If that question was asked of most Christians they would tell you, “Sunday morning!” If you inquired further of them they would explain that the Messiah was put into the tomb on Friday evening and was there parts of three days and nights, i.e. Friday night, Saturday day, and Saturday night. Some of us, taking Jesus’s words as being literal, could never figure “three days and three nights” from that amount of time. And, remember, He said that the only sign He would give was the sign of Jonah. Just as Jonah was three days and three nights in the belly of the great fish He was to be “in the heart of the earth,” the grave, for three days and three nights.
The only way that could be reconciled was to understand that there were two Sabbaths that week, the regular weekly Sabbath that began Friday at sunset and another Sabbath, a high day (John 19:31). A “high day” referred to an annual Holy Day, an annual Sabbath. In this case we know it would have been the first day of the Feast of Unleavened Bread (Lev. 23:5-6).
From many different sources, which we won’t take the time to look at at this time, we know that the Passover lambs were killed on Wednesday afternoon and eaten that evening, the beginning of the Feast of Unleavened Bread. The conclusion of many with this understanding was that Jesus would have been buried late on the Wednesday afternoon and would have been resurrected 72 hours, three days and nights later, at the same time on Saturday afternoon.
However, there are some factors in the story that were never looked at or considered. While I believe the Wednesday crucifixion and death of the Savior, I must ask “Was the Messiah buried before sunset that same day?” Some have stated that the individuals responsible for His burial were in a hurry because the Passover meal was to be eaten that same evening. Of course they fail to bring to mind that anyone having touched a dead body was prohibited from partaking of the Passover (see Numbers 9:6-14) but could take of it in the 2nd month. So, what would have caused them to be in a rush? Just what procedures had to be taken care of in order for the body to be buried? Let us notice some things we may have overlooked.
John tells us in chapter 19 of his gospel account about a man named Joseph of Arimathaea, a disciple of Jesus, who went to Pilate and requested the body (John 19:38). Mark fills in a bit more information, Mark 15:44, informing us that Pilate called the centurion and inquired whether Jesus was in fact already dead. After being told that He was in fact dead, Joseph was given the body. Once he had received the body what happened?
John, in his narrative, tells us of another individual that came forward to assist, Nicodemus (John 19:30). This verse tells us something else very interesting. Nicodemus brought a mixture of myrrh and aloes, as the KJV says “about a hundred pounds.” Others tell us that this may have been closer to 75 pounds as we weigh things today, yet quite a large quantity. What was that all about? We also find from Marks gospel account that Joseph bought linen cloth (Mark 15:46).
Mark continues in the same verse to tell us what the linen was used for, “wrapped him in the linen.” Matthew and Luke both say that Joseph took the body and wrapped it in a linen cloth (Matthew 27:59; Luke 23:53). But, it is John’s account that really begins to shed light on what was happening. Notice John 19: 40, “Then took they the body of Jesus, and wound it in linen clothes with the spices, as the manner of the Jews is to bury.” Here we find a clue as to what all had to take place in the preparation of the body, “as the manner of the Jews is to bury.” We have to look to historical sources to find just what the “manner” or custom of the Jews was.
We can piece together from numerous sources what would have taken place. We aren’t told in the gospel accounts but we can, I believe, properly assume that the body was taken to some place close by, a home perhaps. Here the preparations would take place. Most sources agree that the body would have been washed to cleanse it. In addition we find that the body would have been washed several times in very cold water to cool the body and for rigor mortis to set in. The linen we read about would have been cut into strips and sewn together end to end, no knots were permitted. The body was not embalmed as is commonly done today but the myrrh and aloes were used partly to perfume the body. But, that was not the primary purpose of the myrrh and aloes. It was placed between the wrappings of the linen strips. Being a resin this would have fused the layers together. Generally, it appears that the body was completely wrapped mummy fashion. The head, other than the face, was also wrapped. The face was covered with a cloth. (We have Biblical confirmation of this in the account of Lazarus, John 11:44.) Many of the sources indicate that all of this proper preparation done according to the “manner of the Jews” would take several hours, maybe as much as 12 hours.
To this point we have put together a “case” for a late Wednesday night or early Thursday morning burial based mostly on “circumstantial” evidence. However, we don’t have to just leave it at that because the Bible tells us exactly when the burial took place. You may be asking, “if that is so why haven’t we ever seen that?” Due to our translators the clear and plain details of the time have been kept covered up. But, let us look at the passage and understand what it is really telling us.
Let us go to Luke’s gospel account, Luke 23:50-56. As we rehearsed above, he tells us in verses 50-54 of Joseph obtaining the body of Jesus, of the wrapping of the body in linen and of laying the body in the sepulcher. Verses 55-56 recounts that the women from Galilee followed them to the sepulcher and saw how He was laid. Verse 54 is a transitional verse. The KJV reads, “And that day was the preparation, and the sabbath drew on.” I believe all of us have run the first part of this verse together with the last part. I know that I always have. I submit that the first part, “And that day was the preparation” refers back to the timing of the death of Jesus, the obtaining of the body and it’s preparation we have just read about. The last part of the verse, “and the sabbath drew on” now refers to the next two verses recounting the women following and observing how the body was laid and their returning.
What is unclear in the KJV and most other versions is the phrase “and the sabbath drew on.” We have assumed that this is referring to sunset and the beginning of the sabbath. However, when we check the Greek word here translated “drew on” we find something else altogether. The word here is epiphosko, Strong’s number G2020. It is only used twice in the N.T. and is more correctly translated in the other passage, which we will look at in a moment. Notice the definition of the word, “a form of G2017, to begin to grow light: - begin to dawn.” Number G2017, epephauo, is defined, “a form of G2014; to illuminate (figuratively): - give light.” Number G2014, epiphaino, means “to appear, give light.” Some of the other definitions given are “to bring to light, to appear, become visible.”
When we understand what the word here translated “drew on” really means we have to conclude that the time the body of Jesus was placed into the grave was about dawn on Thursday morning. Let us look at the other verse where number G2020, epephosko is used. In Matthew 28:1 we read the phrase “as it began to dawn toward the first day of the week...” The English “began to dawn” is translated from G2020, much more accurately than in Luke 23. Mark 16:2 recounts this same event but does not use G2020, but notice how he states the timing, “at the rising of the sun.”
Clearly the body of the Savior was prepared for burial after the manner of the Jews, taking several hours, and was placed into the grave near dawn on Thursday morning. 72 hours later, or three days and three nights later, He was resurrected near dawn on “the first day of the week.” And, there was great significance to this, because that morning was the morning of the wave sheaf offering, the waving of the firstfruit of the barley harvest. Jesus, as Paul tells us in 1 Corinthians chapter 15, was the firstfruits of those who were dead. (For more on the wave sheaf offering see my study entitled “A Study of the Wave Sheaf Offering.)
I’ve had to ask, “IF Jesus had been resurrected on Saturday afternoon what did He do all night?” What kind of typology could we see? In addition to the very powerful typology of the wave sheaf offering on the “morrow after the Sabbath,” I believe personally that we see some typology with the early morning resurrection and the Israelites crossing the Red Sea. Their crossing would have been on “Saturday night” and they were in a watery grave (Paul states that they were “baptized” or immersed “in the sea.” 1 Cor. 10:1-2) They came up out of the water early “Sunday morning,” (Ex. 14:27 “...when the morning appeared.”) That morning would also have been the day of the wave sheaf offering.
As was mentioned above, we understand that Jesus was the wave sheaf, the firstfruits to be “lifted up” to be accepted for us. His being lifted up, I believe, would have taken place very shortly after His resurrection and after His brief discourse with Mary Magdalene. Remember, He told her not to touch Him for He had not yet ascended to His Father. This event was priority, it needed to be done as soon as possible after His resurrection before anything further was done. I don’t believe He would have been resurrected 12 or more hours earlier and spent the night “cooling His heels” waiting for dawn.
Just an aside. Jesus said that He would be in the heart of the earth for three days and three nights. He didn’t say He would be dead that long BUT in the grave. He said that He would be there “three days and three nights,” NOT “three nights and three days.” Think about it!
Garry D. Pifer
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