On what day of the week was Jesus crucified? Was it a Friday? Most people reading this will probably answer along the lines of: “Of course….duh!”
You might be surprised to learn this is an issue of some contention.
As a kid growing up in church, I was taught that Jesus was crucified on Wednesday, not Friday. My dad thought it might be Thursday. But I was most certainly taught it wasn’t Friday. Indeed, our church never observed “Good Friday.” That was a “Catholic” thing.
Now that I’m older, I recognize that this is not an essential of the faith. Evangelicals and Baptists in particular tend to major in the minors when it comes to issues like this. If some Christians wish to remember Jesus’ crucifixion on a Wednesday while most others choose Friday, it’s no big deal.
But, alas, some Christians insist that it is a big deal. I write this article not because I agree with them. I write this because I don’t. The big deal is that Jesus was crucified. He was crucified for you and me. Nevertheless, since this remains a question or concern among some Christians, let’s dive in.
To keep this article from getting too long, I left most of my research (to steal a phrase from film directors) “on the cutting room floor.” But…since I like to play around with artificial intelligence (AI)…that is, whenever I have the time (which, granted, isn’t often)… I took several essays, videos, and articles on this subject, fed them into NotebookLM (a Google AI product), and had it analyze and compare them. And even produce a podcast with human-sounding AI hosts. If that interests you, you can listen here. Otherwise, read on.
The Friday View (Traditional)
Most Christians have long held to a Friday crucifixion. This is based on verses like Mark 15:42, which refers to Jesus dying on “the day of preparation, that is, the day before the sabbath.” If Sabbath was Saturday, then Friday makes sense. This view also fits with the widespread observance of “Good Friday” throughout church history.
Those who defend this view explain Jesus’ prophecy of “three days and three nights” (Matthew 12:40) as a Jewish idiom—meaning any part of a day could count as a whole day.
The Thursday View
Some scholars argue that a Thursday crucifixion better fits the timeline. This was my dad’s view. They suggest Jesus ate the Last Supper on Wednesday night, was crucified on Thursday (Nisan 14), and that the “Sabbath” referenced in the Gospels may refer to the Passover Sabbath (a High Holy Day), not just the weekly Sabbath.
This view gives three days and three nights more literally: Thursday, Friday, and Saturday in the tomb—before rising early Sunday.
The Wednesday View
A smaller group argues for a Wednesday crucifixion. This was the view embraced by the church I grew up in. This view is based on historical texts like the Didascalia Apostolorum, which suggest Jesus was arrested Tuesday night and crucified Wednesday. Advocates say this allows for a literal 72 hours (three full days and nights) in the tomb.
However, this view struggles to align with Luke 24:21, where disciples walking to Emmaus on Sunday say it’s “the third day since these things happened”—which fits better with a Friday timeline.
So… Which Day Was It?
The truth is, we can’t know for sure. While scholars make compelling arguments for each view, Scripture doesn’t explicitly tell us, and the timeline wasn’t preserved in a way that removes all ambiguity.
But here’s what we can know with certainty—and what truly matters:
Jesus was crucified.
He died for our sins.
Whether it was Wednesday, Thursday, or Friday, the central truth of the gospel remains unchanged. Jesus willingly suffered, bled, and died in our place. And three days later, He rose from the dead, conquering sin and death forever.
So this Holy Week, let’s not lose ourselves in the timing debate. Let’s turn our hearts toward the cross—and give thanks for the love that held our Savior there.
Once again, if you want to listen to a podcast-style discussion on this topic, go here.
Thank you for Reading!
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