other hand, in the books of Matthew, Mark, and Luke (John does not mention the last supper), that Christ left the passover meal and went to the garden to pray. Please note that the accounts following the resurrection in all three of these books would indicate that Christ rose almost immediately to the Father; however, we know from a study of the book of The Acts of the Apostles that he remained on earth for forty days before ascending to the Father. Is it possible that the events between Christ's observance of the passover meal and the crucifixion, as described in these same books, were condensed as was the period of time between the resurrection and the ascension?
Christ was risen upon the first day of the week (Luke 24:1) and shortly thereafter, Jesus drew near to two of his disciples and walked with them. Luke 24:17-21 "And he said unto them, What manner of communications are these that ye have one to another, as ye walk, and are sad? 18. And the one of them, whose name was Cleopas, answering said unto him, Art thou only a stranger in Jerusalem, and hast not known the things which are come to pass there in these days? 19. And he said unto them, What things? And they said unto him, Concerning Jesus of Nazareth, which was a prophet mighty in deed and word before God and all the people: Luke 20. And how the chief priests and our rulers delivered him to be condemned to death, and have crucified him. 21. But we trusted that it had been he which should have redeemed Israel: and beside all this, to day is the third day since these things were done."
Take note, they stated "to day is the third day since these things were done." What things? The crucifixion of Jesus of Nazareth was the subject of conversation. It was the first day of the week, the third day since these things were done. If that be so, then on Saturday they would have said, "this is the second day since these things were done," and on Friday they would have said, "this is the first day since these things were done." Therefore, these things must have been done on Thursday. What things were done? Christ was sacrificed.
Could these things have been done on Thursday? Yes, it could have been the preparation for the second Sabbath of the feast of unleavened bread, and the regular weekly Sabbath on the day following that "high" Sabbath (John 19:31) of the feast. That Thursday could have been the preparation day for two Sabbaths which were back to back.
If that be true, then Christ fulfilled the prophecy he made on Matthew 12:40 "For as Jonas was three days and three nights in the whale's belly; so shall the Son of man be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth."
I believe that Christ partook of the passover meal at the appointed time, kept the Sabbath of Abib 15, was observing the week of the feast of unleavened bread when on a Wednesday evening, partook of another meal with his disciples (thought of as the last supper), was taken by the priests and scribes from the garden following that meal, was crucified and buried on Thursday, a preparation day for the second Sabbath of the week of unleavened bread, lay in the heart of the earth three days and three nights, as he said he would, and was risen on the first day of the week.
I would hope that you would be encouraged by reading my conclusion, and the manner in which I arrived at that conclusion, to search the scriptures to see if what I say as true. If I have provoked you to study, I have accomplished my purpose in preparing this presentation of "Good Friday --Truth or Error?
References relating to Sabbaths: Gen.2:2,3; Lev.23;25;26:34,35. Preparations for, Ex. 16:22 Matt.27:62; Mark 15:42; Luke 23:54; John 19:31; Religious usages on, Gen. 2:3; Mark 6:2; Luke 4:16,31;6:6;13:10 Acts 13:14. Sacrifices on, Num.28:9,10; Ezek.46:4,5 Unclassified, Ex. 16:5,23-30; 20:8-11; 31:13-17; 34:21; 35:2,3; Lev. 19:3,30;23:1,2,3, 27-32
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