Good Thursday

One of the more difficult questions to answer from scripture has to do with the week Jesus was crucified, particularly the day on which He was crucified. Was it a Friday, a Wednesday, or a Thursday. Using only the scriptures, this article addresses that question. Of course, our foundation is that the Bible is true and contains no contradictions, so we must operate on top of that foundation.
I then present to you: "Good Thursday".
== I. In Acts 12:1-4 James is executed. Peter is not. ==
In this section, our purpose will be to set the stage by looking at some other contexts surrounding the feast days in other years wherein events transpired to give us clues to our answer. Once we distill this information, we can then apply it to the week Jesus was crucified. Here is the text:
1 Now about that time Herod the king stretched forth his hands to vex certain of the church. 2 And he killed James the brother of John with the sword. 3 And because he saw it pleased the Jews, he proceeded further to take Peter also. (Then were the days of unleavened bread.) 4 And when he had apprehended him, he put him in prison, and delivered him to four quaternions of soldiers to keep him; intending after Passover to bring him forth to the people.
A. Why was James executed but not Peter?
This question digs into the idea that James was killed at some point, but when Herod decided to do the same to Peter, he was prevented. Luke gives us the context of why by the parenthetical sentence, "Then were the days of unleavened bread." Peter is put in prison instead of being immediately executed with the intention to bring him out and parade him in front of the Jewish people in order to please them as well, a public execution. However, Herod had to wait until after the Passover to do this. Why?
B. What was going on at Passover? (Vs. 3 tells us) – Feast of Unleavened bread (Ex. 12:2-8,11,14-20).
C. Let’s understand Feast of Unleavened Bread The Feast of Unleavened Bread was the same day as Passover until separated in (Lev. 23:5-7).
: 1. The 14th of Abib is the 1st day of Passover
: 2. The 15th of Abib is the Feast of Unleavened Bread or Holy convocation. No work can be done on this day.
: 3. Hence, Peter was not executed because they could not do so during the Feast of Unleavened Bread.
D. Feast of Weeks = Pentecost in (Lev.23:15-21)
E. Passover is Reinstated with the unclean celebrating in the 2nd Month (Num. 9:2-14).
F. Feast of Unleavened Bread did not begin until Evening (Deut. 16:1-7)
*Vs. 1 – Context tells us what we are talking about, the Passover.
*Vs. 6 – Tells us where to have feast – where the Lord shall choose to place his name – Jerusalem at evening
*Vs. 7 – tells us over at morning
*Vs. 4 - note that "neither shall there any thing of the flesh, which thou sacrificedst the first day at even, remain all night until the morning."
== II. Christ Crucified at Passover ==
– on what is our Thursday afternoon. Many say we have no record of Wednesday which is from 6 pm - 6pm, not Midnight, according to the Jewish method of keeping time.
A. The Week of Passover and the Feast of Unleavened Bread
*13th day was day of preparation before the Passover
*14th day starting at sundown (Our Wednesday, 6pm) was Passover – Sun up (Thursday morning) they go home (Lev. 23:5) This day was also called “the preparation of the Passover” (Matt. 27:62; Mark 15:42; Luke 23:54; John 19:14)
*15th day was Feast of Unleavened Bread – Holy Convocation (High Day or High Sabbath - Lev. 23:6; Deut. 16; John 19:31)
*16th day was a regular Sabbath, a Saturday.
*17th day Sunday, first day of the week.
B. Week of the “Passion”
: 1. Tuesday Day – in 2 days is the Passover – 12th of Abib – (Matt. 26:2; Lev. 23:5)
:: a. At the same time the Priests conspire against Jesus but argue against doing it on a feast day so as not to anger the people (Matt. 26:3-5)
:: b. Same reason Peter was not executed in Acts 12.
:: c. Jesus goes to Bethany to the house of Simon the Leper (Matt. 26:6-13)
:: d. Judas goes to conspire w/ Priests (Matt. 26:14-16)
: 2. Wednesday Daytime – Prepare for Passover 13th Abib (Matt. 26:17-19)
: 3. Wednesday Night 14th of Abib for Jews
:: a. Jesus observes the Passover and Institutes the Lord's Supper (Matt. 26:20-30)
:: b. Jesus Prays on Mount Olivet afterwards(Matt. 26:36-45)
: 4. Wednesday Midnight – still 14th Abib for Jews
:: a. Judas brings Soldiers
:: b. Christ arrested and taken to Caiphas (Matt. 26:47-68)
: 5. Thursday Dawn – end of Passover – still 14th of Abib
:: Christ taken before Pilate during the preparation for the Feast of Unleavened Bread (John 19:14)
: 6. Thursday Noon – 14th of Abib
:: a. Jesus was crucified with Darkness from 6th hour to 9th hour (Noon to 3 pm) (Matt. 27:45)
:: b. 3 pm Christ’s last moments and dies (Matt. 27:46-50)
:: c. They come to break the legs (John 19:31-37,vs. 31) because it is a High Sabbath.  Remember Deut. 16:4.
: 7. Thursday Just before Sunset (almost Friday for Jews) – still 14th of Abib
:: Jesus is buried (Matt. 27:57-61)
: 8. Friday Morning – 15th of Abib
:: Chief Priest and Phar. Go to ask Pilot for guards (Matt. 27:62-66)
: 9. Saturday – 16th of Abib
:: everyone is waiting fearfully (the disciples) and haughtily (the Jewish priests).
: 10. Sunday morning – 17th of Abib
:: Just before dawn Jesus rises from the grave (Mark 16:2; Luke 24:1; John 20:1).
C. How is time reckoned?
: 1. Jews reckon time "and the evening and the morning was the # day" (Genesis 1)
: 2. Jews count any portion of a period as a whole of that period.
:: a. Daytime just before dusk on any given day still counts as a “day”.
:: b. Nighttime just before dawn on any given day still counts as an “evening”.
: 3. Romans reckon time midnight to midnight like we do.
: 4. Matthew requires that Jesus be in the tomb three days and three nights (Matt. 12:40).
D. Crucifixion ==> Resurrection by either time:
: 1. Jewish reckoning - Christ is in the tomb:
:: a. 14th day (partial still counts as whole day)– 15th evening
:: b. 15th day – 16th evening
:: c. 16th day – 17th evening
:: d. 3 days and three nights.
: 2. Roman reckoning – Christ is in the tomb:
:: a. Thursday day just before dusk (partial still counts as whole day) – Friday just before dawn
:: b. Friday day – Saturday just before dawn
:: c. Saturday day – Sunday just before dawn
:: d. 3 nights 3 Days
E. What of Friday then?
If Christ was crucified on a Friday there is absolutely no way to reckon in 3 days and 3 nights. At the very best, 3 days are touched (Friday, Saturday, Sunday) but only 2 nights (Friday, Saturday). To say he was crucified on a Friday is to imply that Jesus lied (Matt. 12:40) and that prophecy was not fulfilled.Therefore – no Good Friday. Must be “Good Thursday”.
=III. Why do we need to know?=
A. This is not saying we should not recognize Christ’s death, burial, and resurrection, quite the opposite. It is to help us understand it better.
B. We follow the example of every 1st day of week in remembrance of Christ's death, burial, and resurrection as we have been given example in (Acts 20:7 w/ I Cor. 11:18-ff) and command (1 Cor. 16:1-2).
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*The majority of this was developed by my youngest brother, Ruston, and I thank him for his work and dedication to the truth and defense of the gospel.
In Truth and Love.