THE WEDNESDAY CRUCIFICTION???
1. The Problem of Testimony - If the crucifixion was on Wednesday, how could Cleopas say on Sunday as he walked to Emmaus, “Today is the THIRD day since these things [the crucifixion etc] were done” Luke 24:1, 13, 21. As Sunday was the THIRD day since the crucifixion, the latter could not have occurred on Wednesday. The Jews counted inclusively, counting the start of something as the first day etc regardless of how much time had transpired for that day. An example is seen in the book of Esther. She promised not to eat or drink for “three days, night or day" and then seek an audience with the king (Esther 4:16) however, she went to see the king on the third day (5:1): 4:16* Go, gather together all the Jews that are present in Shushan, and fast ye for me, and neither eat nor drink three days, night or day: I also and my maidens will fast likewise; and so will I go in unto the king, which [is] not according to the law: and if I perish, I perish. 5:1* Now it came to pass on the third day, that Esther put on [her] royal [apparel], and stood in the inner court of the king's house, over against the king's house: and the king sat upon his royal throne in the royal house, over against the gate of the house. Our modern ideas of exact time are not necessarily in sync with the Biblical view and therefore it is inappropriate to insist that "on the third day" means exactly 72 hours later.
2. The Problem of Unfulfilled Types - Christ fulfilled the types in Leviticus 23 as to the time of his death, rest in the tomb and His resurrection. Leviticus 23 shows that the Passover was on the 14th day of the first Jewish month, Nissan. (Lev 23:5). Christ our Passover (1Cor 5:7) died on 14th Nissan. The Feast of unleavened bread followed on 15th Nissan (Lev 23:6). Christ rested the weekly Sabbath and the Ceremonial sabbath of the first day of unleavened bread - 15th Nissan. The First Fruits were presented before God on the next day, 16th Nissan. (Lev 23:11). Christ arose as the First fruits (1Cor 15:20) on the day of First fruits, 16 Nissan. A Wednesday crucifixion would mean Christ failed to fulfill the types.
3. The Problem of Christ’s Body Decomposing (rotting) - In Acts 2:27, Peter states that Christ would be resurrected quoting: “Neither wilt thou suffer Thine Holy One to see corruption (rot)”. Strong’s Concordance has this for corruption:
1312 diafyora diaphthora {dee-af-thor-ah'}
from 1311; TDNT - 9:93,1259; n f
AV - corruption 6; 6
1) corruption, destruction
2) in the NT that destruction which is effected by the decay of the body after death.
Christ therefore could not have been raised on Saturday, the fourth day according to Jewish reckoning because by then He would have begun to rot. We are told concerning Lazarus: “he stinketh: for he hath been dead FOUR days. John 11:39
4. The Problem of Wasted Opportunity - If Christ was crucified on a Wednesday Passover and the Sabbath the women observed before annointing him was a Ceremonial sabbath on Thursday, why was it that the holy women did not come on the Friday to embalm the body of Jesus? It does not make sense to not use Friday and leave the embalming until the fifth day, i.e first day of the week, when His body had begun to rot. The Wednesday theory would have the women observe two sabbaths whereas there was only one Sabbath between the crucifixion and the embalming.
5. The Problem of Inconsistency Among Wednesday Crucifixion Advocates - Some insist on a strict 72 hours, 3 days and 3 nights in the tomb which would make the resurrection on Sabbath afternoon. This would be four days later according to the Jewish reckoning of time as noted above in the example of Esther. Another Wednesday advocate insists that Jesus rose after Sabbath on the first day of the week which would be more than 3 days and 3 nights or > 72 hours, in other words on the fifth day by the same Jewish reckoning of days.
6. The Problem of 72 literal hours (3 days and 3 nights) and scripture - the Wednesday proponents argue that one cannot get three days & three nights from Friday to Sunday. This is the problem with trying to apply literal thinking to the text. Consider the said texts:
Matthew 16:21 From that time forth began Jesus to show unto his disciples, how that he must go unto Jerusalem, and suffer many things of the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be killed, and be raised again THE THIRD DAY.
Matthew 17:23 And they shall kill him, and THE THIRD DAY he shall be raised again. And they were exceeding sorry.
Matthew 20:19 And shall deliver him to the Gentiles to mock, and to scourge, and to crucify him: and THE THIRD DAY he shall rise again.
Matthew 27:64 Command therefore that the sepulchre be made sure until THE THIRD DAY, lest his disciples come by night, and steal him away, and say unto the people, He is risen from the dead: so the last error shall be worse than the first.
Mark 9:31 For he taught his disciples, and said unto them, The Son of man is delivered into the hands of men, and they shall kill him; and after that he is killed, he shall rise THE THIRD DAY.
Mark 10:34 And they shall mock him, and shall scourge him, and shall spit upon him, and shall kill him: and THE THIRD DAY he shall rise again.
Luke 9:22 Saying, The Son of man must suffer many things, and be rejected of the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be slain, and be raised THE THIRD DAY.
Luke 13:32 And he said unto them, Go you, and tell that fox, Behold, I cast out devils, and I do cures to day and to morrow, and THE THIRD DAY I shall be perfected.
Luke 18:33 And they shall scourge him, and put him to death: and THE THIRD DAY he shall rise again.
Luke 24:7 Saying, The Son of man must be delivered into the hands of sinful men, and be crucified, and THE THIRD DAY rise again.
Luke 24:21 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.
Luke 24:46 And said unto them, Thus it is written, and thus it behoved Christ to suffer, and to rise from the dead THE THIRD DAY:
Acts 10:40 “Him God raised up THE THIRD DAY, and showed him openly;”
1 Corinthians 15:4 “And that he was buried, and that he rose again THE THIRD DAY according to the scriptures:”
The Bible says that Jesus rose on the THIRD DAY meaning during some part of the third day and not after 72 literal hours. If the Bible meant after THREE LITERAL DAYS (after 72 hours), then the Scriptures would have stated that CHRIST rose ON THE FOURTH DAY after three literal days in the tomb. It sounds ridiculous but the FOURTH DAY is not THE THIRD DAY according to scripture - so how you can insist on 72 hours in the tomb and rise on the third day at the same time is beyond us because one second before the close of the third day is still the third day and one second after the close of the third day is the fourth day and Jesus rose on the third day. If the Wednesday proponents stick to their 72 hours strictly, then Jesus rose on the afternoon of Sabbath which according to Jewish reckoning is the fourth day from a Wednesday crucifixion. Jesus himself gives us a clear explanation of the meaning of the phrase “the third day” in Luke 13:32,33
32* And he said unto them, Go ye, and tell that fox, Behold, I cast out devils, and I do cures to day and to morrow, and the third [day] I shall be perfected.
33* Nevertheless I must walk to day, and to morrow, and the [day] following: for it cannot be that a prophet perish out of Jerusalem.
The THIRD DAY therefore means the day after tomorrow and not after three literal days - else you would be into the fourth day, Amen?
AMEN
2. The Problem of Unfulfilled Types - Christ fulfilled the types in Leviticus 23 as to the time of his death, rest in the tomb and His resurrection. Leviticus 23 shows that the Passover was on the 14th day of the first Jewish month, Nissan. (Lev 23:5). Christ our Passover (1Cor 5:7) died on 14th Nissan. The Feast of unleavened bread followed on 15th Nissan (Lev 23:6). Christ rested the weekly Sabbath and the Ceremonial sabbath of the first day of unleavened bread - 15th Nissan. The First Fruits were presented before God on the next day, 16th Nissan. (Lev 23:11). Christ arose as the First fruits (1Cor 15:20) on the day of First fruits, 16 Nissan. A Wednesday crucifixion would mean Christ failed to fulfill the types.
3. The Problem of Christ’s Body Decomposing (rotting) - In Acts 2:27, Peter states that Christ would be resurrected quoting: “Neither wilt thou suffer Thine Holy One to see corruption (rot)”. Strong’s Concordance has this for corruption:
1312 diafyora diaphthora {dee-af-thor-ah'}
from 1311; TDNT - 9:93,1259; n f
AV - corruption 6; 6
1) corruption, destruction
2) in the NT that destruction which is effected by the decay of the body after death.
Christ therefore could not have been raised on Saturday, the fourth day according to Jewish reckoning because by then He would have begun to rot. We are told concerning Lazarus: “he stinketh: for he hath been dead FOUR days. John 11:39
4. The Problem of Wasted Opportunity - If Christ was crucified on a Wednesday Passover and the Sabbath the women observed before annointing him was a Ceremonial sabbath on Thursday, why was it that the holy women did not come on the Friday to embalm the body of Jesus? It does not make sense to not use Friday and leave the embalming until the fifth day, i.e first day of the week, when His body had begun to rot. The Wednesday theory would have the women observe two sabbaths whereas there was only one Sabbath between the crucifixion and the embalming.
5. The Problem of Inconsistency Among Wednesday Crucifixion Advocates - Some insist on a strict 72 hours, 3 days and 3 nights in the tomb which would make the resurrection on Sabbath afternoon. This would be four days later according to the Jewish reckoning of time as noted above in the example of Esther. Another Wednesday advocate insists that Jesus rose after Sabbath on the first day of the week which would be more than 3 days and 3 nights or > 72 hours, in other words on the fifth day by the same Jewish reckoning of days.
6. The Problem of 72 literal hours (3 days and 3 nights) and scripture - the Wednesday proponents argue that one cannot get three days & three nights from Friday to Sunday. This is the problem with trying to apply literal thinking to the text. Consider the said texts:
Matthew 16:21 From that time forth began Jesus to show unto his disciples, how that he must go unto Jerusalem, and suffer many things of the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be killed, and be raised again THE THIRD DAY.
Matthew 17:23 And they shall kill him, and THE THIRD DAY he shall be raised again. And they were exceeding sorry.
Matthew 20:19 And shall deliver him to the Gentiles to mock, and to scourge, and to crucify him: and THE THIRD DAY he shall rise again.
Matthew 27:64 Command therefore that the sepulchre be made sure until THE THIRD DAY, lest his disciples come by night, and steal him away, and say unto the people, He is risen from the dead: so the last error shall be worse than the first.
Mark 9:31 For he taught his disciples, and said unto them, The Son of man is delivered into the hands of men, and they shall kill him; and after that he is killed, he shall rise THE THIRD DAY.
Mark 10:34 And they shall mock him, and shall scourge him, and shall spit upon him, and shall kill him: and THE THIRD DAY he shall rise again.
Luke 9:22 Saying, The Son of man must suffer many things, and be rejected of the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be slain, and be raised THE THIRD DAY.
Luke 13:32 And he said unto them, Go you, and tell that fox, Behold, I cast out devils, and I do cures to day and to morrow, and THE THIRD DAY I shall be perfected.
Luke 18:33 And they shall scourge him, and put him to death: and THE THIRD DAY he shall rise again.
Luke 24:7 Saying, The Son of man must be delivered into the hands of sinful men, and be crucified, and THE THIRD DAY rise again.
Luke 24:21 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.
Luke 24:46 And said unto them, Thus it is written, and thus it behoved Christ to suffer, and to rise from the dead THE THIRD DAY:
Acts 10:40 “Him God raised up THE THIRD DAY, and showed him openly;”
1 Corinthians 15:4 “And that he was buried, and that he rose again THE THIRD DAY according to the scriptures:”
The Bible says that Jesus rose on the THIRD DAY meaning during some part of the third day and not after 72 literal hours. If the Bible meant after THREE LITERAL DAYS (after 72 hours), then the Scriptures would have stated that CHRIST rose ON THE FOURTH DAY after three literal days in the tomb. It sounds ridiculous but the FOURTH DAY is not THE THIRD DAY according to scripture - so how you can insist on 72 hours in the tomb and rise on the third day at the same time is beyond us because one second before the close of the third day is still the third day and one second after the close of the third day is the fourth day and Jesus rose on the third day. If the Wednesday proponents stick to their 72 hours strictly, then Jesus rose on the afternoon of Sabbath which according to Jewish reckoning is the fourth day from a Wednesday crucifixion. Jesus himself gives us a clear explanation of the meaning of the phrase “the third day” in Luke 13:32,33
32* And he said unto them, Go ye, and tell that fox, Behold, I cast out devils, and I do cures to day and to morrow, and the third [day] I shall be perfected.
33* Nevertheless I must walk to day, and to morrow, and the [day] following: for it cannot be that a prophet perish out of Jerusalem.
The THIRD DAY therefore means the day after tomorrow and not after three literal days - else you would be into the fourth day, Amen?
AMEN