The Day of the Crucifixion

By Anthony Buzzard

Dr. Charles Torrey (Yale University), “The Date of the Crucifixion According to the 4th Gospel”:

“The author of the 4th Gospel was perfectly familiar with the clear and repeated assertion of Matthew, Mark and Luke that Jesus’ Last Supper took place at the time of the paschal meal [the annual killing and eating of the lamb] and that the crucifixion took place on the 15th Nisan. He knew that Matthew, Mark and Luke were before the public.” This crucial fact is echoed on the internet: “Jesus died on Nisan 15. He clearly ate the Passover seder with his apostles according to the synoptic Gospels. The ‘Passover’ yet to be eaten, referred to in John 18:28, is the [subsequent] Passover chaggiga [celebration] which all Jews had to offer on the morning of Nisan 15. The fact is, Jews would not have been concerned about being defiled in the morning, for the Passover lamb which was to be eaten after sunset, in the evening. When uncleanness is contracted, it only lasts ‘until the evening’ according to the Torah. Let that be read a million times over until it is understood.”

The resurrection was expected to be on the third day, counting inclusively as Luke does. Luke 24:21 settles all difficulties or doubts which might linger. 

“We were hoping that he was the one who would free Israel. What’s more, this is now the third day since everything happened” (Luke 24:21). 

“Jesus said that the Son of Man would have to suffer a lot. He would be rejected by the leaders, the chief priests, and the scribes. He would be killed, but on the third day he would come back to life” (Luke 9:22).

“Jesus said to them, ‘Tell that fox that I will force demons out of people and heal people today and tomorrow. I will finish my work on the third day’” (Luke 13:32).

“…whip him, and kill him. But on the third day he will come back to life” (Luke 18:33).

“He said, ‘The Son of Man must be handed over to sinful people, be crucified, and come back to life on the third day’” (Luke 24:7).

“He said to them, ‘Scripture says that the Messiah would suffer and that he would come back to life on the third day’” (Luke 24:46).

Strack, Billerbeck (Commentary on the NT from Talmud and Midrash) on Matthew 12:40:

“As far as counting the three days, we must be aware that in Jewish commentary part of a day is to be reckoned as a whole day. Rabbi Yishmael (around 135 AD) treated a part of an onah [a measure of time] as a whole onah. In 1st Bar. it is taught that Rabbi Eliazer ben Azarya (around 100 AD) said: ‘One day and night forms 24 hours, and a part of an onah counts as a whole onah.’ Pes. 4a: ‘Part of a day is reckoned as a whole day, correspondingly part of a month as a whole month and part of a year as a whole year’” (Vol. 1, p. 649).

“The Jews could speak of three days and three nights even when these periods of time were not complete” (Albrecht, NT).