THE CRUCIFIXION AND RESURRECTION OF JESUS

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Ada Roberts
5 years ago
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1 THE CRUCIFIXION AND RESURRECTION OF JESUS I ve often wondered why controversy exists among various denominational churches over a Wednesday crucifixion vs. a Good Friday crucifixion. Every church agrees the women discovered Jesus s missing body on Sunday for the average church member knows the bible states In the end of the Sabbath, as it began to dawn toward the first day of the week, came Mary Magdalene and the other Mary to see the sepulchre (Matthew 28:1). However, when trying to get answers regarding the specifics of when Jesus was crucified, the answer is usually a traditional matter instead of consulting the bible. That s the way we ve always celebrated it is so often the response. I desire to know what the bible proclaims and scripture has plenty of information to give. We will examine dozens of passages to receive the full story, but first notice the calendar below. The first few things you need to be aware of are 1) The Jewish day begins at evening, approximately 6 p.m. instead of midnight like we are accustomed to. This will prove to be vital once we discuss the day of the crucifixion, but as an added bonus, hopefully Genesis 1:5b will not seem so backwards the next time you read it. And the evening and the morning were the first day. 2) Passover is the 14 th day of the Jewish month Nisan the first month of the Jewish calendar. In the first month, that is, the month Nisan, in the fourteenth day of the first month at even is the LORD s Passover (Esther 3:7 with Leviticus 23:5). The Passover feast would begin around 6 p.m. in the evening when Nisan 14 officially started. The reason I ve dedicated this day to a Wednesday will be fully presented as we progress forward. 3) God separated each day (24 hours) into two equal twelve hour periods called day and night. And God called the light Day, and the darkness he called Night. And the evening and the morning were the first day (Genesis 1:5a). We know they are both 12 hours periods because Jesus answered, Are there not twelve hours in the day? (John 11:9) As we cover each day shown on the calendar, an updated calendar will be presented. Our search detailing the crucifixion and resurrection account begins on the 8 th of the month Nisan.

2 Nisan 8 Jesus goes to Bethany John 12:1-8: Then Jesus six days before the passover came to Bethany, where Lazarus was, which had been dead, whom he raised from the dead. There they made him a supper; and Martha served: but Lazarus was one of them that sat at the table with him. Then took Mary a pound of ointment of spikenard, very costly, and anointed the feet of Jesus, and wiped his feet with her hair: and the house was filled with the odour of the ointment. Then saith one of his disciples, Judas Iscariot, Simon s son, which should betray him, Why was not this ointment sold for three hundred pence, and given to the poor? This he said, not that he cared for the poor; but because he was a thief, and had the bag, and bare what was put therein. Then said Jesus, Let her alone: against the day of my burying hath she kept this. For the poor always ye have with you; but me ye have not always. Nisan 9 Triumphal entry into Jerusalem Remaining in the book of John, we ll begin at verse 12: On the next day much people that were come to the feast, when they heard that Jesus was coming to Jerusalem, Took branches of palm trees, and went forth to meet him, and cried, Hosanna: Blessed is the King of Israel that cometh in the name of the Lord. And Jesus, when he had found a young ass, sat thereon; as it is written, Fear not, daughter of Sion: behold, thy King cometh, sitting on an ass s colt (John 12:12-15). This is the day most commonly referred to as Palm Sunday. But, as you can see and soon to be fully presented, this could NOT have happened on a Sunday.

3 Nisan 10 Fig tree cursed and Temple cleansed Now we will go to Mark 11 where verses 1-10 connects us with what we read from John regarding the triumphal entry, but we want the information that follows beginning in verse 11. And Jesus entered into Jerusalem, and into the temple: and when he had looked round about upon all things, and now the eventide was come, he went out unto Bethany with the twelve. And on the morrow, when they were come from Bethany, he was hungry: And seeing a fig tree afar off having leaves, he came, if haply he might find any thing thereon: and when he came to it, he found nothing but leaves; for the time of the figs was not yet. And Jesus answered and said unto it, No man eat fruit of thee hereafter for ever. And his disciples heard it. And they come to Jerusalem: and Jesus went into the temple, and began to cast out them that sold and bought in the temple, and overthrew the tables of the moneychangers, and the seats of them that sold doves; And would not suffer that any man should carry any vessel through the temple. (Mark 11:11-16). Nisan 11 Olivet Discourse Mark 11:18-20: And the scribes and chief priests heard it, and sought how they might destroy him: for they feared him, because all the people was astonished at his doctrine. And when even was come, he went out of the city. And in the morning, as they passed by, they saw the fig tree dried up from the roots. And Peter calling to remembrance saith unto him, Master, behold, the fig tree which thou cursedest is withered away. According to this scripture we have moved into the 11 th day of Nisan. This chapter of Mark matches Matthew 21 where Jesus begins a series of teachings referred to as the Olivet Discourse because he gave it near the Mt. of Olives. It isn t until the beginning of Matthew 26 that this discourse ends, and we read: And it came to pass, when Jesus had finished all these sayings, he said unto his disciples, Ye know that after two days is the feast of the passover, and the Son of man is betrayed to be crucified (Matthew 26:1-2).

4 Nisan 14 through 18 Crucifixion to the Resurrection The first Passover feast happened in Egypt the night before the Israelites made their exodus out from under Egyptian bondage. If you recall note 2 on the first page of this article, this feast began shortly after the start of Nisan 14 at evening. This brings us to the following events that occurred on the 14 th : 1. Jesus and His disciples eat the Passover meal in the upper room. 2. They leave the upper room to go to the garden of Gethsemane. 3. Jesus is betrayed by Judas Iscariot and arrested in the garden 4. He is taken before the high priest and the Sanhedrin for trial where false witnesses bear testimony against Him. 5. He is presented to Pilot and Herod to be condemned to death. 6. He was scourged, mocked, beaten, crowned with thorns, and smitten even though Pilate found no fault with Him. 7. Barabbas was released from his condemnation and Jesus takes his place to be crucified at the place of the skull called Golgotha. See Matt , Mark 14-15, Luke 22-23, John 13 and for reference We will jump ahead to Jesus being on the cross. Please recall John 11:9, from note 3 on the first page of this article, that there are 12 daytime hours according to scripture. And when the sixth hour was come, there was darkness over the whole land until the ninth hour. And at the ninth hour Jesus cried with a loud voice, saying, Eloi, Eloi, lama sabachthani? which is, being interpreted, My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me? And Jesus cried with a loud voice, and gave up the ghost (Mark 15:33-34, 37). Given Jesus died at the ninth hour of a twelve hour window, there are three hours remaining until the start of Nisan 15. I ll explain why this is important at the end of the article. Jesus also stated numerous times that He would be in the grave for 3 days and 3 nights. For as Jonas was three days and three nights in the whale s belly; so shall the Son of man be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth (Matthew 12:40). Connecting this with the women arriving at the tomb on the first day of the week, Jesus had to of died on Wednesday in order to be in the heart of the earth from Thursday through Saturday for the women to discover His absent body on Sunday. God s word is perfect. Hallelujah!

5 Now comes what most Good Friday believers would call a flaw in what has been presented thus far. The Jews observe a day called the Sabbath (Saturday) where no servile work is done. Knowing this fact, many people read Mark or Luke and based on what is written in the bible a Good Friday death seems to be the only logical answer. And Jesus cried with a loud voice, and gave up the ghost. And now when the even was come, because it was the preparation, that is, the day before the Sabbath, Joseph of Arimathaea, an honourable counsellor, which also waited for the kingdom of God, came, and went in boldly unto Pilate, and craved the body of Jesus (Mark 15: 37, 42-43). So, it does seem that Christ died on a Friday, BUT you have to run all the references. Also if Jesus died on Friday, then He would not have been in the heart of the earth for three full days and nights, like he promised (Matthew 12:40) to have been resurrected before the women arrived on the following Sunday morning. Nonetheless, let s look into the gospel of John because there is where we get the extra information we need to tie this entire puzzle together. When Jesus therefore had received the vinegar, he said, It is finished: and he bowed his head, and gave up the ghost. The Jews therefore, because it was the preparation, that the bodies should not remain upon the cross on the Sabbath day, (for that Sabbath day was an high day,) (John 19:30-31a). This day following Passover was not the weekly Saturday Sabbath. Many people just assume this Sabbath to be Saturday, but God s word tells us this particular Sabbath was an high day. Please understand that there are many Sabbaths in scripture. You have the weekly Sabbath (Saturday), many annual Sabbaths regarding feasts of the Lord (Leviticus 23), a 7 year Sabbath, and even a 50 th year Sabbath in scripture. So, which Sabbath is God referring to regarding the day after Jesus died? Turn to Leviticus 23 for the answer. In the fourteenth day of the first month (this is the day Jesus was crucified) at even is the LORD s passover. And on the fifteenth day of the same month is the feast of unleavened bread unto the LORD: seven days ye must eat unleavened bread. In the first day ye shall have an holy convocation: ye shall do no servile work therein (Leviticus 23:5-7). The 15 th started a 7 day feast unto the LORD, and this day was considered a Sabbath. Therefore, Jesus died on the 14 th, the day before an annual Sabbath, and resurrected at the close of the weekly Saturday Sabbath. Hallelujah!! The bible has all the answers you need, without any contradictions. We just have to be diligent enough to search the scriptures. Lastly, I ll try to explain why Jesus dying three hours before the Passover day ended was so important. While Jesus hung on the cross, there were 2 malefactors crucified with him. Notice what the bible tells us in Luke 23: And one of the malefactors which were hanged railed on him, saying, If thou be Christ, save thyself and us. But the other answering rebuked him, saying, Dost not thou fear God, seeing thou art in the same condemnation? And we indeed justly; for we receive the due reward of our deeds: but this man hath done nothing amiss. And he said unto Jesus, Lord, remember me when thou comest into thy kingdom. And Jesus said unto him, Verily I say unto thee, To day shalt thou be with me in paradise. This is important because Jesus did not just die and go to Paradise. The bible teaches that He went into hell (Psalm 16, Acts 2:25-31), and probably took all mankind s sin and iniquities to dump there that were placed on and in Him (Isaiah 53:5-6, 1 Peter 2:24) as was pictured by the scapegoat in the Old Testament (Leviticus 16:21-22). He also preached to the spirits there in prison (1 Peter 3:18-20), and then left hell to cross the gulf separating hell and Paradise (Luke 16) to keep his appointment with the repentant malefactor. All this had to be done in 3 hours.

February 7, 2013: The Last Week of Jesus Life: A Biblical Study

February 7, 2013: The Last Week of Jesus Life: A Biblical Study The Last Week of Jesus Life A Biblical Study According to tradition, Jesus is said to have died on Friday. This is known as Good Friday. However, Scripture cannot support a Friday death and a Sunday resurrection