April 17, 2022

The High Day of John 19:31

"..for that Sabbath was an High Day"

by Raphael Paz

 

John 19:31 The Jews therefore, because it was the preparation, that the bodies should not remain upon the cross on the sabbath day, (for that sabbath day was an high day,) besought Pilate that their legs might be broken, and that they might be taken away.

Mark 16:9 Now when Jesus was risen early the first day of the week..

Matt. 12:40 - 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.

In order to reconcile the seeming contradictions and understand the significance of the above passages, we must go back to the Old Testament and understand it in the Hebrew perspective and considering the Hebrew Calendar and/or Hebrew settings:

I. A Hebrew day reckoning begins from sunset and ends in the following sunset (6 pm to 6 pm), not like as in our day which begins at midnight (12:00 am) and ends in the following midnight (11:59 pm). A Jewish day is reckoned by "evening and morning" just as God declared it in Gen. 1:5, 8, 13, 19, 23 and 31).

Genesis 1:5
And God called the light Day, and the darkness he called Night. And the evening and the morning were the first day.

II. The regular weekly Sabbath (Saturday) is to be distinguished with the High Sabbaths of the Old Testament's Feasts of the Lord which may fall on various other days of the week (not necessarily a Saturday).
There are 7 annual festivals (holidays) commanded by God to Israel to be observed as it is written in the books of Exodus, Leviticus and Deuteronomy.

Leviticus 23 explain the rules for the weekly regular Sabbath (Saturday) then goes on through the other holidays throughout the year that requires a sabbath rest:

Leviticus 23:1-44 - The Feasts of the Lord and the Sabbaths (in order):
Regular Sabbath:
1. The Sabbath (Saturdays) (Lev. 23:3)

Appointed Feasts of the Lord and the Annual Sabbath Days (high days, high holidays or great sabbath):
2. The Passover (Lev. 23:4-8) (Nisan 14 in the Hebrew Calendar = March or April) [Pesach]

a. 14th day of the 1st month (Nisan = March or April) = The Lord's Passover
b. 15th day of the 1st month (Nisan = March or April) = Feast of Unleavened Bread
c. 1st day of the feast of Passover - 15th of Nisan (1st high or great sabbath)
d. 7th day of the feast of Passover - 21st of Nisan (2nd high sabbath)

3. The Feast of Firstfruits (Lev. 23:9-14)
4. The Feast of Weeks or Pentecost (Lev. 23:15-22) [Shavuot] (3rd high sabbath)
5. The Feast of Trumpets (Lev. 23:23-25) [Rosh Hashanah] (4th high sabbath)
6. The Day of Atonement (Lev. 23:26-32) [Yom Kippur] (5th high sabbath)
7. The Feast of Booths or Tabernacles (Lev. 23:33-44) [Sukkoth]

a. 1st day of the month Tishrei (October) (6th high sabbath)
b. 8th day of the month Tishrei (October) (7th high sabbath)

These feasts reminded Israel every year of God's protection and provisions. And most importantly, these feasts symbolizes the complete redemptive work of Christ beginning from His death on the cross to offer Himself as the ultimate sacrifice for the sins of the whole world, His resurrection and the free gift of Salvation and ends with His return to the earth the 2nd time to dwell or "tabernacle" with His people forever.

We are furnished by Scripture with certain facts and fixed points in which when taken together will enable us to determine the events which filled up the last week of our Lord's life on earth, to determine the day of His crucifixion and to establish the duration of the time he remained in the tomb.

The "sabbath" and the "high day" of John 19:31 was a "holy convocation", a sabbath on which no servile work is to be done. (Lev. 23:7). It is the first day of the feast which overshadowed the ordinary weekly sabbath. It was called Yom tov (Good Day) by the Jews and this is the greeting on that day throughout Jewry down to the present time. This great sabbath, having been confused for the weekly sabbath has led to all confusion.

The following are facts furnished from the Scriptures for our sure guidance:
1. The "high day" of John 19:31 was the first day of the feast of Passover.
2. The "first day of the feast" was on the 15th day of Nisan. (Lev. 23:7)
3. The 15th day of Nisan, commenced at sunset on what we should call the 14th.
4. "Six days before the Passover" (John 12:1) takes us back to the 9th day of Nisan.
5. "After two days is the passover" (Matt. 26:2, Mark 14:1) takes us to the 13th day of Nisan.
6. "The first day of the week", the Day of the Resurrection (Matt. 28:1; Mark 16:9), was from our Saturday sunset to our Sunday sunset. This fixes the days of the week, and the month.
7. Now we can reckon the "three days and "three nights" (Matt. 12:40) to arrive at the day of the burial of our Lord, which must have been Before Sunset on the 14th of Nisan, which is before our Wednesday sunset.

Matt. 12:40 - 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.

It follows therefore, that the Lord being crucified on "the preparation day" could not have eaten of the Passover lamb, which was not slain until the evening of the 14th of Nisan (our Wednesday afternoon).
The Lord Jesus Christ is our true Passover lamb. (Who was slain before our Wednesday sunset and Who rose again on our Saturday sunset).

Matt.12:40 For as Jonah was in the belly of the great fish for three days and three nights, so will the Son of Man be in the heart of the earth for three days and three nights.

John 1:29 ..Behold the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world.

John 3:16 For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.

Romans 4:25 Who was delivered for our offences, and was raised again for our justification.