The belief that Jesus died on a Wednesday is based on the scriptural interpretation of 'three days and three nights' in the context of Jewish timekeeping.
The assertion that Jesus died on a Wednesday stems from His own words regarding being in the grave for 'three days and three nights' (Matthew 12:40). This timeframe is interpreted in the context of Jewish time, which counts a day from evening to evening (Genesis 1:5). Thus, if Jesus was crucified on the 14th of Nisan at evening, He would have been in the grave Wednesday evening to Thursday evening, Thursday evening to Friday evening, and Friday evening to Saturday evening, culminating in His resurrection early on the third day, Sunday. This understanding aligns with the significance of the Jewish Passover and the Feast of Unleavened Bread, as detailed in Leviticus 23.
Scripture References:
Matthew 12:40, Leviticus 23, Genesis 1:5
Commentary