Because pagan Easter is Sunday March 31, let’s talk about the true dates of Jesus’ death and resurrection.
Matthew 12:40 Three days and three nights, which is impossible in the traditional claim of Friday evening to Sunday sunrise.
Jesus resurrected at night, during the Sabbath/Saturday night, Not Sunday sunrise:
Matthew 28:1 (AOB) Toward the end of the Sabbath, as it began to dawn toward the first day of the week, Mary Magdalene and the other Mary came to look at the tomb.
Mark 16:1 (AOB) The Sabbath day was waning, Mary Magdalene, and Mary the mother of James, and Salome, bought spices, so that they might come and anoint him.
:2 Very early before the first day of the week (Sunday), they came to the tomb. It was near sunrise.
It’s acknowledged that Jesus and the original Israelites didn’t observe sunset to sunset, but rather sunrise to sunrise.
https://isawthelightministries.com/daystarts.html
John 19:31 Therefore, because it was the Preparation Day, that the bodies should not remain on the cross on the Sabbath (for that Sabbath was a high day.)
The traditional claim is that the “sabbath” mentioned is the weekly Sabbath, Saturday. But the scripture says that it was a “High day”, which means an annual holy day Sabbath, not the weekly Sabbath.
We know exactly which “High Sabbath” day that it’s talking about. Not Tabernacles, Pentecost, Atonement, but rather Unleavened Bread/Passover. (The Jews observed only one day as being both the Passover & the 1st Day of Unleavened Bread, being the 1st day of UB.)
Now that we know that Jesus was already risen before Sunday began, and that He must had recently risen, late that Saturday night, we can count backwards 3 full days and 3 full nights. = 72 hours.
From Sunday sunrise backwards to Saturday sunrise would be 24 hours.
From Saturday sunrise back to Friday sunrise would be 48 total hours.
From Friday sunrise to Thursday sunrise would be 72 hours.
But Jesus was already risen before sunrise. So He would had been buried a few hours/minutes before Thursday sunrise, during Wednesday night.
If He was buried Wednesday night, then we must had died Wednesday afternoon.
What time?
Matthew 27:45-50 (And Mark 15) Says that Jesus died at 3 PM. (1500) (NIV)
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Matthew 27:57-61 Arimathea requests Pilate for the body of Christ. This took time to get permission to see Pilate.
Mark 15:42-46 “Evening” = Any time between noon and sunset. In this case, between 3 PM & sunset. It wasn’t sunset yet because it wasn’t the High Day yet to the Jews.
:44 “He was already” = LONG AGO, BEEN AWHILE
Much time had passed after 3 PM. It wasn’t just a few short minutes.
:46 Purchased linen after attaining the body. More time.
John 19:38 After these things Joseph of Arimathea, being a disciple of Jesus, but a secret one for fear of the Judeans, asked Pilate that he might take away the body of Jesus; and Pilate granted permission. So he came and took away his body.
39 Nicodemus, who had first come to him by night, also came, bringing a mixture of myrrh and aloes, about a hundred litras. (Each litra is twelve oz. Thus it was around sixty-five to seventy-five pounds. It took time for Joseph of Arimathea to go to Pilate, ask permission to speak to Pilate, receive that permission, actually speak with him, get permission, then go take JESUS off the cross. Nicodemus first arrived after sunset and JESUS was still not in the tomb. It took time to prepare JESUS' Body with all of these spices. They would prepare His Body in a careful & loving manner. It's impossible for them to have had His Body in the tomb by sunset.)
40 So they took the body of Jesus and bound it in linen wrappings with the spices, as is the burial custom of the Judeans.
41 now in the place where he was crucified there was a garden, and in the garden a new tomb in which no one had yet been laid.
42 therefore because of the Judean day of preparation, since the tomb was nearby, they laid Jesus there.
It would had taken some time to apply the spices to his body. They would had done so in an honorable and dignified manner. Not very hastily or carelessly.
It would had been well past sunset when they finished.
Luke 23:54 “begin” = “to grow light”, not begin. Almost Thursday sunrise.
:55-56 Would be Thursday and Friday, women continuing to preserve the body with additional spices with a second application.
:56 “Sabbath or rest day” would actually be weekly Sabbath.
Luke 24:1 Confirms.
Time Outline: The Crucifixion & Resurrection of Jesus
(All of this happens in the first month of the year, which in the Roman Calendar would be March or April.)
Tuesday the 14th of the month: Passover Day from sunrise Tuesday to sunrise Wednesday.
Disciplines of Jesus killed the Passover Lamb before sunset.
Later at sunset, Jesus eats the Passover Meal with the disciplines.
Then introduces the New Covenant Communion of wine & unleavened bread, (followed by foot-washing) for our yearly observance at sunset on Passover day.
After foot-washing and one hymn, they depart to the garden where Jesus is arrested.
Wednesday the 15th: 1st Day of Unleavened Bread. High Sabbath. (But not yet according to the Jews.)
Calendar Day runs from sunrise to sunrise. But observance of fasts & Unleavened Bread is from sunset to sunset.
Jesus dies at exactly 3 pm Israel time at the exact moment that the Pharisees killed their Passover Lamb in preparation for the Passover/UB.
After He was already dead, the soldiers pierced His Side.
(The Babylonian Pharisees incorrectly observed all days from sunset to sunset. They also killed the Passover a day late. This day that Jesus died was incorrectly considered by the Pharisees to be "the Preparation day". In their view, The High Sabbath would not start until sunset on the 15th. This is why people were on the crosses.)
Joseph of Arimathea went from the scene of the crucifixion to the palace to see Pilate.
After Joseph was given an audience with Pilate, he asked for the body of Jesus.
Pilate then sent for the centurion who was in charge of the crucifixion and who might have still been at the site.
After the centurion came to Pilate, he was asked if Jesus had been dead for a good amount of time.
When Pilate heard that Jesus had been dead for a good amount of time, he gave Joseph permission to take the body.
Joseph went to a merchant (before sunset) and purchased fine linen to prepare the body of Christ (Mark 15:46).
Afterwards, Joseph carried the linen to the crucifixion site. He arrives at/after sunset (Matthew 27:57).
With the help of several others, he took Jesus off the cross, and carried the body of Jesus to a garden that was near the new tomb, close to the Crucifixion site. (Everything had to be in close proximity due to restrictions of the Pharisees who thought that the High Sabbath began at sunset. But the disciplines understood Jesus' practice of observing dates from sunrise to sunrise).
Nicodemus showed up, after dark (John 19:39 even as he had also first come to Jesus by night) with a hundred pounds of a mixture of myrrh and aloes.
Using the linen and the spices, they then prepared the body and wrapped Jesus using strips of linen (John 19:40).
3 A.M. Jesus is placed in the tomb and the stone is rolled over the doorway.
Countdown of 3 days and 3 nights (72 hours) begins.
Thursday 16th: From 3 am Wednesday night until 3 am Thursday night is one day and one night.
(I am not declaring a "day" to start at 3 am. But rather only that Jesus' 72 hours in the tomb began & ended at 3 am which was near dawn)
Women continue to preserve the body on this Thursday and Friday. Then rest Saturday.
Friday 17th: 3 am Thursday until 3 am Friday = second day and night.
Saturday 18th: 3 am Friday until 3 am Saturday = "the third day", Concludes 3 days and 3 nights.
Resurrection of Jesus at 3 am Saturday on the 7th Day "Sabbath" before sunrise. He had been dead 3.5 days as will the Two Witnesses Revelation 11:9-11
Almost Sunday: A little later the same night, while it was still dark but getting close to sunrise, the two Mary’s arrive at the empty tomb.
Learn more:
https://www.isawthelightministries.com/resurrectiontime.html
Reminder: Next weekend March 23-24, worship services both days, Saturday & Sunday. (Sunday for 1st day of Purim.)