The Crucifixion

Exodus 12:3-6

“Speak to all the congregation of Israel, saying, ‘On the tenth of this month they are each one to take a lamb for themselves, according to their fathers’ households, a lamb for each household. Now if the household is too small for a lamb, then he and his neighbor nearest to his house are to take one according to the number of persons in them; according to what each man should eat, you are to divide the lamb. Your lamb shall be an unblemished male a year old; you may take it from the sheep or from the goats. You shall keep it until the fourteenth day of the same month, then the whole assembly of the congregation of Israel is to kill it at twilight.”

According to this passage the Passover lamb was sacrificed on the fourteenth day of the month (Nissan) at twilight, which is the day before Passover or the Day of Preparation. In order for Jesus to fulfill prophecy He too must be sacrificed on the same day that the lambs were sacrificed.

John, an eye-witness to these events says that Jesus was in fact crucified on the Day of Preparation…

John 19:14, 31

Now it was the day of preparation for the Passover; it was about the sixth hour. And he said to the Jews, “Behold, your King!”

Then 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.

Jesus said He would be in the heart of the earth for three days and three nights (NOTE: a Jewish day goes from evening to evening (twilight to twilight)...

Matthew 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 order for all of these events to take place and for Jesus to fulfill all prophecy Passover would have fallen on a Thursday (which happens 30% of the time), Jesus would have been crucified on Wednesday afternoon (the Day of Preparation) and buried by Wednesday evening (twilight)…

Matthew 27:57-60 

When it was evening, there came a rich man from Arimathea, named Joseph, who himself had also become a disciple of Jesus. This man went to Pilate and asked for the body of Jesus. Then Pilate ordered it to be given to him. And Joseph took the body and wrapped it in a clean linen cloth, and laid it in his own new tomb, which he had hewn out in the rock; and he rolled a large stone against the entrance of the tomb and went away.

From Wednesday evening to Saturday evening Jesus was buried in the heart of the earth for three days and three nights, just as He said.

Jesus rose Saturday evening which is why the tomb was empty early Sunday morning when Mary Magdalene and the other Mary came to look at the grave. (NOTE: Saturday is the regular weekly Sabbath not to be confused with the Passover high Sabbath)…

Matthew 28:1-7 

Now after the Sabbath, as it began to dawn toward the first day of the week, Mary Magdalene and the other Mary came to look at the grave. And behold, a severe earthquake had occurred, for an angel of the Lord descended from heaven and came and rolled away the stone and sat upon it. And his appearance was like lightning, and his clothing as white as snow. The guards shook for fear of him and became like dead men. The angel said to the women, “Do not be afraid; for I know that you are looking for Jesus who has been crucified. “He is not here, for He has risen, just as He said. Come, see the place where He was lying.”

So…

Pop quiz - on what day was “the Last Supper”?

Answer - Tuesday evening.

Any questions?


NOTE: Most of the Hebrew festivals have a Sabbath (also called a High Sabbath) of their own. And because the Jewish calendar follows the lunar cycle these High Sabbaths can technically fall on any day of the week. However, because of certain restrictions called dechiyot a High Sabbath may not fall on a Monday, Wednesday or Friday (also remember that any Sabbath starts on the prior evening at sunset).

All this means that Passover falls on Thursday about once every three years and may easily have fallen on a Thursday the year Jesus was crucified.

For more on this topic please visit: http://www.jewfaq.org/calendr2.htm


NOTE: The Passover Seder is celebrated after the Passover lambs are sacrificed on the Day of Preparation and the lamb is part of the actual Seder meal. Therefore “the Last Supper” could not have been a Passover Seder as Jesus would have already been crucified and placed in the tomb.