Thread: Good Friday?

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Christ limited days to 12 hours, and no more.

†. John 11:9 . . Jesus answered: are there not twelve hours in the day? A man who walks by day will not stumble, for he sees by this world's light.

"this world's light" is the sun. So according to Christ, day is when the sun is up, and night is when the sun is down.

Days divided into twelve equal periods of sunlight were regulated by what's known as temporal hours; which vary in length in accordance with the time of year. There are times of the year at Jerusalem's latitude when days on earth consist of less than 12 normal hours of daylight, and sometimes more; but when Jesus was here; the official number of hours was always 12 regardless.

I don't exactly know why the Jews of that era divided their days into twelve equal periods of sunlight regardless of the seasons, but I suspect it was just a convenient way to operate the government and conduct civil affairs; including the Temple's activities; e.g. the daily morning and evening sacrifices.

John 11:9 isn't the only passage in the Bible that defines day as when the sun is up, and night is when the sun is down. Gen 1:14 defines days and nights that way too.

Furthermore: Gen 1:16-18 defines night as when the stars are out.

Anyway: Matt 17:22-23, Mark 9:31, Luke 9:22, Luke 24:12-21, Luke 24:46, Acts 10:40, and 1Cor 15:4 all indicate that Christ revived during the third day rather than after the third day was over and done. (Keep in mind that the Bible defines day as when the sun is up.)

So if we assign Sunday as the third day, then it's child's play to identify Saturday as the second, and Friday as the first.

And if we permit the Bible to define night as when the sun is down; then Saturday night is the third night, Friday night is the second night, and Thursday night is the first night.

FYI: Some folk insist that Christ rose from the dead Saturday night after the weekly sabbath ended at sundown. But keep in mind that Matt 17:22-23, Mark 9:31, Luke 9:22, Luke 24:12-21, Luke 24:46, Acts 10:40, and 1Cor 15:4 all indicate that Christ revived during the third day rather than during the third night; and according to John 11:9, Gen 1:14, and Gen 1:16-18; day is when the sun is up, and night is when the sun is down.

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Christ's last supper was a Passover.

†. Luke 22:7-16 . .Then came the day of Unleavened Bread on which the Passover lamb had to be sacrificed. Jesus sent Peter and John, saying: Go and make preparations for us to eat the Passover,.

. . .Where do you want us to prepare for it?

. . . He replied: As you enter the city, a man carrying a jar of water will meet you. Follow him to the house that he enters, and say to the owner of the house: "The Teacher asks: where is the guest room, where I may eat the Passover with my disciples?" He will show you a large upper room, all furnished. Make preparations there.

. . .They left and found things just as Jesus had told them. So they prepared the Passover.

. . .When the hour came, Jesus and his apostles reclined at the table. And he said to them: I have eagerly desired to eat this Passover with you before I suffer. For I tell you, I will not eat it again until it finds fulfillment in the kingdom of God.

The Jews ate their Passover after Christ was arrested and put on trial.

†. John 13:1-2 . . Now before the feast of the Passover, when Jesus knew that his hour was come that he should depart out of this world unto the Father, having loved his own which were in the world, he loved them unto the end. And supper being ended, etc, etc.

†. John 18:28 . .Then they led Jesus from Caiaphas to the Praetorium, and it was early morning. But they themselves did not go into the Praetorium, lest they should be defiled, but that they might eat the Passover.

†. John 19:13-14 . .When Pilate therefore heard these words, he brought Jesus out, and sat down on the judgment seat at a place called The Pavement, but in Hebrew, Gabbatha. Now it was the day of preparation for the Passover; it was about the sixth hour.

In other words: Christ ate his own Passover a full twenty-four hours before the Jews ate theirs

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