The Resurrection was on a Saturday

by Bob10 on 2002-04-07 00:23:00

Mark 16:1 says when the Sabbath was over, Mary Magdalene and Mary the mother of James, and Salome, bought spices that they might come and anoint Him.

However, in Luke 23:56, the women returned and prepared spices and ointments; and rested the Sabbath day according to the commandment.

How could these women buy the spices and ointments after the Sabbath, and yet have them prepared before the Sabbath?

Not difficult at all. Most of us know nothing about the holidays of the Bible. And we certainly don’t know that the Jewish annual holidays are also called sabbaths(Leviticus 23:32,39). The first day of Unleavened Bread is a Sabbath(Lev.23:7) — “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 a high day,)besought Pilate that their legs might be broken, and they might be taken away.”(Jn.19:31).
When this annual Sabbath was past, the women bought spices and ointments(Mark 16:1) and also prepared them(Lk 23:56); that sunset started the weekly Sabbath and the women rested “according to the commandment”(Saturday Sabbath). “Now upon the first day of the week, very early in the morning, they come unto the sepulchre, bringing the spices which they had prepared…(Luke 24:1)

They bought & prepared the spices on the first available working day: the day in between the annual and weekly sabbath. Mark just uses the annual sabbath as his reference point; Luke uses the weekly sabbath as his.

According to the evidence in Scripture, Jesus died that year on a Wednesday–late afternoon, spent Thursday,Friday & most of Saturday dead in the Tomb until He rose alive Saturday–late afternoon; Exactly as He said!(Matthew 12:40), according to the Scripture(1Cor.15:4).