Was Jesus Crucified Wednesday or Friday?

Was Jesus Crucified Wednesday or Friday?

When evaluating whether Jesus was crucified on Wednesday or Friday using the Jewish system of timekeeping, the case for a Wednesday crucifixion offers stronger internal textual support—particularly for those seeking a literal fulfillment of Jesus’ own prophetic statement in Matthew 12:40, where He declares that the Son of Man would be "three days and three nights in the heart of the earth." While Friday crucifixion has been the dominant tradition in Christian history, a close examination of the Gospel narratives through the lens of Jewish reckoning of days (which begins at sundown) reveals chronological tensions with that view. In contrast, a Wednesday crucifixion allows for a full three days and three nights to elapse before Sunday morning, aligning more precisely with the timeframe Jesus specified.



1. Jesus' Prophecy – "Three Days and Three Nights" (Matthew 12:40)


Jewish idiom sometimes allows part of a day to count as a whole, but the phrase "three days and three nights" is unusually specific.


This expression appears to require at least parts of three days and three nights, not just three calendar days.



2. Jewish Day Reckoning:


A day begins at sunset (Genesis 1:5; Leviticus 23:32).


So, Thursday night (beginning at sunset Wednesday) is the first night, and Thursday daylight is the first day, and so on.




Wednesday Crucifixion Timeline:


Time Period Event


Wednesday (before sunset) Jesus crucified and buried before sunset (start of Sabbath).


Wednesday sunset to Thursday sunset

Night 1 / Day 1


Thursday sunset to Friday sunset

Night 2 / Day 2


Friday sunset to Saturday sunset

Night 3 / Day 3


Saturday after sunset (start of Sunday) Jesus rises. Women come "very early" Sunday (Matthew 28:1, Mark 16:2).


This timeline gives a full 3 days and 3 nights in the grave before resurrection.





Friday Crucifixion Timeline:


Time Period Event


Friday (before sunset) Jesus crucified and buried.


Friday sunset to Saturday sunset

Night 1 / Day 1


Saturday sunset to Sunday early morning

Night 2, but no third day or night in full.



This gives only two nights and one full day, so it struggles to satisfy Matthew 12:40 literally.




3. "Preparation Day" and the Sabbaths:


Friday is called "preparation day" in all Gospels.


However, John 19:31 says this was a "high day" Sabbath, not necessarily the weekly Sabbath.


Unleavened Bread (Nisan 15) is a special annual Sabbath (Leviticus 23:6–7), which could have occurred on Thursday, meaning Jesus was crucified on Wednesday (Nisan 14), the true Passover day.



4. Women Buying and Preparing Spices:


Luke 23:56: They rested on the Sabbath.


Mark 16:1: They bought spices after the Sabbath.


This only makes sense if two Sabbaths occurred: one annual (Thursday) and one weekly (Saturday), with Friday as a free day for buying/preparing spices.



Conclusion


Using only Jewish timekeeping and context, a Wednesday crucifixion:


Best aligns with "three days and three nights".


Fits with two Sabbaths (annual + weekly).


Explains the women’s timeline.


Aligns Jesus' death with the Passover lamb slain on Nisan 14 (Exodus 12:6).



Therefore, the stronger textual and contextual evidence—under Jewish reckoning—favors a Wednesday crucifixion.


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