When the time came for the Children of Israel to be saved from slavery in Egypt, God introduced a certain event to mark and always remind them of that deliverance. This was non else other than the Passover, which was marked by the slaughtering of a lamb whose blood, they smeared on their doorposts. We all know that the wages of sin is death-Rom.6:23. Egypt was a type of the sinful world, and so, symbolically speaking, Israel was being saved from sin which must cost a death. So, by the blood of a lamb, Israel was saved from death, for, “the blood was a sign for Israel upon the houses where they were; and when the angel saw the blood, he passed over(Passover) them and no plaque overtook them, when the Lord smote Egypt-Exod.12:13”. Could be, many of us have never known that this lamb was a continuous reminder to the children of Israel, of a later and real lamb which would save, not only the Israelites but all human beings. This lamb was non else other than Jesus Christ, for of Him, John told the Israelites, “ behold the lamb of God which takes away the sins of the world-John.1:29”.
He was the true Passover lamb, for, “…Christ, the Passover lamb has been crucified-1 Cor.5:7”. One day, the Jews came to Him, and demanded that Jesus give them a sign to prove that He is the messiah. In answer, He told them, “ No sign shall be given to you except the sign of Jonah, for as Jonah was three days and three nights in the belly of fish, so shall the son of man be in the heart of the Earth(grave)-Mat.12:39-40; Jonah. 1: 17”. So, if Christ doesn’t remain in the grave for three complete (24 hours day) days, then He is not the Messiah. Today, almost all in the Christian world believe that Christ was crucified on a Friday, rising very early on Sunday(the first day of the week). When we try to fetch three days between Friday sunset and Sunday morning, we don’t get them. Does the Christian world therefore disqualify the Messiah-ship of Jesus? If their claim is true, then, that is exactly what they are doing. So, did Christ tell a lie by calling Himself the Messiah? If not, then these Christians are all liars, and they neither believe, nor follow Him. Since there is a God in Heaven who reveals secrets, and He has given us instructions concerning everything in the life He created, it is good we follow those instructions and know for sure what day Jesus was crucified, which also confirms Him to be the Messiah. Being the one unto whom the lamb pointed, it necessitated Him to be crucified on a Passover, on the same date the Passover lamb used to be slain.
Hear it please. “ Then came the day of unleavened bread on which the Passover lamb had to be sacrificed-luke.22:7”. Was it just any day of people’s planning? By no means, it is a specific date, “ In the first month, on the fourteenth day of the month, in the evening is the Lord’s Passover-Lev.23:5”.See Exod.12:6,11. Let’s continue now with our search. “ When the hour came, He sat at table with His disciples-Luke.22:1”. This was the exact time, when the Passover used to be slain, i.e, the fourteenth day, in the evening. Remember that God’s days begin at sunset. A day starts with the evening first, then the morning(day light)-Gen.1:5. So, at that evening, when the Passover day started, Jesus sat at table to eat the Passover with His disciples, for He told them, “ I have earnestly desired to eat this Passover with you before I suffer-Luke.22:15”. When they finished the supper, they rose that same night, and proceeded to the garden of gethsemane-Mat.26:36. Then the soldiers of the high priests who came with Judas seized Jesus at that garden of gethsemane and took Him to the high priest the same night of the Passover-Mat.26:57. So, they tried Jesus throughout the night until morning. “ when morning came, the whole council of priests and elders agreed against Christ-Mat.27:1-2”. Get it please.
Christ ate the Passover on the fourteenth evening, arrested the same night, and in the morning( Passover daylight), they took Him to the governor. So they crucified Him on the Passover daytime, for come noon, while still on the Cross, “ Now, from the sixth hour till the ninth hour, there was darkness over all the land-Mat.27:45”. What we are trying to prove is that Christ was crucified on the Passover day time. This Passover was also called the preparation day since the day to follow was a high day Sabbath. Everybody knows very well that the Sabbath day is on Saturday. It is from this knowledge that most people drew the conclusion that this Passover was on a Friday (the commonly called good Friday), simply because the Jews were preparing for the Sabbath(Saturday). But is it so? While it is very true that the weekly Sabbath falls on a Saturday, this specific Sabbath which followed the Passover was not the weekly Sabbath, for, “…..that Sabbath was a high day(holyday)-John.19:31”. Because of being ignorant of the scriptures, Christ said, “…..people go wrong-Mat.22:29”. A great majority do not know that there are other Sabbaths besides the weekly one. Even then, here comes your creator, revealing to you, more Sabbaths which will also help to tress the day Jesus was crucified and when He resurrected. Listen please and let Christ open your eyes that you may part from darkness to light. “ In the first month, on the fourteenth day of the month, in the evening is the Lord’s Passover. On the fifteenth day of the same month is the feast of unleavened bread………On the first day, it is a holy(high day) assembly. You shall do no work-Lev.23:5-6”. Here, it is very clear that the Sabbath that followed the Passover is the first day of unleavened bread. At the ninth hour, Jesus died-Mat.27: 49. When evening came, around the 12th hour, as the Sabbath (the holyday) was just about to begin, they buried Jesus-Mat.27:57. Mar Magdalene and her friends went and saw where He was buried and went home to keep the feast, the Sabbath. Let’s now begin to count properly. We want to get three nights and three days of Christ in the grace.
He was buried in the evening, let’s say, around six, before the Sabbath begins. This means, He must come from the grave the same hour He was buried, if we will get the exact three days. Let’s continue now. “ Now, when the Sabbath was over, yes, when the first day of unleavened bread was over, Mary Magdalene…bought spices that they may go to anoint His body- Mark.16:1”. Get it if you can please. Jesus was buried in the evening of the Passover(preparation day). Then the women rested on the Sabbath as commanded. So, for one twenty four hour day( The Sabbath), and about one hour(of the Passover), Christ is in the grave. After the Sabbath, now another new day, the women bought spices. By the time they finished preparing them, another Sabbath approached, For the scripture tells us, “ After seeing where Christ was laid, the women went Back, and prepared ointments and spices, and on the Sabbath, they rested according to commandment-Luke 23:55-56”. Follow keenly because this is where most people get mixed up. When Christ was being buried, the Sabbath(first day of unleavened bread) was beginning- Luke.23:54, so, the women couldn’t have time to prepare the spices until the Sabbath is over. This is why Mark shows them going and buying spices after the Sabbath is past-Mark.16:1.
By the time they are through with the preparation, Luke shows another Sabbath approaching; so it forced them to rest on the Sabbath according to commandment-Luke.23:56. One Sabbath before they bought spices (Mark.16:1), and another one after they prepared the spices(Luke.23:56). Definitely, this second Sabbath must be the weekly one for, “ Now, after the Sabbath, towards the dawn of the first day, the women now went to the tomb-Mat.28: 1”. The answer they got from the two angels who were by the tomb side was, “..He is not here, He has risen-Mark.16:6”. Mark another important point here please. Jesus did not rise very early in the morning when the women arrived at the tomb which was a Sunday. He had already risen sometime back. Since He has to prove His Messiah ship by being in the grave for three days, then, it is a must that He rises at exactly the same hour He was put in the grave. So, if they went on Sunday, very early in the morning, and He had risen, the only correct hour must have been, the previous day, in the evening, when Sunday was beginning, the same hour when He was buried on the Passover, when the Sabbath was about to begin. Where are we now? We are on Sunday, very early in the morning. The report by the angels is, “He is not here; He has risen”. So the day before Sunday is the weekly Sabbath. Let’s count from that Sabbath backwards, three exact days. From 6 P.m(the resurrection time) on Sabbath, to 6p.m on Friday is 24 hours(one day). From 6 P.m Friday to 6 P.m Thursday is another 24hours(2nd day).
From Thursday 6P.m, to 6 P.m on Wednesday is 24 hours(3rd day), when He was buried. Are we there friends? Christ was therefore crucified on a Wednesday which was a Passover day, and a preparation day, for the feast of unleavened bread(high day Sabbath). This agrees with Daniel’s prophecy which said, “ …and after the 62 weeks, an anointed one will be cut off………..for one week, He shall make a covenant with many; and for half of the week, He shall cause offering and sacrifices to cease- Dan.9:26-27”. Let’s listen to the bible clarifying itself please. The sacrifices and offerings were a representation of the real sacrifice which was Christ. “…they were added because of sin….acting as a guardian until Christ comes-Gal.3:19,24;Jerem.7:21-23”. So, when Christ came and was crucified(Messiah being cut off), in the midst of the week( Dan.9:27), He caused the sacrifices, and offerings to cease, “….nailing them on the cross- Col.2:14-15; Heb.10: 5-9”. He also ended the physical temple operations, with its priesthood arrangement, a reason why, “..the curtain of the temple got torn from top to bottom-Mat.27:51”. When did that happen? Daniel clearly says, in the midst of the week. A week has seven days. The midst is three and half days which falls exactly on Wednesday noon, agreeing with, “ Now from the sixth hour(noon),middle of the day-Mat.27:45”. If we can now count, it will give us the three-days-in-the-grave-proof that Christ is the Messiah. Crucified on Wednesday(preparation day). Buried the same day around six, when the sun was setting. Then came Thursday which was the first day of unleavened bread(high day sabbath)-John.19:31. After that, came Friday when the women prepared spices(Mark.16:1).
After preparing the spices, it was already getting to the weekly Sabbath so they rested again on that Sabbath(Saturday)-Luke.23:56. On Six evening that Saturday, the same time He was put in the grave three days before, He rose. Very early in the morning on Sunday, the women went to the tomb, only to be told that He had risen-Mark.16:1. The Earthquake experienced when the women were going to the tomb was not as a result of Christ rising from the grave. It was caused by the angels as they rolled the tomb stone from the door. When Jesus resurrected, He had a spirit body which cannot be stopped by physical barriers. This is why He could enter into the house where the disciples were gathered without opening the doors. Therefore ,know and understand that Christ was neither crucified on Friday, nor resurrected on a Sunday. The one crucified on a Friday, resurrecting on Sunday, if any, is another Christ whom we don’t know, and is impersonating the true Christ, trying to present Him as a liar, something He can’t be. Our Lord and savior, Jesus Christ was Crucified on A Wednesday(midst of the week),and resurrected on the Sabbath(Saturday),towards the beginning of Sunday- exactly three nights and three days. Do you believe in Christ the Messiah? This is His voice talking to you through His chosen servants,
THE ENTIME CHURCH OF GOD