Christ’s Crucifixion was NOT on Friday Many are deceived about Christ’s death and resurrection—did He die on “Good Friday” and rise on “Easter Sunday”? Since His only sign as the Messiah was that He would be in the grave for “three days and three nights,” how does this tradition fit? ROPHESIED CENTURIES ear- nights cannot mean three days and three the apostles had always done. Yet, the lier, Jesus Christ’s burial and res- nights. bishops of Rome had other ideas. P urrection fulfilled a precise time- Thus, the letter from Hermes was frame. Notice Matthew 12: “Then cer- Accepted by Professing Christianity either a forgery or it was deceptively tain of the scribes and of the Pharisees The Good Friday-Easter Sunday tradi- written by Pius, who died just before answered, saying, Master, we would see tion distorts the truth of what actually Polycarp’s visit to Rome (Apostolical a sign from You. But He answered and happened. But what is the origin of this Fathers, James Donaldson, p. 324). The said unto them, An evil and adulterous tradition? Since the originators of this bishops at Rome had decreed that they generation seeks after a sign; and there false doctrine had no sound biblical possessed the power to supercede and shall no sign be given to it, but the sign proof or authority to fall back on, they change the times and laws of God (see of the prophet Jonah: For as Jonah was resorted to fraudulent tactics to legit- Daniel 7:25). They rewrote history and three days and three nights in the imize their fabrications. One such claim changed the order of events in order to whale’s belly; so shall the Son of man was that Hermes, the brother of Pope introduce their false doctrines. be three days and three nights in the Pius (about the year A.D. 147) “had Their effort to change the day of the heart of the earth” (vs. 38-40). received instruction from an angel, who resurrection to Sunday was simply a Professing Christianity has erro- commanded that all men should keep continuation of the Babylonian tradi- neously followed the Roman Catholic the Pasch [Passover] on the Lord’s day tion—that Nimrod (father of the Good Friday-Easter Sunday tradition, [Sunday]” (Antiquities of the Christian Babylonian Mystery Religion) was res- rejecting the truth of Scripture. This tra- Church, Joseph Bingham, p. 1149). urrected on a Sunday. By A.D. 321, dition teaches that Christ was in the The apostle Paul wrote, “But though Roman Emperor Constantine estab- grave from late Friday afternoon, just we, or an angel from heaven, preach any lished Sunday as part of the official state before sunset, until Sunday sunrise. This other gospel unto you than that which religion, thus legitimizing all the vari- timeframe includes Friday night, the we have preached unto you, let him be ous traditions attached to that day. daylight portion of Saturday, and accursed” (Gal. 1:8). He repeats this Saturday night. This is clearly two same warning in verse 9. Instructions What Really Happened from Burial nights and one day—not three days and from an angel can never supplant God’s to Resurrection three nights, as Christ promised as His Word. Christ’s crucifixion took place on only sign. In some distorted twist, Sunday Passover day, the 14th of Abib (or Instead of believing Christ, theolo- came to represent both the Passover as Nisan), the first month in God’s Sacred gians ignore His own words—that He the time of Christ’s crucifixion and bur- Calendar. This occurred in the year A.D. would be three days and three nights in ial, AND the resurrection. However, 31, in which Passover fell on a the grave—three complete 24-hour since it was not logical to condense the Wednesday. Many fail to consider the days. Religionists proclaim the false events of three days and three nights prophecy that the Messiah would be idea that Christ was only buried for half into only one day, the idea of a Friday “cut off…in the midst of the week” that time. Amazingly, many scholars crucifixion was born. The above-men- (Dan. 9:26-27). Wednesday falls in the believe and teach this false idea. Even tioned letter from Hermes was used to middle of the week—the very day upon Clarke’s Commentary, in explaining validate the position of Anicetus, Pius’s which Passover fell in A.D. 31. Matthew 12:40, follows this false tradi- successor, who disputed with Polycarp According to the Roman calendar, this tion, established as early as the mid-sec- over the issue of transferring Passover date was Wednesday, April 25. ond century A.D. Despite many schol- to a Sunday. Trained by the apostle Between the ninth and twelfth hour ars’ and theologians’ attempts to John, Polycarp held fast and taught the (3:00 - 6:00 p.m.), Christ died (Luke “prove” otherwise, one day and two observance of Passover as Christ and 23:44-46). With Governor Pilate’s per- Page 2 mission, Joseph of Arimathaea procured ing. However, it does tell us that Christ in troublous times.” This shows that the body, wrapped it in linen (John would be in His grave for three days and there are 62 weeks + 7 weeks—69 19:40) and placed it in the sepulcher three nights. Anyone willing to believe prophetic weeks (or 483 days). (Luke 23:50-53). By the time the burial the Bible should not find this difficult to Applying the day-for-a-year principle was complete, the Sabbath “drew on” accept. In fact, it is the only logical con- (Num. 14:34; Ezek. 4:6), we arrive at (vs. 54). Thus, the burial took place on clusion that can be drawn. Christ was 483 years from the decree until the Passover day, shortly before sunset. placed in the tomb just before sunset on beginning of Christ’s ministry. That Passover was a preparation Wednesday. Three complete days (three The decree was made during the sev- day, in that it preceded an annual days and three nights) bring us to the enth year of Artaxerxes’ reign (457 Sabbath. This annual Sabbath (called end of the weekly Sabbath, just prior to B.C.). This date is historically well doc- the First Day of Unleavened Bread) was sunset, when Christ was resurrected— umented. By subtracting 457 from 483, called a high Sabbath or “high day” just as He had prophesied! we come to the year A.D. 26. When (John 19:31) and fell on a Thursday that counting from B.C to A.D., astronomers year. It was on this day that the high Proofs to Confirm the Year A.D. 31 correctly add one year since there is no priest and the Pharisees came to Pilate The Sacred Calendar reveals that year “zero,” while historians and to ensure that Christ’s tomb was secure- Passover occurred on a Wednesday in chronologers generally neglect to do ly guarded and sealed (Matt. 27:62-66). A.D. 31. By first establishing the day of this. Adding one year brings us to A.D. Mark 16:1 records what took place the week and day of the month of the 27—the prophesied year of the begin- on that Friday: “And when the sabbath Passover in 1931, we can arrive at the ning of the ministry of the Messiah. was past, Mary Magdalene, and Mary day of the week and day of the month of Luke 3:23 tells us, “And Jesus the mother of James, and Salome, had the Passover in A.D. 31. Precisely one Himself began to be about thirty years bought sweet spices, that they might hundred 19-year time cycles would have of age…” The context of this verse is come and anoint Him.” (Verse 2 jumps elapsed. Following this method helps after John the Baptist had begun his to Sunday morning.) The phrase, “and greatly in computing the difference of ministry and just before Jesus began when the Sabbath was passed,” refers to elapsed time between the Roman and His. Since Jesus was 30 years old in the high day that occurred on Thursday. Sacred calendars during that 1,900-year A.D. 27, He would have been born in 4 Since the women could not buy spices time span. After this, we can safely cal- B.C. Remember, we must add one year on the seventh-day Sabbath (Saturday), culate the month and week in which to compensate for no year “zero.” Thus, Friday was the only time they could Passover fell in A.D. 31. (Our free book- from 4 B.C., advancing 30 years brings have done so. let The truth about GOD’S CALENDAR us to A.D. 27. This leads us to the next Luke 23:56 states, “And they explains these calculations in greater historical proof that further confirms returned, and prepared spices and oint- technical detail.) when Christ was born. ments; and rested the sabbath day Various Hebrew calendar software according to the commandment.” After programs calculate when Passover or The Time of Herod’s Death buying the spices, they returned and any other Holy Day fell in almost any Shortly after Christ’s birth, an angel prepared them to be applied to Christ’s year, even before A.D. 31. warned Joseph in a dream that he and body in the tomb, which they planned to The following historical accounts his wife Mary were to take the child and do after resting on the weekly Sabbath.