Have you ever paused to wonder if the story we’ve been told about Good Friday and Easter Sunday actually lines up with the Bible? I have always known this to be untrue, but some of my friends used to accept it without question — after all, everyone seemed so sure. But then, I took them to the scripture and showed them something that flipped the script entirely.
Let me take you on that journey. See for yourself
The Sign of Jonah: More Than Just a Sunday School Story
You’ve probably heard about Jonah and the big fish. Most of us learned it as kids — the prophet who ran from God, got swallowed by a sea creature, and lived inside for three days and three nights. It’s a memorable tale, but here’s the part most people miss: that story was actually a shadow of something far greater.
When some religious leaders demanded a “sign” from Jesus to prove His divine identity, His answer was clear and striking:
“An evil and adulterous generation seeks after a sign, and there shall no sign be given to it, but the sign of the prophet Jonah: for as Jonah 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.” — Matthew 12:39-40.
Three days and three nights. That’s 72 hours. Not one day, not two nights — but the full measure.
God’s Timing Is Always Exact
When God speaks, every detail matters. Throughout the Bible, His timing is flawless. The Israelites left Egypt exactly 430 years to the day, as God had promised (Exodus 12:40-41). Jesus Himself was born at the “fullness of time” (Galatians 4:4). So it wouldn’t make sense for the timeline of His burial and resurrection — the most significant event in human history — to be off even by a single hour.
Now here’s where it gets interesting.
If Jesus was crucified on Friday, and rose early Sunday morning, how could that possibly fit three days and three nights? No matter how you count it, you only end up with one full day and two nights. That doesn’t add up — and the Bible doesn’t deal in approximations when it comes to prophecy.
The Confusion About the Sabbath
A lot of this misunderstanding comes from one small but crucial detail — the “Sabbath” mentioned in the Gospels wasn’t the weekly Sabbath most people assume.
John 19:31 gives us a hint:
“The Jews therefore, because it was the preparation, that the bodies should not remain upon the cross on the Sabbath day, (for that Sabbath was a high day)…”
A “high day” Sabbath refers to a special festival Sabbath, not the usual seventh-day (Saturday) Sabbath. Specifically, it was the Passover Sabbath, which could fall on any day of the week, just like your birthday does.
That year, the Passover Sabbath fell on a Thursday. Which means the “preparation day” — the day Jesus was crucified — was Wednesday.
Wednesday: The Day of Sacrifice
Let’s follow the timeline:
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Tuesday Evening: Jesus shared His last Passover meal with His disciples (John 13:27-30).
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Late Tuesday Night into Early Wednesday Morning: He was arrested, tried, and condemned.
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Wednesday, 9 AM: Nailed to the cross.
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Wednesday, 3 PM: Jesus died.
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Before sunset on Wednesday: His body was taken down and placed in the tomb, just before the high Sabbath began at sunset.
That high Sabbath began Wednesday night and lasted until Thursday evening. Then, the regular weekly Sabbath was approaching — Friday evening to Saturday evening.
When you count the time from Wednesday evening, you get exactly three days and three nights:
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Nights: Wednesday, Thursday, Friday.
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Days: Thursday, Friday, Saturday.
And then — just as the sun was setting at the end of Saturday — Jesus rose from the grave. Right on time. Just as He said.
Why Sunday Morning Was Already Too Late
When Mary Magdalene and the other women arrived at the tomb “at the end of the Sabbath, as it began to dawn toward the first day of the week” (Matthew 28:1), the tomb was already empty. Jesus wasn’t raised that morning. He had already risen — before they got there.
That’s why this idea of a Sunday morning resurrection doesn’t hold up under Scripture. The Bible quietly but firmly tells a different story — one of exactness, fulfillment, and truth.
No Good Friday, No Easter Sunday?
If Jesus was crucified on a Wednesday and rose at the end of Saturday, it leaves us with some uncomfortable questions about traditions like “Good Friday” and “Easter Sunday.”
The truth is, these observances aren’t rooted in Scripture, but in later church tradition. What the Bible points us to isn’t a ritual or a festival, but the truth itself — the rock-solid evidence that Jesus is the promised Messiah, the Son of the Living God.
He said it best Himself:
“And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.” — John 8:32.
Final Thoughts
The real beauty of this discovery isn’t about setting the record straight for the sake of being right. It’s about realizing that God’s word is always precise, dependable, and trustworthy. When Jesus said three days and three nights — He meant it.
And the more we uncover the true timeline, the more clearly we see the unshakable proof that Jesus Christ is the Messiah, the Son of God, and the only path to salvation.
So the next time you hear about “Good Friday” and “Easter Sunday,” pause for a moment. Dig deeper. The truth is always worth it.
If you’d like to read more for some more clarification: https://www.mountaingks.org/christ-was-killed-on-a-wednesday/
Also, remember that the Bible and Google are available to everyone: use them to research anything. The Bible advises you to “Prove all things…”
and Last but not the least, The most important thing is that he die and he rose; lets all celebrate his abundant grace in spirit and in truth (John 4:24)
