Wednesday, April 16, 2025
HOLY
WEDNESDAY
Luke
22:1-5
22 Now the feast of
unleavened bread drew nigh, which is called the Passover.
2 And the chief priests
and scribes sought how they might kill him; for they feared the people.
3 Then entered Satan into
Judas surnamed Iscariot, being of the number of the twelve.
4 And he went his way,
and communed with the chief priests and captains, how he might betray him unto
them.
5 And they were glad, and
covenanted to give him money. [30 pieces of silver, about $487.80 US.]
There exists significant controversy regarding the Wednesday
before Easter. Adam Clarke gives us some insight. “John 19:14 [It was the preparation of the Passover] That is,
the time in which they were just preparing to kill the paschal lamb. Critics
differ widely concerning the time of our Lord's crucifixion; and this verse is
variously understood. Some think it signifies merely the preparation of the
Sabbath; and that it is called the preparation of the Passover, because the preparation of the Sabbath happened that year
on the eve of the Passover. Others think that the preparation of the
Sabbath is distinctly spoken of in John 19:31 and was different from what is here mentioned. Contending
nations may be more easily reconciled than contending critics.
(from Adam Clarke's
Commentary, Electronic Database. Copyright © 1996, 2003, 2005, 2006 by
Biblesoft, Inc. All rights reserved.)
At least two problems contribute to the
confusion and contention with tradition. One is the way the Jews marked times
and days. The Jewish day began at sundown of the previous day. That means that
Jesus was discovered
to have been risen a great while before dawn on Sunday. So, you cannot count Sunday as a
full day in the grave. Can you? You also cannot count Wednesday as a full day
since it was mostly spent by sundown. That leaves all of Thursday, all of Friday,
and all of Saturday, in the grave. Below is what Jesus said about the time. He was
rather specific.
Matt
12:39-40
39 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:
40 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.
The other problem with the computation is that there were “Sabbaths”
all in a row. As Clarke mentions “because the preparation of the Sabbath
happened that
year on the eve of the
Passover.” We are left with the necessity of Jesus dying prior to Thursday. He
would have been in the grave all of Thursday, which began at sundown on
Wednesday, all of Friday, and all of Saturday, which ended at sundown. Are you confused yet? I hope
not.
The dark hours between sundown on Saturday and Mary discovering
the risen Jesus on Sunday remain a mystery. Thinking is hard. It makes our
brains hurt and so most of us don’t. The important facts are that Jesus died
and rose again.
1
Thess 4:13-14
13 But I would not have
you to be ignorant, brethren, concerning them which are asleep, that ye sorrow
not, even as others which have no hope.
14 For if we
believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so them also which sleep in Jesus will God
bring with him.
Dear
Lord, we are often confused about many things, but we are sure that your death
was horrible, your resurrection was glorious, and our future is bright. AMEN
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