Previously, we did a study on the Christmas star…dates and times of the Bethlehem star and Jesus birth more than likely is Autumn 3BC. This study is based on the thought that Jesus was born in 3BC and was crucified in Spring 31AD. But I realized that I had miscounted one year somewhere along the line and in my spreadsheet, there was one year that was transposed.
Nevertheless, as I went thru this deeper, I found it very difficult to precisely nail down the exact date of either his birth or his death. But it is possible to gather clues and make a decent well informed guess based on the clues given in the Bible. That's what we're going to begin to do today. We're going to look at the four gospel accounts and try and piece together the clues.
We have been taught our whole life that Jesus died Good Friday afternoon and was resurrected Sun morning. That's not even two full days, not even 48 hours!…Jesus says this:
Mat 12:39-40
39 But he answered and said unto them, An evil and adulterous generation seeketh after a sign; and there shall no sign be given to it but the sign of Jonah the prophet: 40 for as Jonah was three days and three nights in the belly of the whale; so shall the Son of man be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth.
So He says 3 days and 3 nights He will be in the heart of the earth.
So he dies on Good Fri in mid to late afternoon
And He has arose already by Sunday at sunrise
AT BEST YOU HAVE 3 DAYS (Fri, Sat, Sun) AND TWO NIGHTS (Fri nite and Sat nite), BUT REALISTICALLY YOU HAVE 2 DAYS AND 2 NITES (since Jesus was already resurrected before sunrise on Sun morning).
Something doesn't add up to 3 days and 3 nights. It leaves us in a conundrum…
Projecting backwards, if Jesus dying on Friday doesn't equal up to three days and three nights, what day were days might he have to had died on? Weds or Thurs?
First off, when does a Hebrew/Jewish day begin and end?
We know how the current day is layed out. It begins at sunset and ends at sunset.
Passover
What do we know about the passover?
Lev 23:5-8
5 In the first month, on the fourteenth day of the month at even, is Jehovah's passover. 6 And on the fifteenth day of the same month is the feast of unleavened bread unto Jehovah: seven days ye shall eat unleavened bread. 7 In the first day ye shall have a holy convocation: ye shall do no servile work. 8 But ye shall offer an offering made by fire unto Jehovah seven days: in the seventh day is a holy convocation; ye shall do no servile work.
NISAN (1st month) - corresponds to March/April
14th day of NISAN - the passover
15th day of NISAN
shall be a feast
this day begins a 7 day feast, so the 15th-21st
For 7 days, no unleavened bread shall be eaten
What is it called? Feast of Unleavened Bread
This first day (15th) shall be holy convocation (assembly)
No work is to be done on this day
What day does this sound like? Sabbath
This was called a “High Sabbath”
No matter the day of the week it fell on, it was treated like a Sabbath. And of course, the regular Saturday Sabbath was also celebrated.
Did Jesus celebrate the Passover & Feast of Unleavened Bread in his life? Yes, when?
Luk 2:41-43 every year with parents
John 2:13-14 At the beginning of his ministry (vs11)
John 6:3-4 Jesus takes his disciples to the top of the mountain, and we are not sure if he makes the trip to Jerusalem
John 13:1 Jesus is crucified on the Passover and resurrected during the feast of unleavened bread
SHARE SCREEN!
Dates of the Passover/14th day of Nisan from 27-34 AD
Confusing to determine consistently, the correct dates of Nisan 14 - Passover.
If the New moon was the date shown above (in the right hand column), the first viewable appearance of a sliver of the moon in the night sky marked the start of Nisan 1. Usually it is a day or two after the new moon.
So the formula for this would be:
The new moon + 1-2 days = Nisan 1
….then
Nisan 1 + 13 days = Nisan 14 (Passover)
Some years, the new moon's appearance in March would be the time frame used leading into the first day of Nisan. Such as 27 AD, 30 AD …or 32 AD
Other years, the new moon appearance in April would be the time frame used leading into the first day of Nissan. Such as 28 AD, 29AD …or 31AD
Why this was is confusing. It may have been that the sky was overcast they night or nights they looked for the sliver or they added a leap month or it was possibly tied to the barley crop or harvest.
Which dates might be plausible if Jesus arose from the dead on Sun? Keep in mind that 3 days and 3 nights would be needed for Him to be in the grave.
Prob the Weds or Thurs dates from 28AD, 31AD or 34 AD
Previously we looked at the current year calendar dates in April for the Passover and Feast of Unleavened Bread.
Now we are going to look at the calendar year of 31AD and put the dates in for the PASSOVER AND FEAST OF UNLEAVENED BREAD. (There was no calendar scoll found in a tomb somewhere for 31AD, and these dates are debated even today. Some still think that Passover and the feast of unleavened bread occurred in March in 31AD. While others believe it occurred in what we're about to look at.)
Nisan 14 (Passover) and Nisan 15-21(Feast of Unleavened Bread)
in April 31 AD
The days begin at sunset and end are sunset.
Let's fill in the days of Nisan
What day is the Passover?
When is the Feast of Unleavened Bread?
What day is Saturday?
When is the High Sabbath?
When is the Preparation day/days
Anomalies during the week
Mat 26:1-5
1 And it came to pass, when Jesus had finished all these words, he said unto his disciples, 2 Ye know that after two days the passover cometh, and the Son of man is delivered up to be crucified. 3 Then were gathered together the chief priests, and the elders of the people, unto the court of the high priest, who was called Caiaphas; 4 and they took counsel together that they might take Jesus by subtlety, and kill him. 5 But they said, Not during the feast, lest a tumult arise among the people.
When does this occur? Roughly Sunday or Monday (Nisan 11-12)
But not during the feast lest a tumult? Before? After?
Mat 26:6-16
6 Now when Jesus was in Bethany, in the house of Simon the leper, 7 there came unto him a woman having an alabaster cruse of exceeding precious ointment, and she poured it upon his head, as he sat at meat. 8 But when the disciples saw it, they had indignation, saying, To what purpose is this waste? 9 For this ointment might have been sold for much, and given to the poor. 10 But Jesus perceiving it said unto them, Why trouble ye the woman? for she hath wrought a good work upon me. 11 For ye have the poor always with you; but me ye have not always. 12 For in that she poured this ointment upon my body, she did it to prepare me for burial. 13 Verily I say unto you, Wheresoever this gospel shall be preached in the whole world, that also which this woman hath done shall be spoken of for a memorial of her. 14 Then one of the twelve, who was called Judas Iscariot, went unto the chief priests, 15 and said, What are ye willing to give me, and I will deliver him unto you? And they weighed unto him thirty pieces of silver. 16 And from that time he sought opportunity to deliver him unto them.
When does this occur? Roughly Sunday or Monday (Nisan 11-12)
It could be that Judas was the one to make the comment about the wastefulness of the ointment on Jesus's head.
It could be Judas was offended by Jesus's response and it was the last straw for him. Nevertheless he storms off and plans on betraying Jesus. This seems to occur Sunday or Monday.
Mat 26:17-20
17 Now on the first day of unleavened bread the disciples came to Jesus, saying, Where wilt thou that we make ready for thee to eat the passover? 18 And he said, Go into the city to such a man, and say unto him, The Teacher saith, My time is at hand; I keep the passover at thy house with my disciples. 19 And the disciples did as Jesus appointed them; and they made ready the passover. 20 Now when even was come, he was sitting at meat with the twelve disciples;
Vs17 Notice that the first day of unleavened bread includes the Passover also. Previously we read it was the Passover followed by the seven day Feast of Unleavened Bread.
We might assume that this is the Nisan 14 - Passover already, right?
Vs20 Notice that it is evening here. What happens in the evening? It changes to the next day.
So maybe they eat the Passover meal on the 15th of Nisan?
Or do they eat the Passover meal in the evening which is now just changed to the 14th of Nisan - Passover? You would think they would eat the Passover meal on the Passover. Not on the day before or the day after.
Exo 12:6
and ye shall keep it until the fourteenth day of the same month; and the whole assembly of the congregation of Israel shall kill it at even.
Kill it in the evening.
Exo 12:8
And they shall eat the flesh in that night, roast with fire, and unleavened bread; with bitter herbs they shall eat it.
Eat it that night.
Exo 12:10
And ye shall let nothing of it remain until the morning; but that which remaineth of it until the morning ye shall burn with fire.
Let nothing remain until morning. If there is, burn it with fire
So it seems that Jesus eats the Passover meal with his disciples in the evening on the Passover and is also crucified on the Passover on what we view as the next afternoon. Sunset may have been btw 630pm and 635pm that year
Let's fast forward:
Jesus says that one of them will betray him
Jesus goes with his disciples to the Mount of Olives
Jesus tells them that all of them will be offended in him that night
Jesus takes Peter James and John into Gethsemane, (a garden on the Mount of Olives) to pray
Judas appears along with an armed multitude, chief priests, and captains of the temple, and elders
Jesus is seized and is taken to the high priest where lying witnesses testify against him
Peter denies Him 3x’s. Jesus mocked and beaten
At morning, Jesus is delivered up to Pilate while the chief priests and elders decide to put him to death
What day is it???
Pilate meets with Jesus, discovering that he is innocent, desires to release Jesus using a custom which allows him to release one prisoner at Passover.
Pilate offers up a choice: Barabbas or Jesus. The crowd chooses Barabbas to be released
Seeing a tumult arising, Pilate washes his hands of guilt and releases Barabbas and has Jesus scourged and prepared for crucifixion
Jesus is again mocked with a purple robe and a crown of thorns and eventually led out to Golgotha to be crucified between two robbers
Mar 15:25 And it was the third hour, and they crucified him.
Mat 27:45 Now from the sixth hour there was darkness over all the land until the ninth hour.
There was a lunar eclipse on that day but it occurred at like 10:30 at night
Jesus dies..somewhere around the ninth hour as per Matt 27:46-50 & Mark 15:34-37
John 19:30-1
30 When Jesus therefore had received the vinegar, he said, It is finished: and he bowed his head, and gave up his spirit.
31 The Jews therefore, because it was the Preparation, that the bodies should not remain on the cross upon the sabbath (for the day of that sabbath was a high day), asked of Pilate that their legs might be broken, and that they might be taken away.
What does verse 31 tell us about the date?
Jesus dies on Preparation day
The next day is a Sabbath
And that particular Sabbath was a high day Sabbath
Which day is this particular preparation day? Passover, the day before the high Sabbath
Which women were watching when Jesus dies?
Mat 27:55-56
55 And many women were there beholding from afar, who had followed Jesus from Galilee, ministering unto him: 56 among whom was Mary Magdalene, and Mary the mother of James and Joses, and the mother of the sons of Zebedee.
Mar 15:40-41 40 And there were also women beholding from afar: among whom were both Mary Magdalene, and Mary the mother of James the less and of Joses, and Salome; 41 who, when he was in Galilee, followed him, and ministered unto him; and many other women that came up with him unto Jerusalem.
Luk 23:49 And all his acquaintances, and the women that followed with him from Galilee, stood afar off, seeing these things.
Joh 19:25 These things therefore the soldiers did. But there were standing by the cross of Jesus his mother, and his mother's sister, Mary the wife of Clopas, and Mary Magdalene.
Who takes body?
Mat 27:57-60
57 And when even was come, there came a rich man from Arimathæa, named Joseph
Mark 15:42-46 Joseph of Arimathaea
Luke 23:50 Joseph of Arimathaea
John 19:38-39
38 And after these things Joseph of Arimathæa, being a disciple of Jesus, but secretly for fear of the Jews, asked of Pilate that he might take away the body of Jesus: and Pilate gave him leave. He came therefore, and took away his body. 39 And there came also Nicodemus, he who at the first came to him by night, bringing a mixture of myrrh and aloes, about a hundred pounds.
Who is watching the tomb when Jesus is buried?
Mat 27:61 And Mary Magdalene was there, and the other Mary, sitting over against the sepulchre.
Mark 15:47 And Mary Magdalene and Mary the mother of Joses beheld where he was laid.
Luk 23:55 And the women, who had come with him out of Galilee, followed after…
John does not mention the women who are watching outside the tomb during burial…
The only recorded event on the high Sabbath is found:
Mat 27:62-66
62 Now on the morrow, which is the day after the Preparation, the chief priests and the Pharisees were gathered together unto Pilate, 63 saying, Sir, we remember that that deceiver said while he was yet alive, After three days I rise again. 64 Command therefore that the sepulchre be made sure until the third day, lest haply his disciples come and steal him away, and say unto the people, He is risen from the dead: and the last error will be worse than the first. 65 Pilate said unto them, Ye have a guard: go, make it as sure as ye can. 66 So they went, and made the sepulchre sure, sealing the stone, the guard being with them.
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