IN THE BELLY

UnstoppableRevKev
Apr 16
4 min read

Then some of the scribes and Pharisees told Jesus, “Teacher, we want to see a sign from you.” But he replied to them, “An evil and adulterous generation craves a sign. Yet no sign will be given to it except the sign of the prophet Jonah, because just as Jonah was in the stomach of the sea creature for three days and three nights, so the Son of Man will be in the heart of the earth for three days and three nights. The men of Nineveh will stand up at the judgment and condemn the people living today, because they repented at the preaching of Jonah. But look—something greater than Jonah is here!

-Matthew 12:38-41

What if we’ve been looking at Passion Week all wrong—not in terms of faith, but in terms of the timeline? What if Jesus’ death, burial, and resurrection didn’t actually line up with the traditional “Good Friday” view we’ve all inherited? Before you screech and clutch your pearls, take a breath—because this isn’t about stirring up controversy, it’s about digging into God’s Word with fresh eyes and childlike wonder.

You might just find yourself saying, “Wow… that actually makes a lot more sense!” The beauty of Scripture is that it invites us not just to receive truth, but to search it out, to love the Lord our God with all our heart, soul, and mind. So let’s open our Bibles, leave tradition at the door, and rediscover the breathtaking precision of God's redemptive plan—right down to the very hour.

📅 Passion Week Timeline

(Literal 72-hour burial interpretation)

🌿 SUNDAY — Triumphal Entry (Palm Sunday)

Jesus enters Jerusalem riding a donkey.
He visits the temple late in the day and leaves for Bethany.

Scriptures: Matt 21:1–11; Mark 11:1–11; Luke 19:28–44; John 12:12–19

🌿 MONDAY — Cursing the Fig Tree & Temple Cleansing

Curses a barren fig tree (symbolizing Israel’s spiritual fruitlessness).
Cleanses the temple.

Scriptures: Matt 21:12–22; Mark 11:12–19

📚 TUESDAY — Teaching, Woes, and Prophecies

Debates with religious leaders.
Olivet Discourse predicting temple destruction and His return.

Scriptures: Matt 21:23–25:46; Mark 11:20–13:37; Luke 20:1–21:38

🔕 WEDNESDAY — Passover Prep & Last Supper

Disciples prepare the Passover meal.
Jesus eats the Passover (Last Supper) with the Twelve.
Foot washing (John 13), Lord’s Supper remembrance, Gethsemane prayer.
Betrayal and arrest later that night.

Scriptures: Matt 26:17–46; Mark 14:12–42; Luke 22:7–46; John 13–18

✝️ THURSDAY — Trials, Crucifixion, Burial (Day 1)

Early Morning: Jewish and Roman trials
9 AM: Crucifixion begins
3 PM: Jesus dies
Before sunset (~6 PM): Buried by Joseph of Arimathea & Nicodemus
High Sabbath begins at sunset (Feast of Unleavened Bread)

Scriptures: Matt 26:57–27:61; Mark 14:53–15:47; Luke 22:54–23:56; John 18–19

🧺 FRIDAY — Day After the High Sabbath (Day 2)

Women buy and prepare spices (non-Sabbath day between two Sabbaths)
Jesus remains in the tomb

Scriptures: Mark 16:1; Luke 23:56a

🛐 SATURDAY — Weekly Sabbath (Day 3)

Rest according to the commandment
Jesus is still in the tomb

Scriptures: Luke 23:56b

🌅 SUNDAY — Resurrection Before Dawn

Jesus rises before sunrise, ending the 72-hour period
Women find the tomb empty and are met by angels Jesus appears to Mary Magdalene and others

Scriptures: Matt 28:1–10; Mark 16:1–8; Luke 24:1–12; John 20:1–18

⏳ Three Days and Three Nights Explained:

Jesus was crucified and buried on Thursday before sundown, making Thursday the first of three literal days. Each of the following days—Friday and Saturday—adds to the count, with three corresponding nights. Then, just before dawn on Sunday, He rose—fulfilling both the prophecy of “three days and three nights in the heart of the earth” (Matt. 12:40) and the repeated scriptural witness that He would rise “on the third day.” The early church creeds rightly reflect this, but the foundation truth is explicit in God's WORD.

🔚 Conclusion: Is It About Dates or Devotion?

At the end of the day, this conversation isn’t about winning a theological debate or nailing down a perfect Passion Week calendar. It’s not about dogmatic or legalistic rigidity to timelines and traditions. It’s about revering Christ in our hearts—not just one week a year, but every moment of every day.

We can have every fact right, every prophecy aligned, every feast charted perfectly—and still miss the point entirely. Because if we don’t live regenerate lives, if we’re not walking in the power and presence of the Holy Spirit, then all our knowledge is just noise. The true call of Holy Week is not to information but to transformation—to be washed by the Word, renewed in repentance, and ignited by the love of Jesus, our victoriously resurrected Lord and King.

Whether one holds to a Wednesday, Thursday, or Friday crucifixion isn't the question. The real question(s) are these:

Have you allowed the Lamb of God to graciously and lovingly conquer your heart?
Is your life bearing kingdom fruit in keeping with repentance (2 Cor 7:9-11)?
Are you walking in the light of the WORD... to the very end (Psalm 119:105-112)?

Let this week not just remind us of what happened—but of what still happens by the power of Christ through His Triumphal Resurrection: