3 Days And 3 Nights: On What Day Of The Week Was Jesus Crucified?

Date of Feast of Unleavened Bread

So, if Jesus was crucified on the day preceding the Feast of the Unleavened Bread that begs the next logical question: On what day of the week did the Feast of the Unleavened Bread begin?

Well, I wish I could say that it occurred on the same day of the week every year like our holiday of Thanksgiving does. If it did, we’d have a definitive answer. Unfortunately, it’s not that easy. Because the Feast of Unleavened Bread begins on the same day of the month each year, and not the same day of the week.

Leviticus 23:5-6, “The Lord’s Passover begins at twilight on the fourteenth day of the first month [Nisan]. [6] On the fifteenth day of the month the Lord’s Feast of Unleavened Bread begins…” The first month of the Jewish year is called Nisan and it coincides with our months of March and April.

Now, knowing that this Feast begins on Nisan 15th, and knowing that Jesus was crucified the day before it began, we do have a date for the crucifixion, which is Nisan 14th, the day of Passover.

Resurrection Date to Crucifixion Date

Now, since no one can seem to agree on the exact year that Jesus was crucified it’s impossible to track down on what weekday Nisan 14th occurred the year He was crucified. But we can use this date to help us figure out the day of Resurrection, which we already know occur on a Sunday morning. (This is kind of like one of those logic puzzles in those puzzle books you can find in stores. – I always did like logic puzzles.)

But anyway, if we know that Jesus was crucified on Nisan 14th, and He was in the tomb three days and three nights, then we simply add three days to Nisan 14th and this gives us the date of the Resurrection. Jesus, therefore, arose from the grave on the morning of Nisan 17th. And since Nisan 17th was a Sunday, then three days before Sunday is a Thursday.

Therefore, Jesus was crucified on Nisan 14th, a Thursday. The High Holy Day or special Sabbath of the Feast of the Unleavened Bread occurred on Nisan 15th, Friday. The regular weekly Sabbath occurred on Nisan 16th, Saturday. And Jesus arose on Nisan 17th, Sunday morning after two Sabbaths had occurred.

(I’ve included a chart of the Passion Week in your bulletins that should help you picture this better.)

On the Third Day

Now, that seems simple enough to understand. Jesus was crucified on a Thursday and not a Friday like tradition seems to teach. But to complicate matters there are people who claim that Jesus was crucified on a Wednesday. Why do they believe this? Is there any valid reason for it?

Well, those who propose that Wednesday was the crucifixion day agree with the two Sabbaths that we just talked about, but they think the Special Sabbath occurred on Thursday of that week instead of Friday. They are stating that if Jesus was crucified on Thursday, He wasn’t in the grave three full days. He would have only been in the grave for two days – Friday and Saturday. So, they argue, He must have been crucified on Wednesday with Thursday, Friday and Saturday making the three days.