Thursday, March 28, 2013

Do we know when Jesus died?



Jesus was CRUCIFIED on Wednesday, the Bible Tells Me so:

Most of the professed Christians in the world believe Jesus was crucified on Friday.  They say "Good Friday" is the day to celebrate His sacrificial death.  However there are some Christians who believe the crucifixion had to be earlier, perhaps on Thursday or even Wednesday.  They point to ten or eleven Scriptures in the New Testament, which specifically say Christ would be in the grave for three days.  In particular, they cite the words of Christ: "So shall the Son of man be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth"(Matthew 12:40).  Also, a statement by Christ that it would be AFTER three days He would rise again.  "And be killed, and after three days rise again" (Mark 8:31).

POSITIVE STATEMENTS:

Now I find in the Bible positive statements which specifically tell us exactly on what day of the week Christ was crucified.  Let me show you what I have discovered - something most people do not know.

In John 12:1 we are told that: "Jesus, six days before the Passover, came to Bethany where Lazarus was."  Note the specific statement: it was six days before the Passover.  We are not told which day of the week this was, but it was SIX DAYS before the Passover.

Then John reveals exactly what day it was when Jesus arrived in Bethany, for in John 12:12-14 we read: "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."  Remember, it was the next day after Jesus came to Bethany, and of course this "day after" was the day of the Triumphal Entry which took place on the first day of the week, which we now call Palm Sunday.  So we can establish the fact that Jesus arrived in Bethany the day before Palm Sunday, which would be the seventh day, or the Sabbath - our Saturday.  Recall that this day on which He came to Bethany was "six days before the Passover."

Now all we must do is count six days from that Saturday, and we will find exactly what day of the week the Passover came that year.  So let us do it: Jewish Month of Nisan (April)



COUNT SIX DAYS FROM SATURDAY
FIRST DAY
Saturday
Jew's Sabbath
SECOND DAY
Sunday
Jew's First Day
Palm Sunday
THIRD DAY
Monday
Jew's Second Day
FOURTH DAY
Tuesday
Jew's Third Day
FIFTH DAY
Wednesday
Jew's Fourth Day-
Preparation Day-
Passover Lamb Slain
SIXTH DAY
Thursday
Passover
Extra Sabbath
Christ in Tomb One Night and Day
SEVENTH DAY
Friday
Jew's Sixth Day
Christ in Tomb Second Night and Day
EIGHTH DAY
Saturday
Jew's Sabbath
Seventh Day
Christ in Tomb Third Night and Day
NINTH DAY
Sunday
Jew's First day of the Week
Resurrection Day

So here we have positive and specific information, direct from the Scriptures, as to exactly which day of the week the Passover came in the year of the crucifixion of our Lord.  It was on Thursday.  But you say: "Then why are you saying Christ died on Wednesday?"

THE DAY OF CHRIST'S DEATH

If the Passover came on Thursday that year (as it did in the years 2000, 2002, 2003, 2006, 2009), then our Lord must have been crucified on Wednesday, because God commanded that the Passover Lamb must be killed on the afternoon of the day before the Passover (Exodus 12:6). At the time of Christ, this was still the pattern for the Passover feast.  The day before the Passover, which was called "the Day of Preparation," or "the Day of Unleavened Bread" was the day on which the Passover Lamb was to be killed, as Luke tells us.  "Then came the day of unleavened bread, when the Passover must be killed" (Luke 22:7).  If the Passover came on Thursday that year, then that "day of unleavened bread or of preparation" would be on Wednesday.

Now when was Jesus sent to the Cross by Pilate?

On what day and hour did He die?

John tells us specifically the very day and hour.  "And it was the Preparation of the Passover, and about the sixth hour; and he (Pilate) said unto the Jews, Behold your King!  (John 19:15, 16).  When John said, "it was the preparation" he meant it was the day of preparation.  When he said "sixth hour" he meant it was about noon (12:00 o'clock).

Thus we have discovered in the Scriptures the exact day and hour when Christ was sent to the Cross.  It was on Wednesday, the day before the Passover, at noontime. His death then occurred at the ninth hour, three hours later, when the Passover Lambs were slain for the feast.  In our time this would be at three o'clock in the afternoon.

So I believe I can say like Daniel said to Nebuchadnezzar: "The thing is certain, and the interpretation thereof sure" (Daniel 2:45).

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