The Final Week of Jesus' Life, a Chronology

NewTheologicalMovement.blogspot.com ^ | Mach 2012 | Father Ryan Erlenbush

[Salvation]

The final week of Jesus' life, a chronology

Father Ryan Erlenbush

Mach 2012

 

As the Church prepares to enter into Holy Week, we do well to consider the final week of Jesus’ life, from Friday to Friday. In a later post, we will look at the last twenty-four hours (from the Last Supper to the death of Jesus on the Cross) in greater detail.

It will be helpful to review the Gospel accounts given by Sts. Mark and John, the two who offer the most explicit chronology of Holy Week. See Mark 11:1 – 15:37 and also John 11:54 – 19:30.

 

The Friday before the Passion

Jesus was in the city of Ephraim, in hiding since the Jewish authorities desired to kill him. On this day (before evening), Jesus and his disciples went up to Jerusalem, before the pasch to purify themselves (John 11:55).

They spent the night in Bethany, which is very close to Jerusalem.

Saturday before the Passion

Jesus therefore, six days before the pasch, came to Bethania, where Lazarus had been dead, whom Jesus raised to life. And they made him a supper there: and Martha served: but Lazarus was one of them that were at table with him. Mary therefore took a pound of ointment of right spikenard, of great price, and anointed the feet of Jesus, and wiped his feet with her hair; and the house was filled with the odour of the ointment. (John 12:1-3)

The pasch (i.e. Passover) was on a Thursday that year (beginning Thursday eve with the Passover Meal), and so six days before, that is, on Friday, Jesus came to Bethany.

The next day, which is to say, Saturday, Jesus came to the feast there and was anointed by Mary of Bethany (that is, Mary Magdalene [here]). In this first anointing, Mary pours the oil over the Savior’s feet.

This meal and anointing occurred, most probably, at the house of Lazarus known as the Lazarium.

Our Savior spent the night in Bethany.

Palm Sunday

And on the next day, Sunday (John 12:12), Jesus rode triumphantly into Jerusalem upon an ass and upon a colt, the foal of an ass. This was the first Palm Sunday, when the children of the Hebrews bearing olive branches went forth to meet the Lord, crying out and saying, “Hosanna in the highest!”

Our Lord returned to Bethany for the night.

Monday of Holy Week

On the way into Jerusalem, Jesus sees a fig tree which has born no fruit – which tree he curses in the presence of his disciples.

Upon entering the city, our Lord goes up and cleanses the Temple for the second time (he had cleansed it once already, two years ago – cf. John 2:13ff [see our article, here]).

That eve, Jesus returned to Bethany (cf. Mark 11:19).

Tuesday of Holy Week

On the way to Jerusalem, Jesus’ disciples notice that the fig tree which he had cursed the morning before has now withered. They are amazed.

Entering the Temple area, Jesus preaches extensively and answers the questions of the Pharisees and Sadducees.

It is on this day that our Lord tells the parable of the vineyard workers who kill the owner’s son who is the heir to the vineyard. Also, on this occasion, the Lord answers the questions regarding the tribute to Caesar, the resurrection of the body, the greatest commandment, and whether the Christ will be the son of David.

Further, while in the Temple, our Lord sees a widow offer two small coins and declares her gift to be greater than those of the others.

Finally, Jesus foretells the destruction of the Temple and speaks of the final judgment.

He returns that night to Bethany.

Spy Wednesday

Now the feast of pasch and of the Azymes [i.e. Unleavened Bread] was after two days [i.e. in two days' time] ... and when [Jesus] was in Bethania, in the house of Simon the leper, and was at meal, there came a woman having an alabaster box of ointment of precious spikenard: and breaking the alabaster box, she poured it out upon his head. (Mark 14:1,3)

Spending the day in retirement, our Lord attends a feast at the house of a certain Pharisee, Simon the Leper. During this meal, Mary of Bethany (i.e. the Magdalene [here]) again anoints our Lord, but this time upon his head.

Update: I am aware of the fact that there is a good deal of diversity among the Church Fathers on whether Mary anointed Jesus on Spy Wednesday. I side partially with Origen, Chrysostom, and Theophylus (against Augustine and Gregory) in affirming that there were two anointings, one on Saturday and another on Wednesday; but then agree with Augustine and Gregory (against Origen and Chrysostom) insofar as I claim that there was one and the same woman, Mary of Bethany who is the Magdalene. St. Thomas Aquinas did not come down on one side or the other of the question, so there is clearly room for doubt.

Update II: As I consider this further, I am beginning to lean more toward the side of Sts. Augustine and Gregory. Perhaps there was only one anointing (which would then be on Saturday) and Sts. Matthew and Mark mention it here as a way of connecting the betrayal of Judas more clearly with the incident.

Judas is now set against our Savior, and so goes to the priests to betray Jesus. And Judas Iscariot, one of the twelve, went to the chief priests, to betray him to them. (Mark 14:10)

Because it was this evening that Judas conspired against Jesus, the day is called “Spy Wednesday”.

Holy Thursday

Now on the first day of the unleavened bread, when they sacrificed the pasch, the disciples say to him: Whither wilt thou that we go, and prepare for thee to eat the pasch? (Mark 14:12)

Because the Passover meal would be consumed Thursday evening, Jesus sent his disciples to make the preparations for the pasch. They went from Bethany to Jerusalem and prepared the upper room.

On this evening, Jesus offered the Last Supper in which he instituted both the Eucharist and the Priesthood. Upon finishing the meal, our Lord and his apostles (excepting Judas, who left early) sang a hymn and then went forth to the Mount of Olives.

On this night, our Lord suffered the agony in the garden and was arrested. Jesus spends the night locked in the dungeon of the house of Caiaphas, after undergoing a secret night-trial by the Sanhedrin.

Good Friday

It was on Friday that our Lord suffered and died. Condemned to death at 10am, nailed to the Cross at noon, and dying at 3pm.

Christ was buried before 5pm and, the stone being rolled across the entrance, all departed.

 

[editor-surveyor]

Up in Maine, where my wife was raised, they don’t bother paving lots of the roads, just run the grader over them every few months.
.

[one Lord one faith one baptism]

one more question for you:

how do you square Luke 24:21,( which happened on the first day of the week ) or the 18th of aviv in your answer, as being “the third day” since the death and burial of Jesus.

the 18th of aviv is the 5th day if Jesus died on the 14th of aviv.

[Errant]

Matt. 28 After the Sabbath, at dawn on the first day of the week, Mary Magdalene and the other Mary went to look at the tomb.

This doesn't in anyway indicate there was only one Sabbath that week. It does provide a clue for later.

Mark 15:42 It was Preparation Day (that is, the day before the Sabbath). So as evening approached...

Preparation Day is the day prior to a High Sabbath day such as Passover. There are no "preparation days" for regular Sabbaths (i.e., the 7th day of the week.

Luke 23:54-5654 It was Preparation Day, and the Sabbath was about to begin.
55 The women who had come with Jesus from Galilee followed Joseph and saw the tomb and how his body was laid in it. 56 Then they went home and prepared spices and perfumes. But they rested on the Sabbath in obedience to the commandment.

Nothing helpful here in ruling out that there were two Sabbaths that week (same as above).

John 19:31 Now it was the day of Preparation, and the next day was to be a special Sabbath. Because the Jewish leaders did not want the bodies left on the crosses during the Sabbath, they asked Pilate to have the legs broken and the bodies taken down.

Same here. So your claim that "all four Gospels only indicate one Sabbath day", is false.

Here is the timeline:

Yeshua was crucified and died on the day of preparation (Wednesday) for Passover, at exactly the same time the lambs were sacrificed.

The next day, the day after the preparation day (Passover - Thursday), guards were posted and the tomb was sealed. (Matt. 27:62-64)

[The women] prepared spices and ointments; and rested the Sabbath day according to the commandment (This was Passover also, as above). Luke 23:56

The Tomb was sealed and guarded, therefore the women could not have anointed the body Friday and that evening began the next Sabbath (Saturday), even if the tomb had not been sealed and guarded. Btw, the seal was an iron rod driven through a hole in both the stone (which was rolled into place) and the rock wall behind it, and then held in place by having molten lead poured in around it.

Luke 24 Now upon the first day of the week, very early in the morning, they came unto the sepulchre, bringing the spices which they had prepared, and certain others with them.
2 And they found the stone rolled away from the sepulchre.
3 And they entered in, and found not the body of the Lord Jesus.

And you know the rest...

Only a Devine hand could have foretold and caused these events to play out EXACTLY as prophesied - to the very day, the very hour, and the very moment. The Truth is far more breathtaking than the lies we've inherited in the west.

[roamer_1]

[...] but pinning them down on specifics is like trying to nail down jello.

Oh baloney! You and I have gone over this at least twice... I was specific then, and my position has not changed a whit.

First, to the glaring errors in your traditional view:

You can have good friday or palm sunday, but you cannot have both - There are FOUR DAYS between the arrival of the lamb in Jerusalem and the Passover, to include the slaughter thereof. The fourth day (to include the day of,) from the arrival ceremony (the triumphal entry in Christian-speak) is the Preparation Day for the Passover, wherein the slaughter occurs. Sunday to Friday is completely unworkable.

Secondly, simple arithmetic asserts that your tradition has Yeshua traveling upon the prior Sabbath, something that cannot be true.

So on these two points alone, the traditional view is demonstrably false, and shown to be concocted by one who has no knowledge or regard for the Holy Days whatsoever.

Secondly, As I have said before, I don't have to be right. You are welcome to present another scenario. But to continue to defend the indefensible is absurdity.

Three days, Three days and three nights, After three days... without breaking Torah, and with the realization that Yeshua is functioning as High Priest.

Solve for x.

[Errant]

one more question for you:

how do you square Luke 24:21

Luke 24:21 But we trusted that it had been he which should have redeemed Israel: and beside all this, to day is the third day since these things were done.

One would first have to know what the last of "these things" were and then begin counting the days from there, and then there is their use of the word "since" which doesn't seem inclusive, and lastly one needs to go back to the Greek and look for any mistranslation of that particular verse.

[one Lord one faith one baptism]

two comments:

1. no scriptures were provided indicating two preparation days, two sabbaths or two days of rest by the women. i provided verses from all four gospels indicating only one day of preparation, one sabbath and the women are only noted as resting one day.

2. Luke tells us in Luke 23:54 “it was the day of preparation and the Sabbath was beginning”
then in 23:56 it says “on THE SABBATH they rested according to THE COMMANDMENT”

the language employed is the same “the sabbath”, this was the same day. and WE KNOW it was the 7th day sabbath, because that is according to THE COMMANDMENT.

[one Lord one faith one baptism]

Luke 24:21 But we trusted that it had been he which should have redeemed Israel: and beside all this, to day is the third day since these things were done.

Luke 24:19-20 answers very well what “these things” means -

“and he said to them “WHAT THINGS?” and they said to him concerning Jesus of Nazareth who was a prophet mighty in deed and word before God and all the people, and how our chief priests and rulers delivered him up TO BE CONDEMNED TO DEATH AND CRUCIFIED HIM”

this conversation took place on the first day of the week.

WHY DID THEY THINK IT WAS NOTEWORTHY THAT IT WAS THE THIRD DAY SINCE THESE THINGS HAPPENED??

obviously it was noteworthy because they heard Jesus say over and over again HE WOULD RISE ON THE THIRD DAY.

[Errant]

Oops,

I made a mistake in the timeline:

[The women] prepared spices and ointments; and rested the Sabbath day according to the commandment (This was Passover also, as above). Luke 23:56

The "women" didn't have time Wednesday afternoon before the start of the Passover Sabbath to purchase the things they needed for the body. So Luke 23:56 likely occurred the day after Passover, Friday, then they rested after dusk which began the regular Sabbath.

Please adjust the timeline accordingly and I apologize for the confusion.

[Errant]

obviously it was noteworthy because they heard Jesus say over and over again HE WOULD RISE ON THE THIRD DAY.

He did rise on the third day (at dusk on the regular Sabbath). This incident on the road as described in Luke occurred the very same day that it had been discovered that Yeshua's body was no longer in the tomb. You're grasping at straws and there is no need to shout friend. :-)

[one Lord one faith one baptism]

The “women” didn’t have time Wednesday afternoon before the start of the Passover Sabbath to purchase the things they needed for the body. So Luke 23:56 likely occurred the day after Passover, Friday, then they rested after dusk which began the regular Sabbath.

This shows another huge hole in the two sabbath theory. If indeed there were two sabbaths that week, the women could have went to the grave on friday and prepared the body then. they certainly would not have waited until sunday morning when there would have been a stink to the body, since that was the 5th day since he died under your theory.

[one Lord one faith one baptism]

please don’t mistake my capital letters for shouting, since i don’t know how to bolden or underline, it’s the only way i have to emphasize certain words. i am glad you mentioned it, i don’t want there to be any confusion when people read my posts.

[Errant]

If indeed there were two sabbaths that week, the women could have went to the grave on friday and prepared the body then.

The tomb was sealed and guarded. Even if they had went on Friday, they would not have been permitted to enter - indeed it would have taken some time to remove such a seal as described.

[Errant]

K, thanks for explain that. :-)

[one Lord one faith one baptism]

The tomb was sealed and guarded. Even if they had went on Friday, they would not have been permitted to enter - indeed it would have taken some time to remove such a seal as described

the guards were there to prevent stealing of the body, not to stop anointing the body with spices and oil.

[one Lord one faith one baptism]

K, thanks for explain that. :-)

i definitely could use a computer course!! :)

[Errant]

In any regard, the tomb was seal and it isn’t likely anyone would have been allowed in nor the seal removed under penalty of death for the guards in charge.

[one Lord one faith one baptism]

the other elephant in the room is:

how could the whole Apostolic Church believe Jesus rose on the first day of the week, if He rose on the sabbath day? the early Church Fathers are unanimous that Christians gathered to hear the reading of the Scriptures and celebrate the Eucharist on the first day of the week, because it’s the day Jesus rose from the dead. this was hundreds of years before Constantine was even born!

[one Lord one faith one baptism]

if a Jewish baby boy was born on the 14th of Aviv at 3:00pm, the exact moment you think Jesus died on the cross, on what day of Aviv must he be circumcised on to obey Genesis 17:12?

i say the eighth day is the 21st of Aviv, do you agree?

[Errant]

That's your elephant not mine. ;-) You're the one who has to deal with him, now that you see he exists. Having been through the same ordeal myself, I know it isn't easy friend. The truth is what it is, regardless of what we were led to believe, and what we are all commanded to seek out and obey.

My only suggestion is to continue to research the subject until all shadows of doubt are vanquished by the light of your new understanding/knowledge.

[Errant]

i say the eighth day is the 21st of Aviv

I say give it up and accept that you've been lied to and start looking for the real truth. Let that truth be the foundation of rock you build your faith upon going forward.