Israel Institude of BS
The day of Jesus’ crucifixion is among the most debated topics of the New Testament. Jesus described the sign of Jonah:
“For as Jonah was three days and three nights in the belly of a huge fish, so the Son of Man will be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth” (Mt. 12:40).
If, according to tradition, Jesus died on Friday and was resurrected on Sunday, two days later, how do we get to “three days and three nights”? Where is the Sign of Jonah, then?
The Mystery of Jesus and Jonah Unraveled
The Different Calendars
Several details might be helpful while analyzing this story. First, the “different calendars” concept: the Passover feast days were calculated differently by different groups. The difference between the Pharisaic date of Passover and the Sadducean date a day earlier, might explain the discrepancy between the Synoptic Gospels and the Gospel of John. The Essenes also used their own calendar, and Jesus could have celebrated Passover in the Essene facilities, according to their calendar.
The Fast of the Firstborns
Even more important is the fact that as Galileans, Jesus and his disciples would have observed the Galilean traditions. One of the most important differences between Judean and Galilean Passover observance was a special fast: The Fast of the Firstborns. In Jewish tradition, the last meal before a fast is a very significant event. Thus, on Wednesday night, Jesus and His disciples gathered to eat this special Last Supper — the last meal before the Fast.
See the Sign of Jonah fulfilled
According to this concept, Jesus died on the cross on Thursday, the 14th of Nisan. In this case, the sign of Jonah was fulfilled precisely. Even though it’s still just a guess, you can see that without knowing Jewish customs connected to Passover at the time of Jesus, we can really miss a lot. Sign up for our live online Biblical Hebrew courses and the last week of Jesus’ earthly life will become much clearer to you.
