a) There was a `PREPARATION DAY' prior to the Passover.

Mark 15:42 and John 19:14, and 31.....
clearly state that Christ died on preparation day.
This was the 14th day of Nissan.

There was no preparation day for the weekly Sabbath.
It was necessary for there to be a preparation day
when the two Sabbaths occurred together,
because no work could be done for two days thereafter.
Preparation day was only one day of the year,

b) Passover was the 15th day of Nissan

c) The day following the Passover, was a Sabbath also,
the `Sabbath of unleavened bread', the 16th day of Nissan.

d) When Christ died, the weekly Sabbath followed on the 16th of Nissan. How do we know this? Because; EVERY gospel tells us that the women came to the tomb early on the first day of the week
(which is Sunday) while it was yet dark.
(Matthew 28:1, Mark 16:2, Luke 24:1 and John 20:1)

#1) Whenever the Passover fell on the regular weekly Sabbath, the sacrifice was slain at 1:30 P.M. and offered at 3:30 P.M. on Friday in order for it to be finished by sundown on Friday
(beginning of weekly Sabbath)

#2) If Passover Sabbath fell on Friday, the sacrifice was slain at 12:30 P.M. ~ and offered at 1:30 P.M. on Thursday.
(To be finished before the sundown beginning of Passover)

#3) On all other days, the Passover sacrifice was slain at 2:30 P.M. and offered at 3:30 P.M. the day previous to the Passover itself. In that year, the Passover itself fell on Thursday, which means that

Christ was slain on Wednesday.

By Nina Roberta Baker ~ 1995