Luke 19:47-48, And He was teaching daily in the temple. But the chief priests, the scribes, and the leaders of the people sought to destroy Him, and were unable to do anything; for all the people were very attentive to hear Him.
John 12:42-46, Nevertheless even among the rulers many believed in Him, but because of the Pharisees they did not confess Him, lest they should be put out of the synagogue; for they loved the praise of men more than the praise of God. Then Jesus cried out and said, “He who believes in Me, believes not in Me but in Him who sent Me. And he who sees Me sees Him who sent Me. I have come as a light into the world, that whoever believes in Me should not abide in darkness.
OK, this is my take – not standard and not traditional – I believe Jesus partook of the Passover meal on Wednesday evening and was crucified on Thursday, dying at 3 PM. In defense of my thinking:
You will often find a note about Jesus’ doings on Wednesday of Passion Week saying it was a quiet day as there is nothing recorded about it in the Bible. Really? He was the Lamb being scrutinized and One the Jewish leaders were desperate to trap so to eliminate. Would they give Him a rest? Did the Jews over the centuries not carefully analyze a lamb of the flock every day? Did they take a day off from analyzing? And what did Luke 19:47 report? He was DAILY teaching in the temple! Now a “quiet” day?
John 18:28, Then they led Jesus from Caiaphas to the Praetorium, and it was early morning. But they themselves did not go into the Praetorium, lest they should be defiled, but that they might eat the Passover. The priests and accusers had not yet eaten the Passover! If crucified on Thursday, He would have died when the Passover lambs were being killed at the temple for the Passover meal of the Jewish leaders.
Because of the huge numbers in Jerusalem at Passover, those from a distance were allowed and told to take of the meal a day early and such did Jesus. There is nothing in the Bible about this except that it fits the facts.
Also, if crucified on Thursday, His prophecy about being buried 3 days and 3 nights could be literally fulfilled (as Jonah… Matthew 12:40). Counting part days: An hour or so of Thursday with Friday and Saturday = 3 days. Thursday night, Friday night, and some of Saturday night = 3 nights.
Why do many think He was crucified on Friday? I think most of the Good Friday thinking comes from John 19:42 which says, So there they laid Jesus, because of the Jew’s Preparation Day, for the tomb was nearby. The noting of “preparation day” is taken as being the day before the Sabbath or Saturday. But John had earlier reported that when Jesus was before Pilate it was the day before Passover. John 19:14, Now it was the Preparation Day of the Passover, and about the sixth hour. And he said to the Jews, “Behold your King!”
So, I believe that Jesus and His followers spent Wednesday in preparation for eating the Passover meal that evening.
Matthew 26:14-16, Then one of the twelve, called Judas Iscariot, went to the chief priests and said, “What are you willing to give me if I deliver Him to you?” And they counted out to him thirty pieces of silver. So from that time he sought opportunity to betray Him.
Mark 14:12-16, Now on the first day of Unleavened Bread, when they killed the Passover lamb, His disciples said to Him, “Where do You want us to go and prepare, that You may eat the Passover?” And He sent out two of His disciples and said to them, “Go into the city, and a man will meet you carrying a pitcher of water; follow him. Wherever he goes in, say to the master of the house, ‘The Teacher says, “Where is the guest room in which I may eat the Passover with My disciples?” ’ Then he will show you a large upper room, furnished and prepared; there make ready for us.” So His disciples went out, and came into the city, and found it just as He had said to them; and they prepared the Passover.
The secrecy was so Judas, the betrayer, would not know where they were going to gather for the meal so that Jesus’ time with His disciples would not be interrupted. When Judas left during the meal, he went to lead the temple guard back to the upper room to arrest Jesus but Jesus had already left. The room was in the home of John Mark’s mother (Acts 12:12). John Mark had retired to bed when Jesus left but when Judas returned looking for Jesus, John Mark quickly wrapped himself and raced to the garden knowing what was coming. Thus this report: Mark 14:51-52, Now a certain young man followed Him, having a linen cloth thrown around his naked body. And the young men laid hold of him, and he left the linen cloth and fled from them naked.
On Wednesday Jesus and His followers were about washings in preparation for the Passover remembrance: John 13:10, Jesus said to him, “He who is bathed needs only to wash his feet, but is completely clean; and you are clean, but not all of you.” Since their washing that afternoon, they had walked the dusty streets of Jerusalem so their feet were soiled when they assembled which He addressed by washing their feet that evening.
a PK Musing 
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