What Day Of The Week Was Passover When Jesus Died

The Day Christ Died – Was it on a Thursday or Friday?

Following the teachings of Jesus, Christian tradition places his final lunch with his followers on Thursday evening and his crucifixion on Friday, which we name “Good Friday.” We now know that there is a one-day holiday. Wednesday night was Jesus’ final dinner, and he was crucified on Thursday, the 14th of the Hebrew month Nisan, the following day. The actual Passover dinner was served on Thursday night, at sundown, to mark the beginning of the 15th of Nisan. That Passover supper was never consumed by Jesus.

on Thursday afternoon, according to his family.

This alternate chronology allows all of our parts from our different sources, including the Synoptic Gospels, the Gospel of John, and the Gospel of Peter, to fit together seamlessly and accurately.

Everyone concluded that the allusion to “the Sabbath” had to be referring to Saturday, which meant that the crucifixion had to have taken place on a Friday.

  • In the year 30 AD, Friday, the 15th of the Jewish month of Nisan, was also a Sabbath, resulting in two Sabbaths occurring back to back – Friday and Saturday – for the first time in recorded history.
  • As is typically the case, the gospel of John retains a more exact chronology of what transpired during the time period under consideration.
  • John is well aware that the Jews would be gathering for their customary Seder supper on Thursday night.
  • Some have even suggested that Jesus may have eaten the Passover feast a day early, knowing full well that he would die the next day.
  • However, the truth remains that Jesus did not partake in the Passover supper in 30 CE.
  • He had been hurriedly interred in a tomb until after the celebration, when formal and complete Jewish funeral procedures could be carried out in accordance with tradition.
  • As an example, in Luke, Jesus tells his disciples at the final meal: “I sincerely want to share this Passover with you before I suffered, but I will not share it until the fulfillment of this Passover in the kingdom of God” (Luke 22:14).
  • Furthermore, all of our sources state that Jesus shared “a loaf of bread” with his followers, using the Greek term (artos) that refers to an ordinary loaf, not the unleavened flat bread or matzos that Jews eat during their Passover feasts.
  • If this meal had been the Passover supper, Paul would have wanted to say something like that, but he doesn’t want to.
  • Sanhedrin 67a and 43a)

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According to the teachings of my religion, Jesus died on a Friday and resurrected on Sunday, after which He remained in the tomb for three days. According to my calculations, there are just two days remaining until His death and resurrection. Is it possible that I’m mistaken? The traditional teaching within the church is that Jesus was crucified on a Friday, and churches commonly observe the Friday before Easter Sunday as the day of Jesus’ death. However, observing the Friday before Easter Sunday as the day of Jesus’ death is a matter of church tradition rather than biblical fact.

Matt. 12:40 for just as JONAH WAS THREE DAYS AND THREE NIGHTS IN THE BELLY OF THE SEA MONSTER, so will the Son of Man be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth.

In Jewish counting, the terms “day” and “night” relate to periods of light and darkness inside a 24-hour day, respectively. As a result, any portion of the daylight hours counts as a “day,” and any portion of the nighttime hours counts as a “night.” As a result, to include “three days and three nights,” it is necessary to include at least a portion of three different daytime and overnight periods. But, on what day of the week should we start counting down from? While the Bible does not specify the day of the week Jesus died on, it does specify the day on which Jesus resurrected from the grave.

Luke 24:1 But on the first day of the week, at early dawn, they came to the tomb bringing the spices which they had prepared.Luke 24:2 And they found the stone rolled away from the tomb,Luke 24:3 but when they entered, they did not find the body of the Lord Jesus.

Sunday is the first day of the week according to the Jewish calendar, and according to the Bible, the tomb was discovered empty on a Sunday morning. In order to get to the day of Jesus’ death, we must count backward three days and three nights from Sunday to arrive at the day of his death. Sunday daytime, on the other hand, cannot be counted because the Bible states that Jesus was out of the grave before the sun rose on Sunday. For this reason, beginning with the Saturday evening period, we count back three daylight periods and three overnight periods to arrive at the current time.

  • On Saturday, one night will be spent and one day will be spent on Saturday, Friday nighttime will be spent and two days will be spent on Friday, and Thursday nighttime will be spent and three days will be spent on Thursday, and Friday daytime will be spent and three days will be spent on Thursday, and so on.

If Jesus remained in the tomb for three days and three nights and then rose from the dead before the break of dawn on Sunday, there is just not enough time for him to have died on a Friday and risen before the break of light on the following Sunday. It is required that Jesus be killed on a Thursday, according to Matthew 12:40. However, wasn’t the day after Jesus’ death a Sabbath? No doubt, but according to the Bible, the day after Jesus’ crucifixion was not a typical Saturday Sabbath, but rather a “high day” Sabbath.

John 19:31Then the Jews, because it was the day of preparation so that the bodies would not remain on the cross on the Sabbath (for that Sabbath was a high day), asked Pilate that their legs might be broken, and that they might be taken away.

In the context of feast observances, a special Sabbath day is defined as one that occurs on a certain day of the week, independent of the day of the week on which the feast is observed. Passover commemorates Jesus’ death, and the Jewish festival of Passover is usually followed the next day by another Jewish festival known as the Feast of Unleavened Bread. According to scripture (Lev 23:6-8), the first day of the Feast of Unleavened Bread is always a high day Sabbath, which corresponds to the Bible’s witness that the day after Jesus’ death was a Sabbath.

Following the keeping of the Sabbath on Friday, which was a high holy day, followed the observance of the regular weekly Sabbath on Saturday.

More importantly, according to the Gospel of John (12:12), Jesus paid visits to Martha, Mary, and Lazarus six days before Passover, and the next day (that is, five days before Passover), Jesus entered Jerusalem:

John 12:1Jesus, therefore, six days before the Passover, came to Bethany where Lazarus was, whom Jesus had raised from the dead.John 12:12On the next day the large crowd who had come to the feast, when they heard that Jesus was coming to Jerusalem,John 12:13 took the branches of the palm trees and went out to meet Him, and began to shout, “Hosanna! BLESSED IS HE WHO COMES IN THE NAME OF THE LORD, even the King of Israel.”

To put it another way, if Jesus arrived in Jerusalem on the fifth day before Passover, which happened to be a Sunday (as is generally observed), then Passover occurred on a Thursday (counting Sunday to Thursday). By examining lunar data from the second and third decades of the first century, we are able to confirm that the death occurred on a Thursday for the last time. According to lunar activity, Jewish feasts are celebrated on specific days of the week. For example, in the year Jesus died, the day of Passover began Wednesday night and ended Thursday at sunset, and the seven-day feast of Unleavened Bread began the next day, on a Friday.

As a result, if we count from Thursday afternoon to Saturday night, we will discover three days and three nights, just as prescribed by Scripture.

Please watch our lesson from the Gospel of Matthew Bible study for a more in-depth overview of the events that took place during the week leading up to Jesus’ death.

If Jesus was crucified on the Day of Preparation, why had He already eaten the Passover meal?

QuestionAnswer The Day of Preparation, according to all four Gospels, was the day on which Jesus was crucified (Matthew 27:62; Mark 15:42; Luke 23:54; John 19:14, 31, 42). The gospels of Mark, Luke, and John all mention that the next day was the Sabbath day. When it comes to John’s story, he uses the following phrase: “It was the day of preparation for Passover” (John 19:14). The issue then arises as to why, given that Jesus was crucified on the Day of Preparation, He had previously observed the Passover with His followers (Matthew 26:17–29; Mark 14:12–25; Luke 22:7–22; John 13:1–30) before his death.

  • Consider the possibility that all four Gospel writers made mistakes in their chronology.
  • What if Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John all forgot what they had written from one chapter to the next?
  • No, there has to be a more compelling explanation for why Jesus consumed the Passover meal before the Day of Preparation was observed.
  • Every week, preparations for the Sabbath had to be made—food had to be prepared in advance of the day’s festivities.
  • This is made apparent in Mark 15:42.

If John was just referring to the fact that this specific Friday occurred during Passover week, we may interpret his remarks as follows: “It was the day of Preparation, which happened to fall on a Friday that happened to fall during the season of Passover.” As a result, the purpose of the Day of Preparation was to prepare for the Sabbath rather than the Passover.

The Law of Moses must be assumed to have been followed by Jesus, who observed Passover at the allotted time (see Galatians 4:4).

As a matter of course, the Sabbath (Saturday) followed, and then came Sunday, the first day of the week, which was the third day following Jesus’ crucifixion and the day on which he rose from the dead.

By this time, it was early in the morning, and they did not enter the palace in order to prevent ritual uncleanness, since they wanted to be able to enjoy the Passover.” Initially, it appears that, while Jesus had consumed the Passover the night before, the Jewish authorities had not yet consumed the Passover—they “wanted to be able to consume” it after Jesus was arrested—as a result of his arrest.

  • We must keep in mind the following in order to harmonize this verse with the Synoptic narratives: Passover was the first day of the Feast of Unleavened Bread, which lasted a week.
  • The first day of Unleavened Bread fell on the same day as the Jewish holiday of Passover.
  • The two holidays were (and continue to be) treated as though they were one festival.
  • Although the Jewish authorities had already eaten the Passover seder, there were still more sacrifices to be done and meals to be consumed before the holiday was complete.
  • Identifying the precise timing of Jesus’ arrest, trial, execution, and resurrection presents further challenges.
  • The lamb is slaughtered, and the Passover dinner is served in the upper room by Jesus and His disciples.
  • Jesus is tried and sentenced to death (although never convicted).

Saturday is considered to be the weekly Sabbath. Sunday is the day of the Resurrection. Questions regarding Jesus Christ (return to top of page) In order for Jesus to have been killed on the Day of Preparation, He must have eaten the Passover feast beforehand.

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When Did Jesus Die? The Year, Day & Time

There has been much speculation concerning the day and year of Christ’s crucifixion and death, owing to the absence of clear day-to-day linkage in the stories of the four Gospels. We know that Jesus died on Preparation Day because it is mentioned in each of the four Gospel narratives. But was it a Wednesday, Thursday, or Friday when that happened? In addition, what hour did Jesus die? There has even been discussion over the year in which he passed away. To figure out the day of Jesus’ death on the cross, we must piece together the evidence from his four Gospels and our understanding of his historical period and cultural context.

See also:  Why Is Saint Anthony Holding Baby Jesus

Cultural Information to Keep in Mind

1. The gospel writers were more concerned with depicting Jesus as a person than they were with the precise chronology of his appearance. Dates have become increasingly important in today’s environment in order to provide proper news coverage. However, the Gospel authors were more concerned with the events themselves than they were with the precise date of the occurrences. They were attempting to introduce Jesus to a variety of audiences rather than providing a thorough biography. It was the day before the Sabbath that was designated as the Day of Preparation.

This is the day on which Jews prepared meals and completed all of the tasks that were prohibited from being completed on the Sabbath but that still needed to be completed.

Click HERE to download your FREE 8-Day Prayer and Scripture Guide -Praying Through Holy Week.

What the Gospels Say about Jesus’ Burial

The Gospel of Matthew contains the most detailed account of Jesus’ death and burial (Matthew 27:31-62). In this tale, we learn about Joseph, a wealthy man from Arimathea “who had himself become a follower of Jesus,” according to one piece (Matthew 27:57 b). In Matthew 27:58-61, it is said that Joseph approached Pilate and begged for permission to bury Jesus’ body. “The next day, the day after Preparation Day, the chief priests and the Pharisees went to Pilate,” we are told in Matthew 27:62. Joseph followed out this plan on Preparation Day.

In the Jewish calendar, it was Preparation Day (i.e., the day before the Sabbath).” (Matthew 15:42 a.) … Consequently, Joseph purchased some linen material, brought the corpse down from the casket, wrapped it in the linen, and buried it in a tomb dug into the rock.

Jesus died on the Day of Preparation, as confirmed by Luke and John: “Then he carried it down, wrapped it in linen fabric, and buried it in a tomb cut into the rock, in which no one had yet been lain.” As it happened, it was Preparation Day, and the Sabbath was about to begin” (Luke 23:54).

As it happened, they placed Jesus there since it was the Jewish day of Preparation and because the tomb was close by (John 19:42).

What Day Did Jesus Die? Wednesday, Thursday, or Friday?

Over the years, academics have developed a variety of hypotheses about what occurred during the days of the week preceding up to Jesus’ death on the cross. These versions each offer a different day for Christ’s death, such as Wednesday, Thursday, or Friday.

  • A number of theories on what transpired during the days leading up to Christ’s death have been proposed by scholars throughout the years. They all claim that Christ died on a different day, either Wednesday or Thursday or both.

What Time Did Jesus Die?

According to Matthew Henry’s interpretation, Jesus was nailed to the crucifixion between the third and sixth hours, which corresponds between nine and twelve o’clock in the morning. After then, he died shortly after the ninth hour, which was sometime between three and four o’clock in the afternoon. Commensurate with the aforementioned practice, the Jews throughout the time of Christ measured days from dusk to nightfall. The Matthew 27:46 KJV, which is the “ninth hour,” can be translated into the Matthew 27:46 NIV, which is the “three o’clock in the afternoon,” according to Bible experts.

Timing of Jesus Death in Mark, Luke, and John

  • The Gospel of Mark 15: 33:34, 37 “At midday, darkness descended across the entire region, lasting until three o’clock in the afternoon. Also, about three o’clock in the afternoon, Jesus said, “Eloi, Eloi, lema sabachthani?” in an obnoxiously loud voice. (which translates as ‘My God, my God, why have you abandoned me?’). “Jesus breathed his last with a piercing scream.”
  • Matthew 23:44-46 ” It was now around midday, and darkness descended upon the entire region until three o’clock in the afternoon since the sun had ceased shining. And the temple’s curtain was split in two by the earthquake. I put my spirit into your hands,’ Jesus said with a resounding voice, calling out to the Father. At the moment he stated this, he exhaled his final breath.” (See also John 19:14-16.) “It was approximately midday on the day of Passover preparations, and it was the day of Passover preparations. ‘Your king has arrived,’ Pilate said to the Jews. They, on the other hand, cried out, “Take him away!” Take him away from me! ‘Put him to death!’ ‘Do you want me to crucify your king?’ Pilate was the one who inquired. ‘We do not have a monarch other than Caesar,’ the leading priests responded. Eventually, Pilate gave him over to them, and they crucified him.”

What Year Did Jesus Die?

During this video, Doug Bookman, a New Testament professor at Shepherds Theological Seminary, shows why biblical academics have reached an agreement about the year Jesus died. “It all boils down to this. Pilate served as prefect of Judea and Samaria from 26 A.D. to 36 A.D., according to the evidence we have. So that’s our view out the window. The following question is: On what day of the week did Passover occur during the year that Jesus died? In the opinion of the majority, it occurred on Thursday or Friday.

Given all of this, the vast majority of researchers will agree that it leads to one of two conclusions: ” Theory 1: Jesus died about the year 30 A.D.

“At this point, the argument becomes pretty technical,” says Bookman of the situation.

I am convinced that the year 33 A.D.

3 Significant Events Shortly After Jesus’ Death

Doug Bookman, a New Testament professor at Shepherds Theological Seminary, outlines why biblical academics have come to an agreement about the year Jesus died and how this came about. In the end, it all boils down to this. Pilate served as prefect of Judea and Samaria from 26 A.D. to 36 A.D., according to the smallest of details. So that’s where we’ll be looking through the window. Next, we must determine what day of the week Passover fell on in the year Jesus died. The answer is: Generally speaking, it was considered to have occurred on Thursday or Friday.

Given all of this, the majority of experts will conclude that it leads to one of two outcomes: ” First, there is the theory that Jesus died in the year 30 AD.

“The debate becomes pretty technical,” according to Bookman at this point. Furthermore, he claims that “for each of the chronological questions, there is a case to be made on both sides.” On the year 33 A.D., I’m convinced that My teaching of Jesus’ life takes place within that framework.

Gospel Timeline of Jesus’ Death and Resurrection

We have historically celebrated Jesus’ death on Friday because the Gospels placed it the day before a Sabbath. But did you know that Jews celebrated Special ‘Sabbaths’ that did not take place on Saturday?Figuring out when Jesus ate the Last Supper with his disciples and which day he died on the cross is not easy. Why? First of all, Jews started new days each evening! Our days (in the Gregorian calendar) begin and end in the middle of the night and consider daylight the middle of the day. Jewish days began at dusk with the first half of a day being the dark night and the second half of the day being the daylight. That’s why Genesis 1 says, “there was evening and morning on day one.” That’s also why we get confused about the timeline of Jesus’ death and resurrection in the Gospels.If Jesus actually died on Friday afternoon when we celebrate ‘Good Friday,’ then he would have only been in the grave for 2 nights. But Jesus said he would be in the grave for 3 nights. So either Jesus is wrong (see matthew 12:40), or our holiday is wrong. It’s worth investigating.


Review the visual timeline below that reconciles Jewish days with our Gregorian calendar. Then read the facts that support this timeline for Jesus’ final days. We must explore ancient Jewish expressions, Passover customs, and the Feast of Unleavened Bread to see a clearer picture of when Jesus died and was buried. I’m going to keep it brief so pay attention to every detail and re-read each point as necessary.10 Facts to Get the Timing of Jesus’ DeathResurrection Right

  1. Preparing for the Jewish holiday of Passover. When did Jesus and his followers share the ‘Last Supper’ together? It is mentioned in Mark 14:12–16, Matthew 26:17–19, and Luke 22:7–13 as occurring on the evening of “the First Day of Unleavened Bread” before the festival of Passover. That does not relate to the first day of the seven-day Feast of Unleavened Bread, which takes place on Nisan 15-21 in the Jewish calendar, or to Passover, which takes place on Nisan 14 in the Jewish calendar. Rather, the “First Day” was the day before the 8 days of celebration (and before Passover, the 7-day Feast), when Jews abstained from eating any unleavened bread for the duration of the festival. According to the Jewish calendar, it would be Nisan 13 the day before the day of Passover on Nisan 14
  2. Passover in Jewish Homes. According to Philo of Alexandria’s book on Special Laws (Philo, Special Laws2.148) and Josephus’ book on the Jewish Wars, Jews honored the Passover in two distinct ways during Jesus’ time. The majority of people commemorated Passover in their homes on Wednesday evening, when the Jewish calendar day of Nisan 14 began to be observed. Priests, on the other hand, commemorated Passover by sacrificing theKorban Pesachin in the Temple on Thursday afternoon, when the month of Nisan 14 came to a conclusion with the sunset. When it comes to Passover, Josephus estimates that 250,000 lambs were slain throughout the city of Jerusalem, with just a few thousand lambs being sacrificed in the Temple (see Josephus’ Jewish Wars, Book VI, Chapter 9, Section 3)
  3. Jesus Ate and Died on Passover The Passover meal was eaten by Jesus and the majority of the people in Jerusalem on Wednesday night (modern calendar) or the first day of Nisan 14 (remember that Jewish calendar days begin at sunset!) before the 7-day Feast of Unleavened Breadon Nisan 15-21, which was also known as Passover Week at the time, began. So it occurred that on one evening, Jesus ate the Passover with his followers, and on the following afternoon, when the major Passover lamb (known as the ‘Korban Pesach’) was slain in the Temple, Jesus was murdered
  4. Jesus died on Thursday. When the main Passover Lamb in the Temple was slaughtered on Nisan 14 before the 7-day Feast of Unleavened Bread began with a special Sabbath (Leviticus 23:6-7) on Nisan 15 (Thursday evening on our modern calendars), Jesus was killed on Thursday afternoon (modern time)
  5. The Gospels Use Different Clocks. The Synoptic Gospels place Jesus’ crucifixion ‘at the sixth hour’ (Matt 27:45
  6. Mark 15:33
  7. Luke 23:34), yet the Gospel of John places Jesus before Pilate ‘at the sixth hour’ (John 18:1). (John 19:14). There is no conflict since John used Roman time for his audience in Roman Asia Minor (which meant 6 a.m. for the trial-the 6th hour after midnight), but the Synoptic Gospels all used Jewish time (which means 6 a.m. for the trial-the 6th hour after midnight) (thereby meaning Jesus was crucified at noon-the 6th hour after sunrise). Remember that the Gospels changed the contents of each tale to suit the needs of different audiences
  8. There were special Sabbaths. The week in which Jesus died included two Sabbaths, as well as a special ‘high sabbath’ on Friday. As stated in Leviticus 23, the first day of the Feast of Unleavened Bread, which happened on Nisan 15, was a particularly high Sabbath, regardless of what day of the week it fell on. Consequently, both Friday (Nisan 15) and Saturday (Nisan 16) were Sabbath days during the week in which Christ died. The first holy Sabbath of the week Jesus died began in the evening, immediately following Jesus’ hasty burial in the garden tomb of Joseph of Arimethea, which took place the next day (Thursday evening in modern calendars, or the beginning of Nisan 15 in Jewish calendars which would be a Jewish Friday). The “special Sabbath” that took place on Friday following Jesus’ burial is described in detail in John 19:31. Burial Prior to the Observance of the Holy Day. The Jewish rulers wanted Jesus tried, murdered, and buried before this unique high Sabbath described in John 19:14, 31:42, and elsewhere in the New Testament (see also Matthew 26:62). “The Day of Preparation,” or better translated “Sabbath Eve,” is mentioned in both Luke 23:54 and Mark 15:42, which would be Thursday afternoon in our calendars before the unique Friday Sabbath, which began at sundown on Thursday evening (in our Gregorian calendars). Resurrection Following both Sabbaths. Women found the empty tomb on Sunday morning, just after the 2nd Sabbath had come to a close. The Sabbath was observed on Saturday night and day, which corresponded to the 16th of Nisan in the Jewish calendar. Jesus’ death on Thursday afternoon and resurrection on Sunday morning were separated by three nights, which is referred to as the “Three Nights in the Grave.” Matthew 28:1 uses the plural “Sabbaths” to make it clear that the special Friday Sabbath and normal Saturday Sabbath had occurred during the three nights between Jesus’ death on Thursday afternoon and resurrection on Sunday morning. It is consistent with Jesus’ prophesy that he would die on Thursday afternoon (modern time) or at the end of Nisan 14 (on the Jewish calendar) and rise on Sunday morning: In the same way that Jonah spent three days and three nights in the belly of the huge fish, so will the Son of Man spend three days and three nights in the heart of the earth, according to Jesus (Matthew 12:40)
  9. Resurrection on the Feast of the Firstfruits. The Sadducees, who ruled the Temple in Jesus’ day, observed the Festival of the Firstfruits on the Sunday after the customary weekly Saturday Sabbath during the Feast of Unleavened Bread, which took place during the Feast of Unleavened Bread. As a result, Jesus resurrected from the dead on the Feast of the Firstfruits, and the apostle Paul discusses the theological implications of this event in 1 Corinthians 15. Jesus’ resurrection was the first of many more to come in the future.

Passover, Sabbaths, and Firstfruits are all important religious holidays. Hopefully, knowing these ten facts will make it simpler for you to comprehend the events of Holy Week in general. Trying to navigate historical texts when we don’t know that various people observed the same holy day at different times or that the same terms may refer to different things (like the word Sabbath) can be difficult while studying ancient literature. Three things, I feel, have contributed to the largest amount of ambiguity in the timeline: Jews celebrated Passover in their homes on Wednesday evening (according to our Gregorian calendar) or as Nisan 14 began (in the Jewish calendar), whereas priests celebrated Passover by sacrificing theKorban Pesachin at Temple on Thursday afternoon (according to our Gregorian calendar) or as the Jewish day of Nisan 14 ended at sunset on Thursday, The references to “the First Day of Unleavened Bread” in Mark 14:12–16, Matthew 26:17–19, and Luke 22:7–13 are all referring to “the First Day of Unleavened Bread.” (3) A reference to multiple Sabbaths, the first of which is on Nisan 15 and is a “high Sabbath” on Friday (John 19:31), which marks the beginning of the Feast of Unleavened Bread and the second of which is on Nisan 16 and is a normal Saturday Sabbath (John 19:31), which marks the beginning of the Feast of Unleavened Bread.

  • Having a better knowledge of these terms and facts should help you better appreciate how Jesus ate Passover on Wednesday evening, died on Thursday afternoon, and spent the next three nights in the grave on Thursday, Friday, and Saturday nights before to his resurrection on Sunday.
  • Despite the fact that we have no way of knowing when Jesus’ birthday occurred, you may still feel the heart of Christmas on any random day throughout December.
  • Nonetheless, make an effort to learn more about the meaning of Passover and Firstfruits each year in order to comprehend the entire theological implications of Jesus’ death and resurrection.
  • At the moment of the main Lamb’s sacrifice on the Temple altar, he was the final Passover Lamb and was crucified at the same time as he was.
  • He was the one his people had been hoping for all their lives.
  • Another thing that many people overlook is that Yeshua was the firstfruits to ascend to the Father in order to obtain His kingdom.
  • Personally, I feel it is right in front of us, but hidden from our eyes since it is veiled.

It’s fascinating to think about how the second temple Jews would have known exactly what heaven and earth would have meant to them.

Over the course of several years, I grappled with the so-called gap between mat 14 and mat 34 and 35.

Heaven and earth (the temple and its rites, the law (Mosaic), all of these things will pass away, but My words will not pass away with them.

We act as a go-between for the parties involved.

Is it true that whatever has been determined in heaven, primarily but not exclusively, must pass through our hands before it can be carried out on the earth?

That is a level of responsibility that few people are aware of, let alone willing to embrace.

Once again, thank you very much; your work provides me with much inspiration.

This is an excellent blog post.

Thank you for your time and consideration.

3:24:21 a.m.

I’d want to know your thoughts and feelings on the importance of Sabbath observance.

Paige 5:00:27:26 a.m.

In which source did you learn that Jews celebrated the Passover supper a day earlier?

Philo Special Laws 2.148 contains the passage that tells how Jews slaughtered and ate their lambs in their houses as a universal practice away from the Temple (since their homes had been sanctified in the same way as the Temple that night) at the time of the Exodus.

Shmuel Safrai’s chapter “Early Testimonies in the New Testament to Laws and Practices Relating to Pilgrimage and Passover,” notably pages 47-48 of the book Jesus’ Last Week, might be studied for further in-depth scholarly consideration.

Bruce Hal Miner (Ph.D.) on January 13, 2022 at 8:42:37 am To Paige, thank you so much.

1) The information presented here are based on a knowledge of Jewish traditions and calendars during HIS time period.

3) A reasonable place to start is with the question of how a Friday burial followed by a Sunday resurrection may result in three days and three nights.

Despite the fact that I’ve heard it all before about how “half of a day equals a complete day,” it still doesn’t give us three nights. I hope this has been of assistance.

Leave a Reply.

Passover, Sabbaths, and the Feast of Firstfruits are all important holidays in the Jewish calendar. You should be better prepared to understand the events of Holy Week if you know these ten facts about them. Navigation through ancient writings may be challenging if one is unaware of differences in calendars between cultures, or how the same words can refer to various things—such as the word Sabbath—in different contexts. Three elements, in my opinion, have contributed to the largest amount of ambiguity in the timeline.

  • Secondly, the references to ‘the First Day of Unleavened Bread’ in Mark 14:12–16; Matt 26:17–19; and Luke 22:7–13; all of which are included in the New International Version of the Bible.
  • Having a better knowledge of these terms and facts should help you better appreciate how Jesus ate Passover on Wednesday evening, died on Thursday afternoon, and spent the next three nights in the grave on Thursday, Friday, and Saturday nights before his resurrection on Sunday.
  • Despite the fact that we have no way of knowing when Jesus’ birthday occurred, you may still feel the heart of Christmas on any random day in December.
  • Nonetheless, make an effort to learn more about the meaning of Passover and Firstfruits each year in order to understand the entire theological implications of Jesus’ death and resurrection.
  • At the time of the main Lamb’s sacrifice on the Temple altar, he was the last of the four Passover lambs to be crucified.
  • He was the one his people had been looking forward to for a long period of time.
  • People often fail to see that Yeshua was the first fruit to ascend to the Father and be given His kingdom.

According to my own belief, everything we need is right in front of us, but hidden from our eyes.

Not many people are aware that the curtain has a theme of heaven and earth merging on it.

Although I was unable to discern any difference in the context of what Yeshua was speaking to His followers, it is now clear that this was due to the fact that there is none.

the temple and its rites, nor the law (Mosaic)) will perish, but My words will endure forever.

We act as a go-between for the parties concerned.

If so, does this imply that all that has been ordained in heaven (mostly but not entirely) must pass via human hands in order to be carried out on the earth?

Please accept my heartfelt appreciation once more; your work provides me with much-needed inspiration.

Amazing piece of writing.

With best regards, thank you for your time.

7:00:24:21 a.m.

I’d want to know your thoughts and feelings on keeping the Sabbath.

Paige 10:27:26 a.m.

I’m curious where you learned that Jews celebrated Passover one day early.

It may be found in Philo Special Laws 2.148, which details how Jews slaughtered and ate their lambs in their houses as a universal practice away from the Temple (since their homes had been sanctified in the same way as the Temple that night).

Shmuel Safrai’s chapter “Early Testimonies in the New Testament to Laws and Practices Relating to Pilgrimage and Passover,” notably pages 47-48 of the book Jesus’ Last Week, might be studied for further in-depth scholarly examination.

Paige’s attention.

In order to grasp HIS day’s Jewish traditions and schedule, it is necessary to first understand HIS day.

The question of how a Friday burial followed by a Sunday resurrection might result in three days and three nights is an excellent place to start 3). “Part of a day equals a complete day,” I’ve heard it all before, but it still doesn’t give us THREE NIGHTS, does it? Thank you for your time.

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. As a result of the astronomical data, the alternatives are reduced to AD 27, 30, 33, or 34). 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.

However, this does not rule out the possibility of understanding or importance.

No one makes this argument more forcefully than Luke, the Gentile physician who became a historian and inspired recorder of early Christianity.

The Year John the Baptist’s Ministry Began

In Luke’s account, John the Baptist began his public ministry soon before Jesus did, and the author provides us with a historical reference point for when the Baptist’s ministry began: “in the fifteenth year of Tiberius Caesar’s reign.” (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.

Most likely, Tiberius’ reign was measured from the day he assumed office in AD 14 or from the first day of January of the following year, AD 15 (whichever came first).

So John the Baptist’s ministry began anywhere between the middle of AD 28 and the beginning of AD 29.

The Year Jesus’s Ministry Began

Because the Gospels appear to indicate that Jesus began his ministry not long after John, the most likely date for Jesus’ baptism would be late in AD 28 at the very earliest, according to the calculations above. Nevertheless, it is more likely that it occurred sometime during the first half of the year AD 29, because a few months had probably elapsed between the beginning of John’s ministry and the beginning of Jesus’ ministry (and the year AD 30 is the latest possible date). As a result, Jesus’ ministry must have begun sometime between the end of AD 28 and the beginning of AD 30 at the earliest.

The most likely dates for Jesus’ birth are 6 or 5 BC, which means he would have been approximately thirty-two to thirty-four years old in late AD 28 to early AD 30. This falls well within the range of “about thirty years of age.”

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:

  • In Jerusalem, at the beginning of his public ministry (John 2:13–23)
  • In Galilee, during the midpoint of his public career (John 6:4)
  • And in Bethlehem, at the end of his public ministry (John 6:4). In Jerusalem, at the conclusion of his public ministry, that is, at the time of his crucifixion (John 11:55
  • 12:1), there was a final Passover celebration. 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.

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.

The Passovers in the book of John would thus take place on the following dates:

Nisan 15 AD 30 John 2:13
Nisan 15 AD 31 Either the unnamed feast in John 5:1 or else a Passover that John does not mention (but that may be implied in the Synoptics)
Nisan 15 AD 32 John 6:4
Nisan 15 AD 33 John 11:55, the Passover at which Jesus was crucified

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.

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.

Accordingly, we created the following chart in The Final Days of Jesus to indicate the dates for Jesus’ final week in the year a.d.

April 2 Nissan 14 Thursday (Wednesday nightfall to Thursday nightfall) Day of Passover preparation Last Supper
April 3 Nissan 15 Friday (Thursday nightfall to Friday nightfall) Passover; Feast of Unleavened Bread, begins Crucifixion
April 4 Nissan 16 Saturday (Friday nightfall to Saturday nightfall) Sabbath
April 5 Nissan 17 Sunday (Saturday nightfall to Sunday nightfall) First day of the week Resurrection

Conclusion

The computations in the preceding section may look difficult, but in a nutshell, the reasoning goes as follows:

HISTORICAL INFORMATION YEAR
Beginning of Tiberius’s reign AD 14
Fifteenth year of Tiberius’s reign:Beginning of John the Baptist’s ministry AD 28
A few months later:Beginning of Jesus’s ministry AD 29
Minimum three-year duration of Jesus’ ministry:Most likely date of Jesus’s crucifixion AD 33 (April 3)

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.

As a result, we believe that Jesus was most likely crucified on April 3, AD 33, as previously stated.

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.

Crossway’s executive vice president and publisher for books, Justin Taylor, holds this position. Andreas Köstenberger and he have written a book together called The Final Days of Jesus: The Most Important Week in the Life of the Most Important Person Who Ever Lived (Crossway, 2014).

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“When this was spoken, a group of scribes and Pharisees responded with the words: “Master, we would want to see a sign from thee.” 39 Nevertheless, he responded and said unto them, “An wicked and adulterous age seeketh after a sign; and there shall be no sign given to it, other than the sign of the prophet Jonas” (a sign of the prophet Jonas). 40 In the same way that Jonas spent three days and three nights in the belly of the whale, so will the Son of Man spend three days and three nights in the center of the earth.” The expression “heart of the ground” alludes to a person who has died and been buried in the earth.

  • According to the conventional account, Jesus was crucified on Friday.
  • Those who believe that Friday was the day of the crucifixion attempt to support their position by claiming that the Jews considered any portion of a day to be a whole day.
  • This explanation has a number of severe flaws in it.
  • This is one of the first things to think about.
  • The Jewish day ended at nightfall, and the new day began at daybreak, according to Jewish tradition.
  • Following the first day of creation, God said in Genesis 1:5, “.the evening and the morning were considered the first day.” After each day of creation has been completed, the Lord declares that “.
  • Saturday (the Jewish Sunday).

There would be no way to confirm the sign if He had not truly been in the tomb for three full days and three full nights, hence He had to stay in the tomb for the entire time period as He claimed.

on Friday, the time span from Friday at 6 p.m.

would have been only twenty-four hours according to Jewish time calculation.

and Sunday morning at daylight would have been a maximum of twelve hours.

Because Jesus stated that He would be in the grave for seventy-two hours, He could not have been crucified on Friday as originally planned.

equals 24 hours.

to Sunday 6 a.m.

In total, 36 hours were spent.

In order to explain away the difficulty with time, some people make the error of referring to the verse in John 11:9 where Jesus asks, “.

The evening and the morning are equal to one day.

It’s also important to remember that wherever the term “day” is followed by a number in the Bible, it refers to the number of days signified by that particular number.

Charles Halff, Director of the Christian Jew Foundation, said in his book “The Fallacies of Easter” that the following are false: “‘Didn’t the Jews count a portion of a day as a full day, or a part of a night as a complete night?’ a question that is frequently asked.

The term ‘day and night’ is always used simultaneously throughout the Hebrew Scriptures to denote a whole day and night, no matter where it appears.

Moreover, in every instance, it refers to complete days and full nights, rather than halves of a day and portions of a night.” From Friday to Sunday, there are not three consecutive 24-hour days.

He started to tell them that the Son of Man would suffer many things and would be rejected by the elders, as well as by the chief priests and scribes, and that he would be murdered, only to rise again three days later.

Keep in mind to count in the manner of the Jews.

to Wednesday 6 p.m.

What could possibly happen to make Wednesday the day before the Sabbath?

The solution rests in the fact that the Jews observed more than one Sabbath every week, in addition to the weekly Sabbath.

Mary Magdalene and the other Mary arrived to the tomb sometime after 6 p.m.

“At the end of the sabbath, as it started to dawn toward the first day of the week, they came to visit the sepulchre,” the Bible says.

For example, according to John 19:31, “The Jews, since the arrangement had been made so that their corpses would not be left on the cross on the sabbath day (because it was a holy day), besought Pilate to have their legs broken, and that their bodies may be carried away.” During their seasons, the Jews observed a number of ” high ” Sabbaths (also known as “holy convocations”).

  1. These are the feasts of the LORD, even holy convocations, which you should announce according to their seasons, as the LORD has commanded you.
  2. And on the fifteenth day of the same month, the feast of unleavened bread is observed before the LORD, during which time you must eat unleavened bread for seven days.” The first Jewish month (Nisan or Abib) corresponds to the month of April in our calendar.
  3. The day of Jesus’ death (Wednesday) coincided with the preparation day (Thursday) for the Passover feast (John 19:14, 31:15).
  4. It was the dawn of the day of the crucifixion at this point.
  5. Jesus was crucified in the early morning hours of Wednesday and was buried before 6 p.m.
  6. After 6 p.m.

This interpretation corresponds to Jesus’ promise in Matthew 12:40 that He would be “three days and three nights in the heart of the earth,” wherein he said He would be “three days and three nights in the heart of the world.” UNDERSTANDING OF THE CONJECTURE If Jesus was born around 5 BC (according to The Bible Almanac, published by Thomas Nelson Publishers in 1980), and if He died at the age of 33, this would place his death in the year 29 AD.

  • The earliest Roman calendar was four (4) years behind the current one.
  • Between BC and AD, there was just a single “0,” but there was no “1” in between them.
  • In 4 BC, Herod the Great, who had ordered the slaughter of all the infants under the age of two in Bethlehem, died of natural causes.
  • (Matt.
  • According to Leviticus 23:5, 6: “The Lord’s Passover is observed on the fourteenth day of the first month at even time.
  • So the Feast of Unleavened Bread would be observed on the 15th (Friday), and the ordinary daily Sabbath would be observed on the 16th (Saturday) (Saturday).
  • (Information was gathered from a variety of sources, including the writings of the late Evangelist Dr.
  • Greene, Dakes’s Annotated Reference Bible, and the article ” Sabbaths All In A Row ” by Maret H.
  • D., Th.D., which appeared in The Biblical Evangelist, Vol.

8, April 13, 1984, as well as research conducted by this author.) As the following verses demonstrate, Passover was celebrated on the 14th day of the first month of the Jewish calendar, or Nisan (Abib) 14, no matter what day of the week it occurred on: Exodus 23:15 is a verse from the Bible that says You are required to observe the Feast of Unleavened Bread: (thou shalt eat unleavened bread seven days, as I commanded thee, in the time appointed of the month Abib; for in it thou camest out from Egypt: and none shall appear before me empty:) Exodus 34:18 is an example of a parable.

You are required to observe the Feast of Unleavened Bread.

Deuteronomy 16:1 is the first verse in the book of Deuteronomy.

Leviticus 23:5 is a verse from the book of Leviticus.

9:5 (Numbers 9:5) As the LORD had ordered Moses, the children of Israel observed the Passover on the fourteenth day of the first month at even in the desert of Sinai; they accomplished all that the LORD had told Moses to do.

5:10 (Joshua 5:10) And the children of Israel tented at Gilgal, and on the fourteenth day of the month at even, they celebrated the Passover on the plains of Jericho with their families.

2 Chronicles 35:1 is a verse from the Bible that says Then on the fourteenth day of the first month, Josiah and his people celebrated the Passover in Jerusalem, and they sacrificed a lamb to honor the LORD.

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