18 Consider Mark 15:42

To get a complete understanding of the narrative, read Mark 15:24-47. Confer with Mathew 27:45-61.

Mark 15:33-41 leads us up to verse 42.

Reading Mark 15:25, 33 and 34, we are given a time element, a reference of 9:00 in the morning (3rd hour), 12:00 noon (6th hour) and then 3:00 in the afternoon (9th hour) of the preparation day or as known, the 14th day of the first month. Christ died around the 9th hour of the preparation day, the 14th day of the first month (the Passover Day).

Mark 15:42 states: “And now when evening was come, because it was the preparation day, that is the day before the Sabbath ….”

Here we read the evening is part of the preparation day (that current day), which is before the Sabbath (the next day).

The afternoon had passed. Christ was now dead and the evening of the preparation day had arrived. Clearly, the evening was at the end of the day.

The evening belonged to the preparation day, not the Sabbath Day. Once again, we learn from the scriptures that the evening ends the day; never does the evening begin a day.