7 clues tell us *precisely* when Jesus died (the year, month, day, and hour revealed)

If we put the clues together, can we figure out precisely when Jesus died? Yes, we can!

We recently celebrated Good Friday and Easter, the annual celebrations of Jesus' death and resurrection.

That separates Jesus from mythical pagan deities, who were supposed to live in places or times that none could specify.

Clue #1: The High Priesthood of Caiaphas

The gospels indicate that Jesus was crucified at the instigation of the first century high priest named Caiaphas (Matthew 26:3-4, John 11:49-53).

We know from other sources that he served as high priest from A.D. 18 to 36, so that puts Jesus' death in that time frame.

Please explain how Jesus could be crucified on Wednesday (and placed in the tomb before sundown) and yet Sunday on the road to Emmaus was “the third day since these things had happoened.” (Luke 24:21)

Here's how I think it may have played out (though I don't believe it is a dogma that matters in our salvation):

Jesus was arrested Tuesday night in the garden and spent the night being interrogated by the religious leaders. The next morning (Wednesday), "all the chief priests and the elders of the people took counsel against Jesus to put him to death; and they bound him and led him away and delivered him to Pilate the governor." (Matt. 27:1,2)

After Pilate washed his hands of the matter, Jesus was lead away. "Then the soldiers of the governor took Jesus into the praetorium, and they gathered the whole battalion before him. And they stripped him and put a scarlet robe upon him, and plaiting a crown of thorns they put it on his head, and put a reed in his right hand. And kneeling before him they mocked him, saying, “Hail, King of the Jews!” And they spat upon him, and took the reed and struck him on the head. And when they had mocked him, they stripped him of the robe, and put his own clothes on him, and led him away to crucify him." (Matt. 27:27-31). And they crucified our Lord. At noon (the sixth hour of the day) until the ninth hour (3 p.m.) "Now from the sixth hour there was darkness over all the land until the ninth hour. And about the ninth hour Jesus cried with a loud voice, “Eli, Eli, la′ma sabach-tha′ni?” that is, “My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me?” (Matt. 27:45-46) and "Jesus cried again with a loud voice and yielded up his spirit." (Matt. 27:50).

Wednesday evening is when Jesus was buried in the tomb. "When it was evening, there came a rich man from Arimathe′a, named Joseph, who also was a disciple of Jesus. He 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 shroud, and laid it in his own new tomb, which he had hewn in the rock; and he rolled a great stone to the door of the tomb, and departed. Mary Mag′dalene and the other Mary were there, sitting opposite the sepulchre." (Matt. 27:57-61) Jesus began his burial on Wednesday evening.

From Wednesday evening to Thursday evening was the first day. On Thursday, the "Next day, that is, after the day of Preparation, the chief priests and the Pharisees gathered before Pilate and said, “Sir, we remember how that imposter said, while he was still alive, ‘After three days I will rise again.’ Therefore order the sepulchre to be made secure until the third day, lest his disciples go and steal him away, and tell the people, ‘He has risen from the dead,’ and the last fraud will be worse than the first.” Pilate said to them, “You have a guard of soldiers; go, make it as secure as you can.” So they went and made the sepulchre secure by sealing the stone and setting a guard." (Matt. 27:52-66) Thursday was a preparation day for the Passover "Sabbath" which was why those crucified had to be taken down before sundown on Wednesday. It wouldn't have made sense to wait to set a guard over the tomb until Saturday (since that was the normal Sabbath) and Scripture clearly says that the guards weren't set up until "the next day" after the crucifixion.

Thursday evening until Friday evening was the second day since Jesus was buried. Friday evening until Saturday evening was the third day and is why we read in Matthew 28:1-10, "Now after the sabbath, toward the dawn of the first day of the week, Mary Mag′dalene and the other Mary went to see the sepulchre. And behold, there was a great earthquake; for an angel of the Lord descended from heaven and came and rolled back the stone, and sat upon it. His appearance was like lightning, and his raiment white as snow. And for fear of him the guards trembled and became like dead men. But the angel said to the women, “Do not be afraid; for I know that you seek Jesus who was crucified. He is not here; for he has risen, as he said. Come, see the place where he lay. Then go quickly and tell his disciples that he has risen from the dead, and behold, he is going before you to Galilee; there you will see him. Lo, I have told you.” So they departed quickly from the tomb with fear and great joy, and ran to tell his disciples. And behold, Jesus met them and said, “Hail!” And they came up and took hold of his feet and worshiped him. Then Jesus said to them, “Do not be afraid; go and tell my brethren to go to Galilee, and there they will see me.”

When the women came to anoint Jesus' body after the Saturday Sabbath (remember the day ended at sundown and a new day began) it was dawning on the first day of the week. The first day of the week is Sunday and Jesus had ALREADY risen by the time they got there PLUS the Roman guards had already hit the road, too. The women didn't arrive right at the moment Jesus arose, he had already left the tomb. That's how you could arrive at Wednesday being the day of the crucifixion since Jesus clearly said, "For as Jonah was three days and three nights in the belly of a huge fish, so the Son of Man will be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth." (Matt. 12:40) It's the only timeline that works for the words Jesus predicted to happen. Jesus WAS raised on the third day, just as he said he would be, which would have been Saturday evening.

I don't deny that there are different views about this and I have no problem if people wish to observe what and when their religion tells them to, just that others have legitimate reasons for holding to a different day and they are not without Biblical proof. Again, it is not an issue that determines if our faith is genuine or not since the faith that saves us is one that believes Jesus DID die for our sins, was buried and that he rose again for our justification. That is what our faith is built upon. Have a blessed Sunday.

“Sabbath” is related to “seven.” There is no basis in Judaism or ancient Christianity for calling the seven High Days, “sabbaths.” (One of them... only one, and NOT the Passover one... “shall be unto you as a Sabbath,” but this is a simile (or metaphor, depending how it’s translated), not a definition.)

Young's Literal Translation: [Leviticus 23:23-25] And Jehovah speaketh unto Moses, saying, 24‘Speak unto the sons of Israel, saying, In the seventh month, on the first of the month, ye have a sabbath, a memorial of shouting, a holy convocation; 25ye do no servile work, and ye have brought near a fire-offering to Jehovah.’(speaking of the "Feast of Trumpets")

[Leviticus 23:32] It [is] a sabbath of rest to you, and ye have humbled yourselves in the ninth of the month at even; from evening till evening ye do keep your sabbath.’(speaking of the "Day of Atonement")

[Leviticus 23:39] ‘Only — in the fifteenth day of the seventh month, in your gathering the increase of the land, ye do keep the feast of Jehovah seven days; on the first day [is] a sabbath, and on the eighth day a sabbath; (speaking of the "Feast of Tabernacles")

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