What day of the week was Jesus crucified?
Friday is traditionally considered to be the day on which Jesus was crucified.While some current academics believe that He was crucified on Wednesday or Thursday, others believe that He was crucified earlier.The theories’ supporting arguments are discussed in further detail below.The Gospels claim that Jesus died on the day before the Sabbath, which lends support to the notion of a Friday crucifixion.
″And when evening had come, because it was the day of Preparation, that is, the day before the Sabbath, Joseph of Arimathea, a respected member of the council, who was also himself seeking the kingdom of God, took courage and went to Pilate and asked for the body of Jesus,″ Mark 15:42-43 says.″Because it was the day of Preparation, that is, the day before the Sabbath, Joseph of Arimathea, a respected member of the The Sabbath has traditionally been observed on Saturday, the concluding day of the week.As a result, it appears that Mark is explicitly referring to Christ’s death on Friday.It is taught in the Bible that Jesus resurrected from his tomb on the third day (1 Corinthians 15:4), and that this third day was Sunday, the first day of the week, according to the Bible.
- In Jewish timekeeping, a portion of a day was treated as if it were a whole day.
- His funeral would take place on Friday, Saturday (the Sabbath), and Sunday, a total of three days.
- In Matthew 16:21 and Luke 9:22, we learn that Jesus foretold His own death and resurrection on the third day.
Some believe that a Friday death and a Sunday resurrection do not conform to the teachings of Matthew 12:40.It is in this passage that Jesus declares, ″For just as Jonah was swallowed up by a colossal fish for three days and nights, so will the Son of Man be swallowed up by the earth for three days and nights.″ Because Jesus was not in the grave for ″three nights,″ some believe that either Jesus’ prediction was incorrect or that the crucifixion took place sooner than Friday as stated in the Bible.The most common day suggested by such proponents is Thursday, however some also advocate for Wednesday.The scripture stating that Jesus would be in the grave for three days and three nights does not necessarily imply that He would be in the dead for exactly 72 hours as stated in the Bible.For example, it’s possible that Jesus would stay in the tomb for around three days.Jesus’ connection to Jonah’s story was intended to convey the idea that Jesus, like Jonah, would appear to have passed away from this world.
- He would, however, return to finish God’s will, just as Jonah did.
- In addition, some who argue for a Thursday or Wednesday date believe that there were too many events that occurred between the crucifixion and the resurrection for the time period to be accurate.
- However, this argument provides no convincing evidence, as one would expect the Gospel authors to provide greater information about the concluding parts of Christ’s life than they do at other points in the narrative.
- The incidents might have taken place between Friday and Sunday, according to a thorough investigation of the evidence.
Some have argued for a Wednesday date for the crucifixion, claiming that there were two ″Sabbaths″ or holy days during Passover week, one on Wednesday and one on Friday.After the first one, which happened on the evening of the crucifixion (Mark 15:42; Luke 23:52-54), the ladies went out and bought spices (Mark 15:42; Luke 23:52-54).(after the Sabbath, Mark 16:1).According to this interpretation, the Passover was the first Sabbath, and the normal Sabbath (Saturday) followed only a few days later.There is no question that Jesus’ resurrection took place on the first day of the week, as recorded in the Bible (Sunday).And, based on the Gospels of Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John, it appears that He was crucified on Friday, rather than the previous day.
- Truths that are related: What is the source of Christ’s zeal?
- What are the meanings of Christ’s last seven statements, and what are they about?
- Is it any wonder that blood and water gushed out of Jesus’ side when he was pierced?
- What happened to Jesus during the three days that elapsed between His death and resurrection?
- What are some of the reasons why I should believe in the resurrection of Jesus Christ?
- Return to the page: The Truth About Jesus Christ.
At what time of day was Jesus crucified?
My research turned up an intriguing concept that might possibly explain why there appears to be such apparent discordance throughout the gospels.I apologize in advance for delving too deeply into the Greek language, since this topic would be better suited to the hermeneutics community (in fact I would suggest to move there).The King James Version (KJV) states that it was the preparation for the Passover, and that it happened about the sixth hour.Now, the Greek term hora (), which is frequently translated as ″hour″ in the New Testament, is the word that was originally translated as ″hour″ in this passage.
This is an intriguing fact that I discovered: this is not the only potential translation for the term in question.A citation from Thayer’s Greek Lexicon regarding G5610 – hora: ″From Homer on down, the Sept.for hora and in Daniel for hora;″ ″From Homer on down, the Sept.for hora and in Daniel for hora;″ (2) day (defined as the period between the rising and setting of the sun), Mark 6:35 (see c.
- (but note that in the example from Polybius there cited c.
- means early)); v (vv, Matthew 14:15; v (v, Mark 6:35; vv, Mark 11:11 (see c.
- (but note that in the example from Polybius there mentioned c.
(but note that in the example from Polybius there cited As a result, the term hora may also be rendered as day or daytime because it is defined by the rising and setting of the sun.In order for this alternative translation to make sense, the word hosei (), which is rendered as ″around,″ needs be corrected as well.It is probable that this word (G5616) can be translated in the following ways according to Thayer’s Greek Lexicon: b.on the verge of, almost there: Matthew 14:21; Luke 1:56 (R G); John 6:10 (R G L (others )); Acts 2:41; Acts 4:4 (R G); (in L T Tr WH it is enhanced by the inclusion of a hyphen); likewise, Rec.in Mark 6:44; R G in John 4:6; John 19:14 (G?), 39; Acts 5:36; Lachmann in John 6:19; Lachmann in Acts (Judges 3:29; Nehemiah 7:66; Xenophon, Hell.
- 1, 2, 9; 2, 4, 25).
- Luke 22:41 uses the phrase ″before a measure of space″ before a measure of space.
- Consequently, when the word hosei appears before a numerical, it may be interpreted as ″almost.″ Because the word hosei (sixth) appears immediately before the numeral hectos (fifth) in John 19:14 (TR), this is exactly what is happening: If you have a question, please contact us at [email protected] (hora de hosei hectos) As a result, if we examine this alternate translation, the verse would sound somewhat like the following: It was the day before Passover preparations began, and it was approaching the sixth day of the week.
- In the Hebrew culture, the sixth daytime is analogous to the first hour of Friday morning.
Alternatively, it might be rendered as follows: It was the preparations for Passover, and it was nearing the sixth day’s dawn.There is a good reason why someone (such as the apostle John) would want to specify that it was nearly the morning of the sixth day, and that reason is that Friday was traditionally known as the Preparation Day (see Mark 15:42 and Luke 23:54), and the time leading up to the Passover was also referred to as a time of preparation (see Luke 23:54).It would have been necessary to explain that it was the preparation of the Passover as well as the preparation of the Sabbath, or, in other words, the sixth day, in order to provide a proper chronology of the events that occurred.Perhaps John opted to mention that it was approximately the sixth day’s morning to convey both that it was Friday and that it was still early in the morning, as the other gospels do, as well as that it was Friday morning in general.So, according to what I discovered, it is very possible that when Pilate presented Jesus before the Jews with the words, ″Behold your king,″ it was practically Friday morning, and that Jesus was executed at the third hour of the day (around 9 am).This would bring the story of Jesus’ crucifixion in all four gospels into harmony, and it would take place on Friday morning.
On what day was Jesus crucified?
Answer to the question According to the Bible, Jesus was crucified on any given day of the week although it is not specified.Friday and Wednesday are the days on which the majority of people agree.Some, on the other hand, believe that Thursday should be the day, based on a synthesis of both the Friday and Wednesday reasons.Christ stated in Matthew 12:40, ″For just as Jonah was swallowed up by a great fish and survived three days and three nights there, so will the Son of Man be swallowed up by a great fish and survive three days and three nights in the heart of the earth.″ It is still possible, according to those who argue for a Friday crucifixion, that He may have been considered in the grave for three days if He was executed on Friday.
In the minds of the Jews of the first century, a portion of a day was regarded to be a complete day.Because Jesus was in the grave for a portion of Friday, all of Saturday, and a portion of Sunday, he may be said to have been in the grave for a total of three days, beginning on Friday.Jesus was executed ″the day before the Sabbath,″ according to Mark 15:42, which is one of the most persuasive reasons in favor of Friday.If that was the weekly Sabbath, which was Saturday, then the crucifixion would have taken place on Friday.
- An other argument for Friday is that texts like as Matthew 16:21 and Luke 9:22 teach that Jesus would rise on the third day, and as a result, He would not need to stay in the grave for a total of three days and nights as previously thought.
- Nevertheless, while some translations include the phrase ″on the third day″ for these lines, not all do, and not everyone thinks that the phrase ″on the third day″ is the most appropriate translation for this passage of Scripture.
- Furthermore, according to Mark 8:31, Jesus will be risen ″after″ three days from the dead.
According to the Thursday argument, there are too many events (some say as many as twenty) occurring between Christ’s burial and Sunday morning for them to all take place between Friday evening and Sunday morning.The Thursday argument is an extension of the Friday argument.Those who advocate for a Thursday start point out that this is particularly problematic because Saturday was the only full day between Friday and Sunday, which was the Jewish Sabbath.That difficulty can be solved by adding a day or two to your schedule.According to the Thursday proponents, consider the following scenario: assume you haven’t seen a buddy since Monday evening.He walks into your office on a Thursday morning and you respond, ″I haven’t seen you in three days,″ despite though it had only been 60 hours since you last saw him (2.5 days).
- If Jesus was killed on Thursday, this scenario demonstrates how three days may be reckoned to have elapsed since his death.
- According to the view written on Wednesday, there were two Sabbaths that week.
- Following the first (the one that took place on the evening of the crucifixion), the ladies went out and bought spices (notice that they did it after the Sabbath) (Mark 16:1).
- According to the Wednesday school of thought, this ″Sabbath″ was the Passover (see Leviticus 16:29-31, 23:24-32, 39, where high holy days that are not necessarily the seventh day of the week are referred to as the Sabbath).
The customary weekly Sabbath was observed on the second Sabbath of that week.Please keep in mind that in Luke 23:56, the ladies who had purchased spices after the first Sabbath returned and prepared the spices, after which they ″rested on the Sabbath,″ as the Bible says.According to the reasoning, they could not acquire the spices after the Sabbath and prepare those spices before the Sabbath unless there were two Sabbaths in a row, which was impossible.For those who believe in the two-Sabbath perspective, if Christ was crucified on Thursday, then the high holy Sabbath (the Passover) would have began at sundown on Thursday and finished at sundown on Friday, which corresponds to the beginning of the weekly Sabbath or Saturday.It is possible that they acquired the spices after the first Sabbath (Passover), which would have meant they did it on Saturday and therefore violated the Sabbath.Consequently, the only interpretation that does not violate the biblical narrative of the ladies and the spices while still adhering to a literal understanding of Matthew 12:40 is that Christ was crucified on Wednesday, according to the Wednesday perspective.
- When the Sabbath fell on Thursday, it was a high holy day (Passover).
- After that, on Friday, the women went out to buy spices and returned to prepare them that same day.
- On Saturday, which was the weekly Sabbath, they rested before bringing the spices to Jesus’ tomb early on Sunday morning.
- Jesus was laid to rest at sundown on Wednesday, which corresponded to the start of the Jewish calendar week on Thursday.
- Thursday is the first day of the week according to the Jewish calendar (day one).
- Thursday night (night one), Friday day (day two), Friday night (night two), Saturday day (day three), Saturday night (night three), Sunday morning (day four) (night three).
- Even while we do not know exactly what time He arose on Sunday, we do know that it was before the sun came up.
- According to Jewish tradition, Jesus may have woken as early as right after sunset on Saturday evening, which marked the beginning of the first day of the week.
- The finding of the empty tomb occurred shortly before daybreak (Mark 16:2), before the sun had fully risen in the sky (John 20:1).
On the other hand, a possible flaw in the Wednesday viewpoint is that Jesus’ followers walked with Him along the road to Emmaus on the ″same day″ as His resurrection (Luke 24:13).After telling Jesus of Jesus’ crucifixion (24:21), the disciples inform him that ″this is the third day since these things occurred″ (24:22).The period from Wednesday through Sunday is four days.One alternative argument is that they may have been counting from Christ’s burial on Wednesday evening, which marks the beginning of the Jewish Thursday, and thus the period from Thursday to Sunday may be considered three days.Is it really that vital to know what day of the week Christ was killed on?
- In the larger scheme of things, it isn’t that significant.
- If it were so significant, God’s Word would have made it abundantly plain what day and hour it will occur and for how long.
- That He died and rose from the dead in a corporeal and bodily manner is what is crucial to remember.
- What is equally significant is the purpose for His death: He died in order to bear the penalty that all sinners are due.
- In both John 3:16 and John 3:36, Jesus declares that putting your confidence in Him leads in eternal life.
- This holds true regardless of whether He was crucified on a Wednesday, Thursday, or Friday.
- Return to the previous page: Questions regarding Jesus Christ When was Jesus crucified, and what day was it?
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Which Day was Jesus Crucified?
Another point of contention that Dr.Ehrman frequently raises is the question of ″What day was Jesus crucified?″ This is a highly intricate subject, which Dr.Ehrman goes into great detail about in his book.The Synoptic Gospels — Matthew, Mark, and Luke – all depict Jesus as having been crucified on Friday, according to their accounts.
Dr.Ehrman contends that John truly alters the course of the day.It is his contention that John intends to depict Jesus killed not on Friday after the Passover feast, but rather on Thursday before the Passover dinner.It is his contention that John is attempting to represent Jesus as having been killed at the same time that the Passover lambs were being slain.
- As a result, because the lambs were being killed on Thursday, according to tradition, John’s Gospel wishes to have Jesus’ crucifixion take place on the same day.
- To support his claim that John and the Synoptics are at odds with one another, Dr.
- Ehrman cites a number of biblical passages.
However, there are some grounds to feel that Dr.Ehrman is reading much too much into the text itself in this case.The author examines the depiction of the Last Supper in John 13, and says, ″Where is the description of the Passover meal?″ There is no mention of the Passover dinner in the text.Essentially, it appears to be a typical lunch, with Jesus washing the feet of his followers.″ However, what Dr.Ehrman fails to acknowledge is that John may have had valid reasons for not presenting the entire topic of the Passover supper in his sermon.It’s possible that he wished to tell items that weren’t included in the Synoptic Gospels.
- There is ample reason to believe that John was familiar with the Synoptic Gospels.
- He would not have been interested in just retelling the same narrative over and over again.
- As a result, it appears that John was particularly interested in Jesus’ washing of the disciples’ feet at that supper.
- Just because he leaves out some details does not imply that there is a conflict.
Authors are unable to express all.By definition, all historical accounts are selective in their information and conclusions.As a result, the fact that John does not include any talks on the lunch does not constitute a contradiction.″The day of preparation,″ as Dr.Ehrman refers to it, is a word that he coined.On the other hand, he contends that John is presenting Jesus’ death as occurring on the day of Passover preparation, when the Passover lambs were being readied for the dinner.
- However, the phrase ″the day of preparation″ is not normally interpreted in this manner.
- It is really fairly common to refer to ″Friday″ as ″the day of preparation,″ which is the day of preparation for the Sabbath rather than for the Passover feast.
- In fact, John affirms that this is the case.
- It was planned to take Jesus’ corpse down from the crucifixion in John 19 due to the fact that the following day was a Sabbath.
- We might infer from this that, like the Synoptic Gospels, John records Jesus’ crucifixion on Friday afternoon.
- Those who wish to discover a contradiction can do so by delving further and deeper into the text.
- When students understand how ancient historiography works and go deeper into the text, they find that John and the Synoptics are actually quite close to one another in terms of historical accuracy.
What Jewish Holiday When Jesus Was Crucified?
Both Mark and John appear to agree that Jesus should be crucified on the Friday before Passover.Furthermore, it fell on a first Sunday after the Friday evening before which the previous night had passed: the Day of Passover (15 Nisan).The following morning at 9 a.m., Caiaphas and Pilate arrested Jesus and interrogated him before acquitting him before the jury found him guilty.It’s the Jewish holiday of Passover.
Was Jesus Crucified On Passover Or The Day Before?
According to each of the four Gospels, all of which take place around Passover, and each of which claims that Jesus died some distance from the finish of Jewish Sabbath in the few hours before Passover As an illustration, he passed away around dusk on a Friday (29:62; 28:1; 10:52; Luke 23:54; John 19:31).
What Year Was Jesus Crucified On Passover?
According to the New Testament, he died on April 3 and was crucified a few days later, according to the New Testament.
Is Good Friday And Passover The Same Thing?
Because the dates of Passover and Good Friday are so close together, these religious celebrations are commemorated more frequently.The Jewish holiday of Passover will begin on Friday, while Good Friday, the most holy day of the Christian faith, will be observed across the world on April 1.It will bring together thousands of individuals in the Phoenix region, as well as many more from other parts of the world.
What’S The Difference Between Passover And Easter?
April 19th marks the beginning of the Jewish celebration of Passover, while Easter is celebrated on April 21st. For symbolic reasons, Easter is symbolically tied to Passover: the Holocaust is an overarching subject in the Gospels, and hence the two holidays are associated. While it occurs once or twice a month in the majority of cases, it is unusual in 15% of cases.
What Is The Significance Of Jesus Being Crucified On Passover?
To put it another way, I believe it is critical that we acknowledge that the two entities are equal in importance. Following his crucifixion as our Passover Lamb, some Christians believe that Jesus resurrected from the dead to be their Lord and Savior. This weekend will undoubtedly be a thrilling experience for us.
How Does Passover Relate To Jesus?
Jesus is referred to be a Passover lamb by the writers of the New Testament.″We will sacrifice one lamb for our Passover lamb, Jesus Christ,″ Paul proclaimed in I Corinthians 5:7.″One lamb for our Passover lamb, Jesus Christ″ (I Corinthians 5).In Christian tradition, the Passover can be associated with Jesus releasing people who have lost faith in him as a result of sin and slavery, respectively.
What Is Nisan 14 In The Bible?
Several scholars believe that the Synoptic Gospels place Jesus’ death on Nisan 14, which is also known as the Feast of Unleavened Bread, at 8:21 in Matthew 26:17 (which is also known as the Feast of Unleavened Bread), whereas John’s (e.g. (G., 19:14, 19:31, 19:42) presumes Nisan 14 would be the day that Jesus was crucified.
Is Yom Kippur And Passover The Same?
As voiced mostly by non-observants, neither the customary day nor hour of Passover observance comes close to the level of Kolorah or Ta Asaph.
How Long Is Passover And Crucifixion?
ISRAEL (AP) – The government of Israel has announced a plan to build a new nuclear power plant. Due to the fact that Jesus and his disciples did not have lunch for several hours before his crucifixion, they did not meet for three days following.
At What Time Was The Passover Lamb Killed?
One day prior to Passover, on the 14th of Nisan, in the afternoon of that day, after the Tamid sacrifice had been completed, a second animal, the Turma, was sacrificed, for example. As a result, because it may have fallen on Friday, the eve of Passover, it is recommended that you do two things. A person was slain in the courtyard of the Temple in Jerusalem by an unknown assailant.
Is The Last Supper And Passover The Same?
Nisan is the first month of the Hebrew calendar, and it is during this month that Israelites slaughter lambs on the 14th day of the month in the expectation of being able to nourish themselves on bread and drink wine during Passover.The final supper was the meal that Jesus prepared for his twelve disciples after participating in the sacrifice of a lamb early in the morning and then devouring it at the end of the evening with bread and wine, which was the last meal that Jesus cooked for them.
How Is Good Friday Related To Passover?
As a result, Passover is connected with Good Friday, the day on which Jesus’ crucifixion and death are honored, and as such, it is regarded to be a component of Christianity’s sacred imaginary. Or, to put it another way, he is one of the countless sacrificial lambs who have been offered as a Passover sacrifice for the whole world.
Is Good Friday The First Day Of Passover?
In the Christian calendar, the memorial of Jesus’ death is traditionally held on Good Friday, the Friday before Easter, when the church celebrates Jesus’ crucifixion. There is a potential that Jesus will die on 15 Nisan, the first day of Passover, or perhaps on the actual day of Passover itself (starting at sundown).
Why Is Passover And Good Friday On Different Days?
Madden noted that, despite the fact that the majority of Christ’s disciples used a lunar calendar. The Passover holiday is a lunar celebration related with Nissan, a full moon in springtime that happens once every five years and marks the beginning of the Jewish calendar year. As a result, the holidays tend to coincide rather frequently.
Is Easter And Passover The Same?
Madden argued that the lunar calendar was used by the majority of Christ’s disciples. A lunar feast related with Nissan, a full moon in springtime that comes once every five years, the Passover holiday is celebrated every year in Israel. Consequently, the holidays tend to coincide rather often.
What Does The Passover Have To Do With Easter?
Passover, a commemoration of Jesus Christ’s death and resurrection that has been a part of Christian history for millennia, came to be celebrated on the same day as Easter, particularly through the efforts of Jesus’ disciples in the early years. Since then, the Greeks have referred to Easter as pascha (Greek for Passover), which means ″Easter feast.″
Why Are Easter And Passover At The Same Time?
According to Rev.C.P., Easter always falls on the Sunday after the first full moon of spring.There is also a lunar calendar that is used in conjunction with the Jewish calendar.Nissan has a Saturday Passover that occurs every week, because to an autumn calendar that is full of spring full moons.
Despite this, they overlap frequently enough for one to be able to fully appreciate the holidays.
April 3, AD 33: Why We Believe We Can Know the Exact Date Jesus Died
In our book, The Final Days of Jesus: The Most Important Week of the Most Important Person Who Ever Lived, Justin Taylor and I make an educated guess as to the date of Jesus’ crucifixion, but we do not argue for or against it.For a variety of factors, virtually all academics think that Jesus was executed in the spring of either AD 30 or AD 33, with the majority preferring the former.(According to astronomical data, the years AD 27, 30, 33, and 34 are the most likely candidates.) However, we would want to present our case for the date of Friday, April 3, AD 33, as the precise day on which Christ died in our place as atonement for our sins.Simply said, the Bible does not establish the actual date of Jesus’ crucifixion, and it is not a salvation fact that must be understood as a matter of course.
However, this does not rule out the possibility of understanding or importance.In light of the fact that Christianity is a historical religion, and that the events of Christ’s life did indeed take place in human history alongside other well-known events, it is beneficial to situate Jesus’ death within the larger context of human history, to the extent that available evidence allows it to be done.No one makes this argument more forcefully than Luke, the Gentile physician who became a historian and inspired recorder of early Christianity.No other Gospel writer makes this point more forcefully than Luke.
The Year John the Baptist’s Ministry Began
When John the Baptist began his public ministry, Luke hints that it was a short time before Jesus’ public ministry began, and he provides us with a historical reference point for when the Baptist’s ministry began: ″In the fifteenth year of Tiberius Caesar…″ (See Luke 3:16).It is known from ancient Roman history that Tiberius succeeded Augustus as emperor on August 19, AD 14 and was approved by the Roman Senate on the same day.He reigned until the year AD 37.″The fifteenth year of Tiberius Caesar’s reign″ appears to be a straightforward date, but there are some ambiguities, beginning with when one begins the calculation.
″The fifteenth year of Tiberius Caesar’s reign″ appears to be a straightforward date, but there are some ambiguities, beginning with when one begins the calculation.Depending on who you ask, Tiberius’ reign was most likely counted from the day he assumed office in AD 14 or from January 1 of the following year, AD 15.When Tiberius’ ″fifteenth year″ began, it might have begun as early as August 19, AD 28, and it may have finished as late as December 31, AD 29, depending on the date of his death.As a result, John the Baptist’s ministry began somewhere between the middle of AD 28 and the beginning of AD 29.
The Year Jesus’s Ministry Began
Because the Gospels appear to suggest that Jesus began his ministry not long after John, the most likely date for Jesus’ baptism would be late in AD 28 at the absolute earliest, according to the calculations above.Because a few months presumably transpired between John’s career and Jesus’ ministry (and the year AD 30 being the earliest conceivable date), it is more plausible to situate it sometime in the first half of AD 29, rather than later in that year.As a result, Jesus’ career must have began somewhere between the end of AD 28 and the beginning of AD 30 at the earliest.This is consistent with Luke’s statement that ″Jesus, at the time of his entry into the ministry, was around thirty years of age″ (Luke 3:23).
The most plausible dates for Jesus’ birth are 6 or 5 BC, which means he would have been roughly thirty-two to thirty-four years old in late AD 28 to late AD 30.This comes well within the range of ″about thirty years of age″ that the Bible specifies.
The Length of Jesus’s Ministry
- To determine how long Jesus’ public ministry lasted, we must first determine how long Jesus’ public ministry lasted. If Jesus’ public ministry lasted two or more years, it appears that the spring of AD 30 cannot be considered as a plausible date for the crucifixion. The Gospel of John records that Jesus attended at least three (perhaps four) Passovers, which were held once a year in the spring and were as follows: He observed three Passovers during his public ministry: one in Jerusalem at the beginning of his public ministry (John 2:13–23)
- one in Galilee midway through his public ministry (John 6:4)
- and one in Jerusalem at the conclusion of his public ministry, that is, at the time of his crucifixion (John 11:55–12:1).
- And it’s possible that Jesus attended another Passover that wasn’t reported in the Gospel of John, but was documented in one or more of the Synoptic Gospels (i.e., Matthew, Mark, and Luke)
This would make a date of a.d.30 all but impossible as the date of Jesus’ crucifixion, even if there were only three Passovers in all.As previously stated, the earliest possible date for the beginning of Jesus’ career, according to Luke 3:1, is late in the first century AD.The first of these Passovers (which occurred at the beginning of Jesus’ ministry; John 2:13) would happen on Nisan 15 in the year 29 (since Nisan is in March/April, around the beginning of a year), which would be the first of these Passovers in the year 29.
The second would occur at the earliest in the year 30 a.d., and the third would occur at the earliest in the year 31 a.d.If Jesus’ ministry corresponded with at least three Passovers, and if the first Passover occurred in AD 29, this suggests that he could not have been executed in ad 30, as previously thought.Assuming, however, that John the Baptist began his career in AD 29, it is reasonable to assume that Jesus began his mission in late AD 29 or early ad 30.The Passovers in the book of John would thus take place on the following dates:
Jesus Was Crucified on the Day of Preparation for the Passover
It is also mentioned by the apostle John that Jesus was crucified on ″the day of Preparation″ (John 19:31), which corresponds to the Friday before the Sabbath of the Passover week (Mark 15:42).Earlier in the day, on Thursday evening, Jesus had a Passover meal with the Twelve (Mark 14:12), which is referred to as his ″Last Supper.″ Passover always falls on the fifteenth day of Nisan (Exodus 12:6), according to the Pharisaic-rabbinic calendar that was generally used in Jesus’ day.According to this calendar, Passover begins on Thursday after sundown and finishes on Friday after nightfall.Because Nisan 15 fell on April 3 in the year a.d.
33, the year in which the crucifixion is most likely to have occurred, the most likely date for Jesus’ crucifixion is April 3 in the year a.d.33, also known as the year of Jesus’ crucifixion.As a result, in The Final Days of Jesus, we created the following chart to depict the dates of Jesus’ final week in a.d.33, which is seen below:
Conclusion
The computations in the preceding section may look difficult, but in a nutshell, the reasoning goes as follows: While this is, in our opinion, the most plausible scenario, it should be noted that many people think Jesus was killed in the year AD 30, rather than the year AD 33, as we have said.If, on the other hand, the beginning of Tiberius’ rule is set at the year AD 14, it becomes nearly difficult to fit fifteen years of Tiberius’ reign and three years of Jesus’ ministry between AD 14 and AD 30, as is the case.As a result, some have speculated that Tiberius and Augustus shared co-regency (combined rule) during the last few years of Augustus’ reign.Such co-regency, on the other hand, is not supported by solid ancient historical data.
As a result, we believe that Jesus was most likely crucified on April 3, AD 33, as previously stated.While different dates may be feasible, Christians may take great comfort in the fact that the most important historical events in Jesus’ life, like as the crucifixion, are firmly rooted in human history and cannot be changed.Because of this, when we celebrate Easter and walk with Jesus every day of the year, we may be certain that our faith is founded not just on subjective personal confidence, but also on solid historical evidence, which makes our faith a perfectly rational faith.The original version of this story published on First Things on April 3, 2014.
- Crossway’s executive vice president and publisher for books, Justin Taylor, holds this position.
- Andreas Köstenberger and he have written a book titled The Final Days of Jesus: The Most Important Week of the Most Important Person Who Ever Lived, which is available on Amazon (Crossway, 2014).
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Why Is Good Friday Called “Good Friday”? Not for the Reason You Think.
Beat Your Brows This piece was initially published in 2014, but it is still relevant today.It is reproduced in its entirety below.On this Friday, Christians commemorate the crucifixion and death of Jesus Christ, which takes place on the first Friday of Lent.Since the day is traditionally regarded as solemn, many Christians and nonbelievers may find the name to be contradictory, especially considering that fasting and solemn processions are commonly performed.
What is the significance of the name ″Good Friday″?Most likely because ″good″ used to be synonymous with ″holy.″ The origin of the name Good Friday has been speculated about by linguists and historians, but only one appears to be supported by both linguistic and historical evidence.The first of these beliefs is that Nice Friday is called Good Friday because, according to Christians, there is something particularly good about it: it marks the anniversary of Jesus’ suffering and death for their sins, which they feel is a very good thing.″That awful Friday has been dubbed Good Friday because it resulted in the Resurrection of Jesus and his victory over death and sin, as well as the celebration of Easter, which is considered to be the pinnacle of Christian festivities,″ according to the Huffington Post.
- However, this rationale may have contributed to the name’s persistence—it is definitely how many Christians today understand the name—but it is not the source of the name’s genesis.
- The second explanation is that the goodness of Good Friday comes from God, and so it is known as ″God’s Friday.″ The Catholic Encyclopedia published an item in 1909 that supports this view, which is cited by Wikipedia as an example.
- The Huffington Post, in a second story on the same issue, does exactly the same thing.
This etymology, on the other hand, appears to be without foundation.According to Anatoly Liberman, a professor at the University of Minnesota who researches the origins of English words, ″the derivation from God is out of the question.″ In addition, Liberman explained to me that English speakers have a long history of guessing about a link between the words good and god when there is none.It was agreed upon by Ben Zimmer, who pointed out that the German word for Good Friday isn’t truly ″Gottes Freitag,″ as the Catholic Encyclopedia implies, but rather Karfreitag (″Sorrowful Friday,″ as the Catholic Encyclopedia suggests).I don’t think this is anything more than speculative etymology because none of the early examples in the Oxford English Dictionary suggest that it began out as God’s rather than Good, and I don’t think it’s anything more than that.″ Zimmer said.Another possible explanation, endorsed by the Oxford English Dictionary and every language expert I spoke with, is that the term derives from an archaic definition of the word ″excellent.″ When I posed this topic to Jesse Sheidlower, the president of the American Dialect Society, he said, ″The answer seems quite plainly to be that it’s from excellent ‘holy,’ ″ he said when I asked him.As Liberman pointed out, ″the OED’s interpretation makes good sense″ if you examine the various names for Good Friday, such as ″Sacred Friday″ in the Romance languages (Viernes Santo, for example), and ″Passion Friday″ in Russian.
- The Oxford English Dictionary also mentions that there was previously a Good Wednesday, which was the Wednesday before Easter, but it is now more generally referred to as Holy Wednesday.
What is the Easter story?
- THE HOL-Y STORY
- 11:23, 1 Jul 2019
- Updated: 13:44, 12 Apr 2020
EASTER 2020 has arrived, which means it’s time to indulge in chocolate eggs and hot cross buns. Who knows, perhaps you know the actual tale of Easter. Here’s all you need to know about the process.
What happened on Good Friday?
Easter is a Christian custom that commemorates Jesus’ resurrection and marks the conclusion of the Lenten season.On Good Friday, those who believe in the Bible believe that Christ was crucified on the cross at Calvary.According to the Gospels, Judas betrayed the son of God just before he was put to die for his crimes.Christians believe that Jesus died on the cross in order to redeem mankind from sin.
Following the crucifixion, according to the Bible, Jesus’ corpse was brought down from the cross and laid in a tomb guarded by Roman soldiers for three days.
What happened on Easter Sunday?
Approximately three days after Christ was nailed to the cross, Mary Magdalene, who was accompanied by several of Jesus’ companions, found that Christ’s corpse had vanished from the tomb.According to the Bible, when the stone covering the entrance to the tomb was raised, the body of Jesus was nowhere to be found, and spectators realized he had risen from the dead, leading them to believe he was still alive.On this day, which has come to be known as Easter Sunday, Christians believe that the Son of God was raised from the dead.According to lunar cycles, Easter is celebrated on a variety of days each year, ranging from March 21 to April 25, depending on location.
In 2020, Easter will be celebrated on Sunday, April 12, which means that Good Friday will be celebrated on April 10 and Easter Monday will be celebrated on April 11.
What happened on Easter Monday?
Easter Monday follows a weekend of Christian celebrations commemorating the death of Jesus on the cross on Good Friday and his resurrection on Easter Sunday, which culminate in the Easter Vigil.In the days following his resurrection, it is thought that Jesus appeared to a number of individuals, urging them to preach the Gospel across the rest of the world for a period of forty days.The beginning of the Easter Octave for Roman Catholics, according to newvision.co.org, occurs on the first Monday in April.Easter Monday is a public holiday in the United Kingdom, Wales, and Northern Ireland, with the exception of Northern Ireland.
Although it is not an official bank holiday in Scotland, local authorities have the authority to declare specific days as ″local″ public holidays if they so choose.
Jewish religious year – The Sabbath
The Jewish Sabbath (derived from the Hebrew shavat, which means ″to rest″) is kept on the seventh day of the week, which is Saturday, throughout the year.Biblical tradition holds that it marks the first seventh day of creation, on which God rested after finishing the work of creating the world.Neither the origin of the seven-day workweek nor that of the Sabbath has been traced by historians to a certain time period.A seven-day week does not correspond well with either a solar or a lunar calendar, for obvious reasons.
Some academics believe that the seven-day week and the Sabbath had its origins in Babylonia, using the Akkadian term shapattu as evidence.A day of rest is mentioned just once in the Hindu calendar on Shapattu, the day of the Full Moon, and it has little in common with the Jewish Sabbath in terms of symbolism.It appears that the concept of the Sabbath as a sacred day of rest, connecting God to his people, and reoccurring every seventh day was unique to ancient Israel and cannot be found anywhere else in the world.
Importance
For Judaism, the Sabbath is of central importance, as evidenced by the traditional commentative and interpretative literature known as Talmud and Midrash (for example: ″If you want to destroy the Jews, abolish their Sabbath first″) and numerous legends and adages from more recent literature (for example: ″More than Israel kept the Sabbath, the Sabbath kept Israel.″) Creation, God’s role in history, and God’s covenant with Israel are just a few of the fundamental Judaism principles that are confirmed by the celebration of the Sabbath.In addition, the Sabbath is the only Jewish holiday whose observance is mandated by the Ten Commandments, making it the most important of all.In order to sanctify the Sabbath at home and in the synagogue, Jews must adhere to the Sabbath commandments and participate in prayer and study on Friday and Saturday evenings.The rabbis put to good use the extra time provided by the prohibition on working on Saturday and Sunday, which they employed to encourage intellectual engagement and spiritual regeneration among Jews.
Other days of rest, such as the Christian Sunday and the Islamic Friday, may be traced back to the Jewish Sabbath for its beginnings.
Observances
Baking and cooking, traveling, starting a fire, gathering wood, buying and selling, and transporting burdens from one realm to another are all prohibited under the biblical prohibition against working on the Sabbath, which, while never specifically defined, encompasses these activities.There are 39 major categories of prohibited work listed by the Talmudic rabbis, which include agricultural activity (e.g., plowing and reaping), work entailed in the manufacture of cloth (e.g., spinning and weaving), work entailed in the preparation of documents (e.g., writing), and other forms of constructive work.On Friday evenings around 20 minutes before sunset, the Sabbath starts with the lighting of Sabbath candles by the wife, or if she is absent, by the husband, in the home.During the evening service in the synagogue, the psalms and the Lekha Dodi, a 16th-century Kabbalistic (mystical) poetry, are read aloud to herald the beginning of the Sabbath.
In the morning service, the psalms are read aloud again.This last song has a refrain that goes something like this: ″Come, my dear, meet the bride,″ with the ″bride″ in this case being the Sabbath.Following the evening service, each Jewish home begins the first of three joyous Sabbath meals by reading the Qiddush (Sabbath sanctification) over a cup of wine, which serves as a prelude to the rest of the meal.At each Sabbath meal, two loaves of bread (representing the double pieces of manna mentioned in the book of Exodus) are put before the breaker of bread as a sign of respect for God’s commandment to wash our hands.
- Following the joyful supper, the balance of the evening is devoted to study or relaxation activities, as desired.
- The public reading of the Torah, or the Five Books of Moses (the section read varies from week to week), as well as the sermon, are two of the most distinguishing components of the Sabbath morning synagogue service, both of which aim to educate those who attend.
- Following the ceremony, the second Sabbath dinner starts, which is once again preceded by Qiddush (which is of lower significance), and which is mostly similar to the first Sabbath meal in terms of ingredients and preparation.
Following the afternoon synagogue service, the third celebratory feast will be served (without Qiddush).The evening service is followed by the Havdala (″Separation″) ceremony, which consists of a blessing recognizing the distinction between the Sabbath and the rest of the workday, which is generally spoken over a cup of wine and with a spice box and candle in the background.
The Jewish holidays
- Pesach (Passover), Shavuot (Feast of Weeks, or Pentecost), and Sukkot (Tabernacles) are the primary Jewish festivals, followed by the High Holidays of Rosh Hashana (New Year) and Yom Kippur (Day of Atonement) (Day of Atonement).
- As is customary for Jewish holidays, their observance is mandated by the Torah, and employment is banned for the time of the celebration (except on the intermediary days of the Pesach and Sukkot festivals, when work the neglect of which entails monetary loss is permitted).
- Despite the fact that Purim (the Feast of Lots) and Hanukkah (the Feast of Dedication) are not mentioned in the Torah (and hence have a lower level of significance), they were introduced by Jewish rulers throughout the Persian and Greco-Roman periods, respectively.
They are frequently referred to as minor festivals since they do not have the labor restrictions that are characteristic of large festivals.Additionally, there are the five fasts: Asara be-evet (Fast of 10 evet), Shiva Asar be-Tammuz (Fast of Tammuz 17), Tisha be-Av (Fast of Av 9), Tzom Gedaliahu (Fast of Gedaliah), Taanit Esther (Fast of Esther), and Taanit Esther (Fa (33rd Day of Omer Counting).In addition, the fasts and smaller holidays do not have the job limitations that are associated with the big festivals.
- Fasts and Rosh odesh are mentioned in the Bible, but the Talmudic and medieval rabbis were responsible for providing the majority of the information on how to properly observe them as well as on how to observe the other smaller festivals.
Holy Saturday
Historically, Holy Saturday marks the day when Jesus Christ was laid in the tomb following his death, as recorded in the Christian Bible. On this day, the day after Good Friday and the day before Easter Sunday, Easter Eve, Easter Even, Black Saturday, and the Saturday before Easter are all terms used to refer to this day.
What Do People Do?
- Holy Saturday is observed by many Christians across the world as a commemoration of the day when Jesus was laid in his tomb.
- It is a day of pain and excitement for Christians across the world, regardless of their cultural background.
- Easter vigil (watch) services are held in a large number of churches.
During these services, participants engage in discussions on the significance of the rituals, prayers, and symbols that are all a part of the Easter vigil.On this day, several churches also organize huge baptism services, which may be quite popular.People in Mexico commemorate Judas Day by burning effigies of the apostle Judas Iscariot, who betrayed Jesus for 30 pieces of silver, on the Saturday before Easter.
- The effigies, which differ in height and are designed to make Judas seem as unattractive as possible, are sold by street sellers.
- For Halloween, residents decorate their patios with candy-filled effigies known as piatas, which are intended for use by youngsters.
- A variety of other effigies can be found on the streets or hanged from lampposts.
- Many of these effigies are equipped with firecrackers, which are lit as soon as the Mass of Glory is over.
- After the effigies explode, children hurry to get their hands on the candy that has been hidden within.
- On White Saturday, a Czech tradition is to rattle keys and burn out Judas by igniting the rest of the holy oil before the church entrance, according to the legend.
In Poland, Holy Saturday is marked with the blessing of food and the distribution of Easter baskets.In many countries, children spend the Saturday before Easter Sunday preparing for the holiday by decorating and coloring eggs.
Public Life
- In many parts of Australia (where it is known as Easter Saturday), as well as in countries such as (but not limited to): Belize, Chile, El Salvador, Hong Kong, Macau, Nicaragua, Panama, Papua New Guinea, Samoa, Seychelles, Solomon Islands, Zambia, and Zimbabwe, Holy Saturday is observed as a national public holiday.
Several nations, including Canada, the United Kingdom, and the United States, do not observe Holy Saturday as a national public holiday.
Background
- Holy Saturday is the final day of Holy Week and the conclusion of the Lenten season.
- It is sometimes referred to as the Easter Vigil or the Easter Vigil.
- Days like this are generally reserved for introspection and waiting.
The tradition of keeping vigil dates back to when Jesus’ supporters waited for him on this day following his crucifixion on Good Friday.Equally known as the day when Roman ruler Pontius Pilate ordered guards to be put at the tomb in order to prevent Jesus’ supporters from removing the body and claiming that he had risen from the dead, this day is also significant.In addition to Holy Saturday, it was also referred to as Great or Grand Saturday and the Angelic Night.
- In the early days of the Christian church, fasting was only authorized on Saturdays, and this was the only day on which it was permitted.
- During the first century CE, according to some sources, fasting happened throughout the day or continued for 40 hours before the daybreak of Easter Sunday.
- Baptisms took place on this day in the early church on a large scale.
- Baptism services are still held in significant numbers on Holy Saturday in many churches.
- Some individuals refer to Holy Saturday as Easter Saturday, although this is a misnomer because Holy Saturday is the final day of Lent and the eve of Easter, but Easter Saturday is the day after Easter.
- Easter Saturday, sometimes referred to as Bright Saturday, is the Saturday after Easter Sunday.
The fact that Holy Saturday is sometimes referred to as Easter Saturday by various official sources in nations such as Australia is crucial to remember.
Symbols
- People are led out of the darkness into the celebration of the Easter vigil by a Paschal candle, which is made of white wax and represents the light of Christ.
- A cross, an alpha, and an omega are etched onto the candle’s wick (the first and last letters of the Greek alphabet).
- According to Christian doctrine, this represents the fact that Jesus Christ has always been, and will continue to be, with mankind, and that he is currently with humanity.
Easter
Top Questions
What is Easter?
Why is Easter celebrated?
When is Easter?
Why is Easter called Easter?
- Easter, also known as Pascha in Latin and Pascha in Greek, is the most important holiday of the Christian church, commemorating the Resurrection of Jesus Christ on the third day after his Crucifixion.
- Even while the remembrance of Jesus’ Resurrection is believed to have taken place far earlier, the first recorded instance of an Easter celebration dates back to the 2nd century AD.
- Easter will be observed on Sunday, April 17, 2022, in the year 2022.
The origins of the English term Easter, which is derived from the German word Ostern, are unknown at this time.It was suggested by the Venerable Bede in the eighth century that the name came from Eostre, also known as Eostrae, the Anglo-Saxon goddess of spring and fertility, who was worshipped in the area.According to this interpretation, which is similar to the notion that associates the genesis of Christmas on December 25 with pagan festivities of the winter solstice, the Christian church took pagan names and feasts for its most important holidays.
- Given the tenacity with which Christians fought against all types of paganism (the belief in several deities), this looks to be a highly problematic assumption.
- There is now widespread agreement that the word derives from the Christian designation of Easter week as in albis, a Latin phrase that was understood as the plural of alba (″dawn″) and evolved into eostarum in Old High German, which was the precursor of the modern German and English terms, respectively.
- Pâques, the French term for Easter, derives from the Latin and Greek words Pascha (″Passover″), which means ″Passover.″
The date of Easter and its controversies
- The determination of the day on which the Resurrection of Jesus was to be recognized and celebrated sparked a significant discussion in early Christianity, with two opposing viewpoints distinguishable: the Eastern and the Western.
- The Paschal debates, as they were known at the time, were not finally settled until the 8th century.
- In Asia Minor, Christians commemorated the Crucifixion on the same day as Jews commemorated the Passover sacrifice—that is, on the 14th day of the first full moon of spring (14 Nisan), which coincided with the Jewish holiday of Passover (see Jewish calendar).
The Resurrection was therefore celebrated two days later, on the 16th of Nisan, regardless of what day of the week it fell on.Traditionally, the Resurrection of Jesus was celebrated on Sunday, which was also the first day of the week after He had risen from the grave in the West.As a result, Easter was always observed on the first Sunday after the 14th day of the month of Nisan.
- The Sunday celebration became increasingly popular, and the Quartodecimans (proponents of the 14th day) remained a small minority.
- Following the Council of Nicaea in 325, it was decided that Easter should be celebrated on the first Sunday following the first full moon following the spring equinox (March 21).
- Because of this, Easter might fall on any Sunday between March 22 and April 25, depending on the year.
- Eastern Orthodox churches use a slightly different calculation based on the Julian calendar rather than the Gregorian calendar (which is 13 days ahead of the former), with the result that Orthodox Easter celebrations are typically held later than those held by Protestants and Roman Catholics, as a result of which Orthodox Easter celebrations are typically held later than those held by Protestants and Roman Catholics.
- Furthermore, according to Orthodox custom, Easter cannot be celebrated before or at the same time as Passover.
- At several points during the twentieth century, attempts were attempted to establish a set date for Easter, with one proposal specifically recommending the Sunday after the second Saturday in April.
Despite the fact that this and other proposals had a large number of backers, none came to fruition.Although negotiations including the heads of the Eastern Orthodox, Syriac Orthodox, Coptic, Anglican, and Roman Catholic churches resulted in renewed interest in a definite date in the early twenty-first century, official agreement on such a date was difficult to come by in the twenty-first century.
Palm Sunday, Holy Week and Easter
- Palm Sunday is observed by both Catholic and Protestant populations.
- (Because they use the Julian calendar, the Orthodox Christian community celebrates later in the year.) This marks the beginning of Holy Week, which has traditionally been the most important period of the year for Christians to reflect and pray.
- In Christian tradition, Palm Sunday commemorates the entry of Jesus into Jerusalem, when he was greeted by crowds waving palm branches, as recorded in the New Testament of the Christian Bible.
For Christians, it serves as a reminder of our acceptance of Jesus into our hearts, as well as our commitment to follow in his footsteps.During the liturgy on Palm Sunday, there is also a reading of the Passion, which is the tale of Jesus of Nazareth’s suffering and crucifixion.Modern churches take considerable effort to ensure that the story of Jesus’ death does not come across in an anti-Semitic light.
- Christians regard Jesus’ death as a source of redemption as well as a reminder of how prophets are frequently assassinated when they advocate for justice and peace.
Holy Week
- Holy Thursday (also known as Maundy Thursday, from the Latin mandatum, which means ″order to love one another″) is a day on which Christians celebrate the Last Supper of Jesus, also known as the Passover.
- Some traditions include the washing of the feet of various members of the community in order to commemorate a gesture made by Christ at the Last Supper when he washed the feet of his disciples, which is referred to as the washing of the feet.
- This serves as a reminder that we must do more to love one another and to help all people, especially the poor, in our society.
Good Friday is a sad day on which Christians commemorate the death of Jesus and the promise of new life that it brings in the resurrection.People spend time meditating in front of a wooden cross, which is set up in several religious traditions.Others observe the Stations of the Cross as a devotion that remembers Jesus’ trip from Jerusalem to Calvary, where he was crucified, through the Via Dolorosa (Way of Sorrows).
- It is the Church of the Holy Sepulchre in Jerusalem that commemorates the location of Christ’s death and resurrection.
- The suffering of Jesus serves as a reminder to many Christians to be more concerned about the suffering of people in today’s society, which they do with a passion.
- This day is also a day of fasting and repentance for many Christians, as well.
Easter
- Easter Sunday is the holiest day in the Christian calendar.
- It is celebrated on April 1.
- Despite the fact that Christmas is the most celebrated holiday in our society, no other day is considered to be as important for the Christian community as Easter.
This is the day on which Christians remember the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead.Some rituals begin the night before with the lighting of a fresh fire and the blessing of a huge Easter candle, while others begin the next morning.Many people get baptized as a result of the blessing of water.
- However, for all Christians, it is a day to reaffirm one’s commitment to the religion.
- In the Catholic Church, everyone gets sprayed with newly blessed Easter water as a symbol of our devotion to God as a result of our baptismal pledge being renewed.
- In many Protestant communities, Easter is marked by a dawn service held early in the morning on Easter Sunday.
- Easter is traditionally marked by exuberant gatherings that include unique meals and delectable Easter treats.