Jesus’s clues about His Death and Resurrection

April 10, 2025

by Dr. Eric N. Haley

At the height of his popularity, Jesus’s political enemies, the Scribes and Pharisees, asked Jesus for a sign in Matthew chapter 12. Remember, Jesus had already healed the blind, cured the lame, healed lepers, and on three occasions raised people from the dead. ( the daughter of Jairus, Mark 5:21-43 a synagogue official, the son of the Widow of Nain, Luke 7:11-17 & Lazarus who had been dead for four days John chapter 11) They asked Jesus to do these signs so that they could accuse him of violating the Law of Moses in some technicality.

His reply to their request is found in Matthew 12:38-40. “Then certain of the scribes and of the Pharisees answered, saying, Master, we would see a sign from thee. But he answered and said unto them, ‘An evil and adulterous generation seeketh after a sign; and there shall no sign be given to it, but the sign of the prophet Jonas: For as Jonas was three days and three nights in the whale’s belly; so shall the Son of man be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth.'” Jesus lay in the tomb a full three 24 hour days, Thursday, Friday, and Saturday.

It doesn’t take a genius to know then that Jesus did not die on ‘Good Friday,’ as man’s tradition and religion proclaim. All the gospels state that Jesus died before the Sabbath, which to the Jews is Saturday. So people assume he died on Friday. However, the Bible tells us readers in II Timothy 2:15, “Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the Word of truth.” So, if we dig a little deeper, John’s gospel in 19:31 reveals an often overlooked detail. It reads, “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.” The minute detail is that Jesus and the two thieves that were crucified with him were crucified before a, ‘High,’ sabbath.

What is a High sabbath? Leviticus chapter 23 explains the seven High sabbaths in the Old Testament. These seven High sabbath were the seven special holy (holidays) that the Jewish people celebrated just like we celebrate American holidays like Christmas, Easter, Thanksgiving, or the Fourth of July. Except these High or holy days were also sabbath days. The week that Jesus died had two sabbaths–a High sabbath (Passover) and the regular sabbath which was on Saturday. Jesus was crucified on the preparation day which was Wednesday in the late afternoon, just like the lamb was killed on the preparation day before the Jewish Passover, which was Thursday of that week. There was another preparation day on Friday for the regular Saturday sabbath that week.

Jesus himself stated that the sign would be how Jonah was in the belly of the fish for three days and three nights (full 24 hour days). In the Bible it explains in Genesis 1:5 1:8; 1:9;1:13; 1:23, that a day begins in the evening (six ‘o’clock sunset by Jewish standards) then the morning follows. Please read these verses for clarification. In Mark 9:25 it states, “And it was the third hour, and they crucified him.” The third hour of day light is 9:00 a.m. Remember Jesus said in John 11:9, “Jesus answered and said, ‘Are there not twelve hours in the day?'” Referring to 12 hours of light in the day and therefore there has to be 12 hours of darkness in the night. Are there not 24 hours in a complete day?

If Jesus died on Friday, as religion and man’s traditions teach, he would have violated his own word of being in the heart of the earth for three days and nights. Friday night and Saturday night is only two complete nights. Since he rose early on Sunday (Mark 16:9), where is the third night? Remember there were two sabbaths the week Jesus was crucified. Those being crucified had to be taken down before the next sabbath day began or according to Deuteronomy 21:22-23, the land would become polluted or ritually unclean. The Pharisees and scribes did not want the nation to come under a curse. It reads, “And if a man have committed a sin worthy of death, and he to be put to death, and thou hang him on a tree: His body shall not remain all night upon the tree, but thou shalt in any wise bury him that day; (for God) that thy land be not defiled, which the Lord thy God giveth thee for an inheritance.”

One last point. Mark 16:9 states that Jesus rose early on the first day of the week which is a Sunday. However, man’s tradition and religion add the word, “morning,” which is not a part of Mark 16:9. The Bible has already explained to us in Genesis chapter one that the early part of a day starts at sunset (dusk), not in the A.M. morning or dawn. Morning is not included in Mark 16:9 it reads, “Now when Jesus was risen early the first day of the week, he appeared first to Mary Magdalene, out of whom he had cast seven devils.” Jesus probably arose at sunset, the beginning part of a day. Remember the order according to the Bible: evening comes first, then morning. Jesus was officially announced dead about three in the afternoon on Wednesday (the same time that the Jews slaughtered the Passover/Pesach lamb) before Passover. John 1:29 helps clarify who and what Jesus Christ represents to us believers. “…Behold the Lamb of God which taketh away the sin of the world.” The three hours of daylight left was just enough time for the rich man, Joseph of Arimathaea (a Pharisee and secret disciple of Christ) to go to Pilate and beg for the body of Jesus so that he could lay him in his own tomb (sepulcher).Matthew 27:57-58 Just in time before a curse would fall on the land (nation). Something to think about!