Good Thursday?

Our pastor said something on Sunday that got my attention. He said that he believed that Jesus was actually crucified on a Thursday and NOT on a Friday. Really? Could it be true?

When someone tells us something like that, we should be "good Bereans" and do our research in God's Word.

"Now the Berean Jews were of more noble character than those in Thessalonica, for they received the message with great eagerness and examined the Scriptures every day to see if what Paul said was true." - Acts 17:11

GotQuestions.org, my usual go-to place for Bible questions, actually said there are three beliefs for days of the crucifixion - Wednesday, Thursday and Friday. Going into this examination my default belief was Friday. It's Good Friday, not Good Thursday or Wednesday, right?

The GotQuestions.org answer (link below) provided scripture for each position. One verse got my attention, however. Matthew 28:1. Most Bible translations read similar to this:

"After the Sabbath, at dawn on the first day of the week, Mary Magdalene and the other Mary went to look at the tomb." - Matthew 28:1

But some other translations, like the Berean Literal Translation for example, had the same verse translated this way:

"And after the Sabbaths, it being dawn toward the first day of the week, Mary Magdalene and the other Mary came to see the tomb." - Matthew 28:1

'Sabbaths' is plural!?! So, I kept digging and found an article called The Case for A Thursday Crucifixion (link below). Interesting read.

The picture above is from a Greek/English Interlinear On-Line Bible. Note the word "Sabbaths" that I underlined. It's plural, meaning more than one sabbath.

The key to all of this is knowing that there are TWO kinds of Sabbath days. There is a weekly day Sabbath, which occurs every Saturday, and then there is a HIGH day or special holy day, like Passover, which occurs on different days of the week but always on Nissan 10 according to scripture.

"The Lord said to Moses and Aaron in Egypt, 2 “This month is to be for you the first month, the first month (Nisan) of your year. 3 Tell the whole community of Israel that on the tenth day of this month each man is to take a lamb for his family, one for each household." - Exodus 12:1-3

Jesus came into town riding on a donkey. On Palm Sunday. The Passover.

Read the article. Perhaps your Good Friday will turn into a Good THURSDAY as a result.

On What Day Was Jesus Crucified?

The Case for A Thursday Crucifixion