Did Christ Die on a Friday?

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In my family, we practice abstinence (newadvent.org/cathen/01067a.htm) from meat on Friday’s throughout the year. We feel like this gives us a constant reminder of the sacrifice that Christ made in his death on the cross, and it has deepened our faith. My wife and I also fast on Friday’s, eating a small meal in the morning and a small meal in the evening, skipping lunch.

A mormon coworker considers our fast and abstinence an example of “vain repetition,” and he befuddled me by claiming that Christ didn’t really die on a Friday. Since I have never heard this objection to the faith before (and I’ve heard plenty) I was dumbfounded and didn’t know how to react.

Has anyone heard this before? How should one react?
 
I would ask for information on why he believes that.

The Bible is pretty clear that Christ died before sunset on the day before the Sabbath.

That would be a Friday, because the Sabbath began at sundown on Friday.
 
There are some Fundamentalist Protestants who, along with Mormons, came that Christ died on a Wednesday. They say that Jesus, like Jonah, had to spend three full days and nights in the tomb. Therefore, he had to have died on a Wednesday.

This, of course, fails to take into account the Jewish way of reconing days. They began by counting the present day as the first. So, for example, two days from today, Wednesday, would actually be tomorrow, Thursday, since we would count today, Wednesday.

It also fails to take account of the fact that, although Jesus did compare his sleep of death to that of Jonah’s stay in the whale (which was for three days and nights), other Scriptures, including the Resurrection appearances, make it clear that Jesus rose on the morning of the third-day, not after the thrid day transpired.

That’ the gist of it, I think.
 
Luke 24:18-21 clinches it also, “it is now the third day since this happened” referring to the crucifixion. That could only be Friday (the day of “Preparation” which is the day before the Sabbath, Mark 15:42), since Sunday is when the resurrection took place (Mark 16:9). For a “Wednesday crucifixion” (some sabbatarian groups like the old Worldwide Church of God used to make a big deal over this), Luke 24:18-21 would have to read “it is now the fifth day since this happened”…

My long study on this topic

Phil P
 
I read this explanation:

Jesus celebrated the Essene Passover, which occurred on a Thursday. The Pharisees, being of a different sect, calculated when to celebrate the Passover differently, so celebrated theirs starting Friday evening. Providence saw to it that two things which both must happen on Passover, but which must happen on two different days, both happened on Passover!

here:

209.157.64.200/focus/f-religion/1114327/posts?page=6#6
 
Ignore your coworker. He doesn’t know what he’s talking about.
 
To understand the difference in reckoning the passage of time, read Matthew 16:28 - Matthew 17:2 and then Luke 9:27-29.

Matthew says six days had passed whereas Luke states that eight days had passed and this can only be reconciled when you understand that the part can indicate the whole. Matthew only counts the whole days which had passed, whereas Luke includes the evening before the six whole days and the morning following as two more whole days.

In modern Western culture, three days and three nights means literally three 24 hour periods. In Hebrew culture it does not. So Jesus was placed in the tomb before sunset on Friday (since the Sabbath began at sunset), He remained in the tomb the whole of the Sabbath, the seventh day, where God finally rested from all His work of creation and salvation, and then He rose from the dead early on Sunday morning before the sun had risen. By Western reckoning Christ was in the tomb for a bit over 30 hours*****. By Hebrew reckoning He was there for three days and three nights.

***** Some Fathers state He was in the tomb for 33 hours, that is, as many hours as He was years on the earth.

John.
 
Brian said:
In my family, we practice abstinence (newadvent.org/cathen/01067a.htm) from meat on Friday’s throughout the year. We feel like this gives us a constant reminder of the sacrifice that Christ made in his death on the cross, and it has deepened our faith. My wife and I also fast on Friday’s, eating a small meal in the morning and a small meal in the evening, skipping lunch.

A mormon coworker considers our fast and abstinence an example of “vain repetition,” and he befuddled me by claiming that Christ didn’t really die on a Friday. Since I have never heard this objection to the faith before (and I’ve heard plenty) I was dumbfounded and didn’t know how to react.

Has anyone heard this before? How should one react?
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Realy nice that you all Fridays have apstinence.
Much nicer is that your faith is bigger, and therefore holier.
 
I’d tell your Mormon coworker that since it deepens your faith, it is definitely not vain. The definition he probably means is that it is worthless. Therefore, if it is deepening your faith, it is definitely not vain.
 
sandyeggo said:
I read this explanation:

Jesus celebrated the Essene Passover, which occurred on a Thursday. The Pharisees, being of a different sect, calculated when to celebrate the Passover differently, so celebrated theirs starting Friday evening. Providence saw to it that two things which both must happen on Passover, but which must happen on two different days, both happened on Passover!

here:

209.157.64.200/focus/f-religion/1114327/posts?page=6#6
Click to expand...
I love this! Thanks for sharing, this thread clears up a few questions I had, and now I have answers to give to others. That’s why I love this place. 👍
 
Brian said:
In my family, we practice abstinence (newadvent.org/cathen/01067a.htm) from meat on Friday’s throughout the year. We feel like this gives us a constant reminder of the sacrifice that Christ made in his death on the cross, and it has deepened our faith. My wife and I also fast on Friday’s, eating a small meal in the morning and a small meal in the evening, skipping lunch.

A mormon coworker considers our fast and abstinence an example of “vain repetition,” and he befuddled me by claiming that Christ didn’t really die on a Friday. Since I have never heard this objection to the faith before (and I’ve heard plenty) I was dumbfounded and didn’t know how to react.

Has anyone heard this before? How should one react?
Click to expand...
Scripture says that Jesus died on a Friday… and the Jews counted days differently than we do 🙂

as for the fast being “vain repetition”, I guess some people believe that anything repetitive is “vain repetition”. 🤷 But they are ignoring the word: “vain” 😉 not all repetition is vain.
 
Brian said:
A mormon coworker considers our fast and abstinence an example of “vain repetition,”
Click to expand...
Vain repetition?? Wow! That’s ridiculous. First of all, he/she has grossly misinterpreted the scripture which talks about vain repetition (while speaking) in prayer, and secondly, he/she has forgotten the “vain” part. Fasting and abstinence is a repetition for sure, but it is not vain repetition. Jesus himself recommended fasting in Mark 17:21. Jesus himself fasted in the desert for 40 days. That wasn’t vain repetition either.
 
I hope you guys realize that you’re replying to a 7 year old thread. These guys you are replying to are probably not posting on this forum anymore.
 
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