When was Jesus Crucified? (Death, Burial, and Resurrection)

It is critical we agree on the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus Christ. We need to believe that Jesus Christ was the promised Lamb of God. We need to understand that Jesus Christ was crucified to pay for the sins of the whole world. We need to live in the resurrection power of Jesus Christ. But it is less important that we agree on what day Jesus died.

• What is the gospel?
• Jesus Christ is the Passover Lamb of God sacrificed for the sin of the world
• The same power that raised Jesus Christ from the dead

Based on a lifetime of Bible study, and reading, and prayer, I think Jesus Christ was crucified on Thursday morning and was buried on Thursday evening before sundown (the day for the slaughter and cooking of the Passover lambs) and resurrected on Sunday morning before sunup. This fits the narrative and meets Jesus’ own prophecy of being in the heart of the earth for three days and three nights. (Matthew 12; Matthew 16; Mark 10; Luke 11; Luke 24; Acts 10:40)

If we don’t agree when Jesus was crucified, I hope and pray that you won’t let that stand in the way of our fellowship. I might be wrong, you might be wrong, or we both might be wrong. No matter how firmly convinced we are of our understanding, God does not want us to cause a division on this issue (Romans 14).

• A Modern-Day Parable of Romans 14 (How to avoid conflicts in the church)
• Mankind has divided and conquered! God is not impressed.

Many great scholars and Bible teachers have written many pages of arguments for and against Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday crucifixions. You can easily search them on the Internet. Rather than getting involved in the battle of agreeing or refuting any of them, I have attempted to gather the chronological Bible passages here for you to read the actual inspired word of God recorded for us by eyewitnesses. I trust the Holy Spirit to guide you to understand when Jesus Christ was crucified.

When I came to you, brothers, I didn’t come with excellence of speech or of wisdom, proclaiming to you the testimony of God. For I determined not to know anything among you, except Jesus Christ, and him crucified. I was with you in weakness, in fear, and in much trembling. My speech and my preaching were not in persuasive words of human wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power, that your faith wouldn’t stand in the wisdom of men, but in the power of God (1 Corinthians 1:1-5)

• 12 eyewitness accounts from men who saw God
• Types, shadows, patterns, and figures in the Bible

Last Supper and Betrayal

It’s kind of confusing to keep the 2 different dating systems in mind. The Jews measured days from sundown to sundown. Matthew, Mark, and John used the Jewish system. The Romans measured days from midnight to midnight. Luke used the Roman system.

The day of unleavened bread came, on which the Passover lamb must be sacrificed. He sent Peter and John, saying, “Go and prepare the Passover for us, that we may eat.” They said to him, “Where do you want us to prepare?” He said to them, “Behold, when you have entered into the city, a man carrying a pitcher of water will meet you. Follow him into the house which he enters. Tell the master of the house, ‘The Teacher says to you, “Where is the guest room, where I may eat the Passover with my disciples?”‘ He will show you a large, furnished upper room. Make preparations there.” They went, found things as he had told them, and they prepared the Passover. (Psalm 41:1-13; Matthew 26:17-25; Mark 14:12-21; Luke 22:7-13; John 13:18-30)

While he was still speaking, behold, a multitude, and he who was called Judas, one of the twelve, was leading them. He came near to Jesus to kiss him. But Jesus said to him, “Judas, do you betray the Son of Man with a kiss?” When those who were around him saw what was about to happen, they said to him, “Lord, shall we strike with the sword?” A certain one of them struck the servant of the high priest, and cut off his right ear. But Jesus answered, “Let me at least do this”—and he touched his ear, and healed him. Jesus said to the chief priests, captains of the temple, and elders, who had come against him, “Have you come out as against a robber, with swords and clubs? When I was with you in the temple daily, you didn’t stretch out your hands against me. But this is your hour, and the power of darkness.” (Matthew 26:47-56; Mark 14:43-52; Luke 22:47-53; John 18:1-14)

Trial, Mocked, Scourged, and Convicted

As soon as it was day, the assembly of the elders of the people was gathered together, both chief priests and scribes, and they led him away into their council, saying, “If you are the Christ, tell us.” But he said to them, “If I tell you, you won’t believe, and if I ask, you will in no way answer me or let me go. From now on, the Son of Man will be seated at the right hand of the power of God.” They all said, “Are you then the Son of God?” He said to them, “You say it, because I am.” They said, “Why do we need any more witness? For we ourselves have heard from his own mouth!” (Matthew 27:1-2; Mark 15:1-5; Luke 22:66-70)

They led Jesus therefore from Caiaphas into the Praetorium. It was early, and they themselves didn’t enter into the Praetorium, that they might not be defiled, but might eat the Passover. Pilate therefore went out to them, and said, “What accusation do you bring against this man?” They answered him, “If this man weren’t an evildoer, we wouldn’t have delivered him up to you.” Pilate therefore said to them, “Take him yourselves, and judge him according to your law.” Therefore the Jews said to him, “It is not lawful for us to put anyone to death,” that the word of Jesus might be fulfilled, which he spoke, signifying by what kind of death he should die.
Pilate therefore entered again into the Praetorium, called Jesus, and said to him, “Are you the King of the Jews?” Jesus answered him, “Do you say this by yourself, or did others tell you about me?” Pilate answered, “I’m not a Jew, am I? Your own nation and the chief priests delivered you to me. What have you done?” Jesus answered, “My Kingdom is not of this world. If my Kingdom were of this world, then my servants would fight, that I wouldn’t be delivered to the Jews. But now my Kingdom is not from here.” Pilate therefore said to him, “Are you a king then?” Jesus answered, “You say that I am a king. For this reason I have been born, and for this reason I have come into the world, that I should testify to the truth. Everyone who is of the truth listens to my voice.” Pilate said to him, “What is truth?” When he had said this, he went out again to the Jews, and said to them, “I find no basis for a charge against him. But you have a custom, that I should release someone to you at the Passover. Therefore do you want me to release to you the King of the Jews?” Then they all shouted again, saying, “Not this man, but Barabbas!” Now Barabbas was a robber. (Matthew 27:11-14; Mark 15:1-11; Luke 23:1-6; John 18:28-40)

Jesus Christ is Crucified (during the day)

Here is the chronological account of the crucifixion with help from A Harmony of the Gospels by William Stevens. I believe the symbolism of Jesus Christ, the Lamb of God, being crucified at the same time as the Passover lambs are being slaughtered is especially important to the gospel message.

When they led him away, they grabbed one Simon of Cyrene, coming from the country, and laid on him the cross, to carry it after Jesus.
A great multitude of the people followed him, including women who also mourned and lamented him. But Jesus, turning to them, said, “Daughters of Jerusalem, don’t weep for me, but weep for yourselves and for your children. For behold, the days are coming in which they will say, ‘Blessed are the barren, the wombs that never bore, and the breasts that never nursed.’ Then they will begin to tell the mountains, ‘Fall on us!’ and tell the hills, ‘Cover us.’ For if they do these things in the green tree, what will be done in the dry?”
There were also others, two criminals, led with him to be put to death.
     When they came to the place that is called The Skull, they crucified him there with the criminals, one on the right and the other on the left. Jesus said, “Father, forgive them, for they don’t know what they are doing.” Dividing his garments among them, they cast lots. The people stood watching. The rulers with them also scoffed at him, saying, “He saved others. Let him save himself, if this is the Christ of God, his chosen one!” The soldiers also mocked him, coming to him and offering him vinegar, and saying, “If you are the King of the Jews, save yourself!” An inscription was also written over him in letters of Greek, Latin, and Hebrew: “THIS IS THE KING OF THE JEWS.”
     One of the criminals who was hanged insulted him, saying, “If you are the Christ, save yourself and us!” But the other answered, and rebuking him said, “Don’t you even fear God, seeing you are under the same condemnation? And we indeed justly, for we receive the due reward for our deeds, but this man has done nothing wrong.” He said to Jesus, “Lord, remember me when you come into your Kingdom.” Jesus said to him, “Assuredly I tell you, today you will be with me in Paradise.” (Luke 23:26-43; Psalm 69:1-36; Matthew 27:32-44; Mark 15:21-32; John 19:16-27)

The three days and three nights in the heart of the earth started during the day Jesus Christ died around 3pm (the ninth hour after sunrise). And this is part of the controversy because Jesus was buried in the late afternoon before sundown and was resurrected in the early morning before dawn, so there is no simple straightforward way to count the days and nights in any way that adds up to three full days and three full nights. Therefore, is better to count partial days and nights than to miss days or nights entirely.

It was now about the sixth hour, and darkness came over the whole land until the ninth hour. The sun was darkened, and the veil of the temple was torn in two. Jesus, crying with a loud voice, said, “Father, into your hands I commit my spirit!” Having said this, he breathed his last. When the centurion saw what was done, he glorified God, saying, “Certainly this was a righteous man.” All the multitudes that came together to see this, when they saw the things that were done, returned home beating their breasts. All his acquaintances, and the women who followed with him from Galilee, stood at a distance, watching these things. (Luke 23:44-49; Psalm 22:1-31; Matthew 27:45-56; Mark 15:33-41; John 19:28-30)

The Jews therefore, because it was the preparation, that the bodies should not remain upon the cross on the sabbath day, (for that sabbath day was an high day,) besought Pilate that their legs might be broken, and that they might be taken away. (John 19:31)

Jesus Christ is Buried (before sundown)

When evening had now come, because it was the Preparation Day, that is, the day before the Sabbath, Joseph of Arimathaea, a prominent council member who also himself was looking for the Kingdom of God, came. He boldly went in to Pilate, and asked for Jesus’ body. Pilate marveled if he were already dead; and summoning the centurion, he asked him whether he had been dead long. When he found out from the centurion, he granted the body to Joseph. He bought a linen cloth, and taking him down, wound him in the linen cloth, and laid him in a tomb which had been cut out of a rock. He rolled a stone against the door of the tomb. Mary Magdalene and Mary, the mother of Joses, saw where he was laid. (Mark 15:42-47; Isaiah 53:9-12; Matthew 27:57-61; Luke 23:50-56; John 19:38-42)

It was the day of the Preparation, and the Sabbath was drawing near. The women, who had come with him out of Galilee, followed after, and saw the tomb, and how his body was laid. They returned, and prepared spices and ointments. On the Sabbath they rested according to the commandment. (Luke 23:54-56; Exodus 12:16; Leviticus 23:7-16; Deuteronomy 21:23)

Jewish Passover Sabbath

This is the biggest cause of confusion in the timeline of the passion week. There is a required high sabbath on the first and last days of the Feast of Unleavened Bread, which includes The Feast of Passover. This is different from the weekly Seventh Day Sabbath. On the week that Jesus was crucified, I believe the Feast of Passover was eaten on Thursday night, so the sabbath would start at sundown Thursday evening to sundown Friday evening. This is the sabbath that caused the Jews to kill the thieves and take down the bodies before sundown.

This day shall be to you for a memorial, and you shall keep it a feast to Yahweh: throughout your generations you shall keep it a feast by an ordinance forever. “‘Seven days you shall eat unleavened bread; even the first day you shall put away yeast out of your houses, for whoever eats leavened bread from the first day until the seventh day, that soul shall be cut off from Israel. In the first day there shall be to you a holy convocation, and in the seventh day a holy convocation; no kind of work shall be done in them, except that which every man must eat, that only may be done by you. You shall observe the feast of unleavened bread; for in this same day have I brought your armies out of the land of Egypt: therefore you shall observe this day throughout your generations by an ordinance forever. In the first month, on the fourteenth day of the month at evening, you shall eat unleavened bread, until the twenty first day of the month at evening. Seven days shall there be no yeast found in your houses, for whoever eats that which is leavened, that soul shall be cut off from the congregation of Israel, whether he be a foreigner, or one who is born in the land. You shall eat nothing leavened. In all your habitations you shall eat unleavened bread.'” (Exodus 12:14-20; Leviticus 23:4-8; Numbers 28:16-25; Deuteronomy 16:1-8)

These are the set feasts of the LORD, even holy convocations, which ye shall proclaim in their appointed season. 5In the first month, on the fourteenth day of the month at even, is the LORD’S passover. And on the fifteenth day of the same month is the feast of unleavened bread unto the LORD: seven days ye shall eat unleavened bread. In the first day ye shall have an holy convocation: ye shall do no servile work. But ye shall offer an offering made by fire unto the LORD seven days: in the seventh day is an holy convocation; ye shall do no servile work. (Leviticus 23:4-8; Numbers 28:16-25; Deuteronomy 16:1-8)

Now on the next day, which was the day after the Preparation Day, the chief priests and the Pharisees were gathered together to Pilate, saying, “Sir, we remember what that deceiver said while he was still alive: ‘After three days I will rise again.’ Command therefore that the tomb be made secure until the third day, lest perhaps his disciples come at night and steal him away, and tell the people, ‘He is risen from the dead;’ and the last deception will be worse than the first.” Pilate said to them, “You have a guard. Go, make it as secure as you can.” So they went with the guard and made the tomb secure, sealing the stone. (Matthew 27:62-66)

Jewish Weekly Sabbath

If the first day of the Feast of Unleavened Bread was a sabbath from Thursday sundown to Friday sundown and the weekly seventh day sabbath started Friday sundown to Saturday sundown, there wouldn’t have been any opportunity to go to the tomb or buy any spices or preparation for burial during these 2 days.

“Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy. You shall labor six days, and do all your work, but the seventh day is a Sabbath to Yahweh your God. You shall not do any work in it, you, nor your son, nor your daughter, your male servant, nor your female servant, nor your livestock, nor your stranger who is within your gates; for in six days Yahweh made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that is in them, and rested the seventh day; therefore Yahweh blessed the Sabbath day, and made it holy. (Exodus 20:8-11; Deuteronomy 5:12-15)

Resurrection Morning (after sunrise)

When the Sabbath was past, Mary Magdalene, and Mary the mother of James, and Salome, bought spices, that they might come and anoint him. Very early on the first day of the week, they came to the tomb when the sun had risen. They were saying among themselves, “Who will roll away the stone from the door of the tomb for us?” for it was very big. Looking up, they saw that the stone was rolled back. Entering into the tomb, they saw a young man sitting on the right side, dressed in a white robe, and they were amazed. He said to them, “Don’t be amazed. You seek Jesus, the Nazarene, who has been crucified. He has risen. He is not here. Behold, the place where they laid him! But go, tell his disciples and Peter, ‘He goes before you into Galilee. There you will see him, as he said to you.'” They went out, and fled from the tomb, for trembling and astonishment had come on them. They said nothing to anyone; for they were afraid. (Psalm 16:1-11; Psalm 49:1-20; Matthew 28:1-10; Mark 16:1-8; Luke 24:1-12; John 20:1-9)