A CHRONOLOGY OF EVENTS OF THE CRUCIFIXION AND RESURRECTION OF JESUS CHRIST
MOST people have been led to believe that Jesus was crucified on the sixth day (Friday), and rose on the first day (Sunday) of the week. But what does the scripture actually reveal regarding those profound events?
The Bible itself gives us directions for the search. Proverbs 25:2 states: “It is the glory of God to conceal a thing; but the honour of kings is to search out a matter.”
Revelation 1:6and 5:10 identify who the kings are and the “matter” to be searched out, is the very thing which God concealed: the TRUTH!
Isaiah 28:9-13 outlines the process fo rsearching the scripture to locate the information necessary for our understanding.
9: “Whom shall he teach knowledge? and whom shall he make to understand doctrine? them that are weaned from the milk, and drawn from the breasts.”
Simply stated – those that are mature enough to analyse literal and symbolic doctrines.
10: “For precept must be upon precept, precept upon precept; line upon line, line upon line; here a little, and there a little:”
Strong’s concordance defines “precept” as an injunction, a commandment. The American Heritage Dictionary defines “precept” as a “rule or principle imposing a particular standard of action or conduct.”
11: “For with stammering lips and another tongue will he speak to this people.”
(This remark should remind us of the parables which Jesus referred to in Matthew 13:13, 14: “Therefore speak I to them in parables: because seeing they see not; and hearing they hear not, neither do they understand. And in them is fulfilled the prophecy of Esaias which saith, By hearing ye shall hear, and shall not understand, and seeing ye shall see, and not perceive:”)
12: “To whom he said, This is the rest wherewith ye may cause the weary to rest; and this is the refreshing: yet they would not hear.”
13: “But the word of the Lord was unto them precept upon precept, precept upon precept, line upon line, line upon line; here a little, and there a little; that they might go, and fall backward, and be broken, and snared, and taken”
This appears to relate to the consequence resulting from failure to follow the above instructions, and fail to search out the matter in Proverbs 25:2.
In order to benefit from this study, it is imperative that you discard all you have learned and read from modern church doctrines regarding these events, and accept what the scripture reveals. I must remind the reader that in early times the days of the week were numbered one through seven. Names of the days were instituted later by the Romans, and all are of pagan origin.
The weekly cycle is consistent, even though the numbered days vary from month to month. Another point necessary to know is that the present yearly cycle was also established by the Romans, and has no bearing upon the beginning of the year according to scripture. We must use the year, weeks, and days of God’s creation to determine the sequence of events in question.
The Passover occurred on the 14th day of the first month, and the feast of unleavened bread began on the fifteenth day following the Passover, and continued for one week. The first and last days of the feast were Sabbaths. These Sabbaths associated with annual feasts were referred to as “high” days. The weekly seventh day is the commandment Sabbath. Leviticus chapter 23 explains all the Sabbaths – weekly and annual.
Let us go to the scripture, utilize the available information, and determine when the events took place during crucifixion week.
Genesis chapter one verses 5, 8, 13, 19, 23 and 31. state that God began and ended the 24 hour day at sunset. This is contrary to the midnight to midnight “day” established by the Romans.
Jesus ate the Passover meal with the disciples during the evening portion of the day of Passover – John 13. This corresponds to the original Passover meal – Exodus 12:6-8. In Exodus 12:22 God directs a severe admonishment to Israel:
22: ”And ye shall take a bunch of hyssop, and dip it in the blood that is in the basin; and strike the lintel and two side posts with the blood that is in the basin and none of you shall go out at the door of his house until the morning.”
23: “For the Lord will pass through to smite the Egyptians; and when he seeth the blood upon the lintel, and on the two side posts, the Lord will pass over the door, and will not suffer the destroyer to come into your houses to smite you.”
29: “And it came to pass, that at midnight the Lord smote all the first-born in the land of Egypt, from the first-born of Pharaoh that sat on his throne unto the first-born of the captive that was in the dungeon, and all the first-born of cattle.”
It is extremely important to understand the ramifications of the Passover ceremony.
After the disciples had eaten, and Judas had departed; Christ “took the cup, and gave thanks, and gave it to them, saying, drink ye all of it; For this is the blood of the new covenant, which is shed for many for the remission of sins.” – Matthew 26:27-28.
It is important to note that Judas did not partake of the cup. It is extremely important to note also that Jesus did not drink of the cup, thereby exposing Himself to the death promised by the Lord in Exodus 12:23, 29 above.
After He was arrested, beaten and abused all night, he was taken to Pilate, who sent Him to Herod. Herod sent Him back to Pilate who could not quell the rantings of the Jews for Him to be crucified, so he conceded to their demands.
Jesus was crucified at the third hour (9:00 a.m.); Mark15:25, and died at the ninth hour (3.00 p.m.); Mark 15:34,37 – stilI the day of Passover. The Passover was not a Sabbath, but instead was the preparation day for the first day of the feast of unleavened bread – a Sabbath. This is confirmed in John 19:31
“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 a high day) besought Pilate that their legs might be broken, and that they may be taken away.”
Now to Luke 23:50-54:
“And, behold, there was a man named Joseph, a counsellor; and he was a good man, and a just: (The same had not consented to the counsel and deed of them); he was of Arimathaea, a city of the Jews: who also himself waited for the kingdom of God. This man went unto Pilate and begged the body of Jesus. And he took it down, and wrapped it in linen, and laid it in a sepulchre that was hewn in stone, wherein never man before was laid. And that day was the preparation, and the Sabbath drew on.”
Here, Luke confirms the above statement by John regarding the preparation day and the Sabbath. The burial had to be completed by sundown, the beginning of the “high” day Sabbath; the first day of the feast of unleavened bread.
55: “And the women also, which came with Him from Galilee, followed after, and beheld the sepulchre, and how his body was laid.”
56: “And they returned, and prepared spices and ointments; and rested the Sabbath day according to the commandment.”
Here is the key to events of the week! Jesus’ body was laid to rest at or very near to sundown, the evening of the “high” day Sabbath. There was no time for the women to acquire the spices and ointments due to the prohibition against buying, selling and working on the Sabbath. So, the next opportunity to accomplish these tasks would be the day following the Sabbath. This day was the preparation day for the weekly commandment Sabbath. Note there were two preparation days, and two Sabbath days accounted for.
THE RESURRECTION
The Friday (sixth day) crucifixion, and the Sunday morning (first day) resurrection cannot be made to agree with the scriptural account.
Matthew 12:40.The only sign that Jesus would give the Jews was that he would be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth. Also, He said that He would be killed, buried, and would rise the third day. Matthhew 20:19; Mark 10:34; Luke 18:33; and others.
Matthew 28:1; Mark 16:2; and Luke 24:1 all indicate the women came to the sepulchre very early, at dawn – but John 20:1, states that it was still dark when they arrived. Matthew 28:6; Mark 16:6; and Luke 24:6 all refer to the angel telling the women: “He is not here, but is risen.” This is past tense – risen! Here is the angel at dawn telling the women: that He is risen, and Jesus, specifically stated, that He would rise the third “day.” So, the only logical time of the resurrection would have been at or near sundown the previous day – three days and three nights after his burial; at the end of the commandment Sabbath.*
(*There is an obvious punctuation error in Mark 16:9. The comma after the word “week”, must be moved and placed after the word “risen.” Otherwise this account differs from the accounts of Matthew, Luke and John.)
These two events; Jesus’ resurrection and ascension (John 20:17) are foretold in Leviticus 23: 10-11.
10: “when ye shall come into the land which I give you, and shall reap the harvest thereof, then ye shall bring a sheaf of the first fruits of your harvest unto the priest:”
11: “And he shall wave the sheaf before the Lord, to be accepted for you: on the morrow after the Sabbath the priest shall wave it.”
These two activities; the reaping and the wave sheaf offering foreshadowed the resurrection and ascension of Jesus. The reaping took place at the end of the commandment Sabbath, and the wave sheaf offering took place on the morrow after the Sabbath.
Having determined that the resurrection occurred at the end of the Sabbath (Saturday as we know it), we now have a starting point to determine the day of crucifixion. By counting backwards three days and three nights, we arrive at the fourth day of the week, or Wednesday as we know it. So, the last supper was on Tuesday evening, the crucifixion on Wednesday morning, Jesus’ death at 3:00 p.m., and his burial at just prior to sunset.
Another significant prophecy that confirms the above conclusion is Daniel 9:27. It states:
“And He shall confirm the covenant with many for one week; and in the midst of the week He shall cause the sacrifice and oblation to cease…”
Pray tell me; which day falls in the midst of the week?
There is no question or argument that Jesus was the last and ultimate sacrifice for the sins of the world, and by this shedding of His blood He fulfilled all the ordinances of the ritual and ceremonial law. This law, and this law only was fulfilled at the cross – Matthew 5:17. The moral law of the commandments, statutes, and judgments is still in full force and effect – James 2:9-12.
