Posted on 04/16/2003 5:39:27 AM PDT by RaceBannon
According to the Bible, the events of the lives of the Jews that were recorded in the Old Testament were recorded so that we as Christians would understand certain examples of how to live the Christian Life and the meaning of God’s plan for believers. While the ultimate meaning of these events was a mystery to the Jews, we as Christians have the fulfilled and finished Word of God revealed to us through Scripture.
In 1 Corinthians 10:11 Now all these things happened unto them for ensamples: and they are written for our admonition, upon whom the ends of the world are come.
It is necessary to examine the events of the distant past to come to the truth on what I believe is a serious subject related to Easter, Passover, and on just what day did Jesus die on the cross.
What I want to examine in this paper, is the relationship of the Passover to Christ’s death, and to settle the question once and for all: What day of the week was Jesus Christ crucified? Some don’t think this is important. I believe ANY doctrine that involves the Lord Jesus Christ IS important, and we should strive to be accurate. To do this, we must look at what God said of His feasts known to us as Passover and the Feast of First Fruits.
The Passover was the Feast instituted by God to teach the Jews of the coming final judgment against Egypt that would end in the release from slavery for the Jewish people. God told Moses that He would come down about midnight to kill the entire first born of Egypt:
Exodus 11: 4 And Moses said, Thus saith the LORD, About midnight will I go out into the midst of Egypt: 5 And all the firstborn in the land of Egypt shall die, from the firstborn of Pharaoh that sitteth upon his throne, even unto the firstborn of the maidservant that is behind the mill; and all the firstborn of beasts. 6 And there shall be a great cry throughout all the land of Egypt, such as there was none like it, nor shall be like it any more. 7 But against any of the children of Israel shall not a dog move his tongue, against man or beast: that ye may know how that the LORD doth put a difference between the Egyptians and Israel.
God told the Israelites He would kill the entire first born. God, however, told Israel that there was a way that they could escape punishment from this death, To do so, God instituted the Feast of the Passover; meaning a Feast of celebration and remembrance of the Day that God Passed Over them, leaving them alive, but Killing all the first born of Egypt and of those who did NOT follow God’s instructions.
In the Book of Exodus, we read of the Passover, the first Holiday commanded by God as given to the Jewish people.
Exodus 12 12:1 And the LORD spake unto Moses and Aaron in the land of Egypt, saying, 2 This month shall be unto you the beginning of months: it shall be the first month of the year to you.
Note here, that God declared this Holiday so profound, that the month that it was in, was to mark the beginning of a new year for the Jewish people. The month to celebrate the Passover was to now be the first month. The Jewish people in the start of their year were being told to remember God in a wonderful way.
3 Speak ye unto all the congregation of Israel, saying, In the tenth day of this month they shall take to them every man a lamb, according to the house of their fathers, a lamb for an house: 4 And if the household be too little for the lamb, let him and his neighbour next unto his house take it according to the number of the souls; every man according to his eating shall make your count for the lamb. 5 Your lamb shall be without blemish, a male of the first year: ye shall take it out from the sheep, or from the goats:
This is a significant point. The LAMB of the Passover must have been selected previously in order that the Jewish people knew they had a perfect lamb for this feast day, but it was this day, the 10th, that it was to be declared to be THE LAMB, the one they would sacrifice and eat.
6 And ye shall keep it up until the fourteenth day of the same month: and the whole assembly of the congregation of Israel shall kill it in the evening.
For 4 days, this LAMB was known to be THE LAMB until it was killed and eaten for the Passover. The Jewish day began at Sundown, so it was the 3rd day after the presentation that this LAMB was to be killed, to be eaten at the beginning of the Passover Day, which began at 6PM. This means that in order to have the LAMB killed and prepared for the meal at 6PM, the LAMB had to be killed beforehand. Jewish tradition is that the LAMB was killed around 3PM on the 13th of the month, dressed, and prepared for the Passover meal immediately after 6PM, the beginning of the Passover on the 14th.
7 And they shall take of the blood, and strike it on the two side posts and on the upper door post of the houses, wherein they shall eat it. 8 And they shall eat the flesh in that night, roast with fire, and unleavened bread; and with bitter herbs they shall eat it. 9 Eat not of it raw, nor sodden at all with water, but roast with fire; his head with his legs, and with the purtenance thereof. 10 And ye shall let nothing of it remain until the morning; and that which remaineth of it until the morning ye shall burn with fire.
Note here that the entire animal was to be eaten. Nothing was to remain. It had to be a total acceptance of the LAMB as a meal. The Jewish people were not to eat just the legs, or just the ribs, but the entire animal. This was the lesson taught to the Jewish people. God said to eat it all, and let none remain, and if your family was too small to at it all, have friends over to help you finish it.
11 And thus shall ye eat it; with your loins girded, your shoes on your feet, and your staff in your hand; and ye shall eat it in haste: it is the LORD’S Passover. 12 For I will pass through the land of Egypt this night, and will smite all the firstborn in the land of Egypt, both man and beast; and against all the gods of Egypt I will execute judgment: I am the LORD. 13 And the blood shall be to you for a token upon the houses where ye are: and when I see the blood, I will pass over you, and the plague shall not be upon you to destroy you, when I smite the land of Egypt. 14 And this day shall be unto you for a memorial; and ye shall keep it a feast to the LORD throughout your generations; ye shall keep it a feast by an ordinance for ever.
Note here that after the Passover, there was to be deliverance. The people were to be ready, to move, to act on what God said, fully clothed, and with your shoes on. God was coming to enact judgment! What is also interesting, is that those who were obedient to God, would not have this judgment upon them, they would be PASSED OVER. God’s judgment would not affect them if they put the blood over their doorway in the manner God said. It was to be over the top and along the sides.
Some have said that the manner in which the blood was put on the doorway, was to brush the top post horizontally, and the side posts vertically. But notice something else from this verse:
7 And they shall take of the blood, and strike it on the two side posts and on the upper door post of the houses, wherein they shall eat it.
If a person just takes his hyssop branch and strikes the side posts and upper post, he would leave a mark of blood, but where would this mark be when we look at it? If a person is told to just walk up to a doorpost and told to leave a mark with a brush, that person will most likely leave a mark about shoulder high or chest high. If you told them to leave a mark on something overhead that they can reach, they will make a mark generally in the center. Imagine a doorway where someone told you to leave a mark on the posts on the side and one on the overhead beam, and what would these marks tend to form? A visual image might appear to the natural eye, forming a cross within the doorway that you just marked!
This first High Holy Day was again mentioned in Leviticus chapter 23.
Leviticus 23 23:1 And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying, 2 Speak unto the children of Israel, and say unto them, Concerning the feasts of the LORD, which ye shall proclaim to be holy convocations, even these are my feasts. 3 Six days shall work be done: but the seventh day is the sabbath of rest, an holy convocation; ye shall do no work therein: it is the sabbath of the LORD in all your dwellings. 4 These are the feasts of the LORD, even holy convocations, which ye shall proclaim in their seasons.
It is important to note, here, that Sabbath Days were Holy Days, there was to be NO WORK done on those days. These days were to be HOLY UNTO THE LORD, DAYS OF REST, Days spent in prayer and worship.
5 In the fourteenth day of the first month at even is the Lord’s passover.
Note here the Passover begins at Evening.
6 And on the fifteenth day of the same month is the feast of unleavened bread unto the LORD: seven days ye must eat unleavened bread. 7 In the first day ye shall have an holy convocation: ye shall do no servile work therein. 8 But ye shall offer an offering made by fire unto the LORD seven days: in the seventh day is an holy convocation: ye shall do no servile work therein.
Note here something significant: The first Day of the Feast of Unleavened Bread is a HOLY DAY, it is a Sabbath. The rules apply to this day as to other days concerning the Sabbath regarding work, travel, and all behavior.
All this is leading up to something that has affected the Church for two centuries. All my childhood, I was taught that Jesus Christ’s death on the Cross was on a Friday, but is this what the Bible teaches? I believe that Jesus Christ was Crucified on Wednesday, the 13th, on the Day of preparation, the same day and about the same time as the lambs that were about to be eaten for the Passover meal.
In order to examine this, we need to go over again, from the Bible, the events that lead up to Christ’s Atoning death on the cross.
Some days of this time period are mentioned quite specifically:
Matthew 28:1 In the end of the sabbath, as it began to dawn toward the first day of the week, came Mary Magdalene and the other Mary to see the sepulchre.
Mark 16:1 And when the sabbath was past, Mary Magdalene, and Mary the mother of James, and Salome, had bought sweet spices, that they might come and anoint him. 2 And very early in the morning the first day of the week, they came unto the sepulchre at the rising of the sun.
Luke 24:1 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.
John 20:1 The first day of the week cometh Mary Magdalene early, when it was yet dark, unto the sepulchre, and seeth the stone taken away from the sepulchre.
What is obvious here, is that Jesus arose on the first day of the week, Sunday. We Christians know this as Easter Sunday. We Christians believe this is our Holiest Day for it is the day that Christ arose to prove the power of Christ over death. This power over death is what we look forward to as believers, to be with Christ in eternity, arisen with Him in new resurrected bodies.
In order to examine what day Jesus died, though, we obviously need to dig deeper. John the Baptist announced the Lord Jesus Christ to the world when Christ’s official ministry began at His baptism.
John 1: 29 The next day John seeth Jesus coming unto him, and saith, Behold the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world.
Note that Jesus is called the LAMB OF GOD. We have seen earlier, that it was a LAMB that was to be chosen to be sacrificed for the feast known as PASSOVER. John called Jesus THE LAMB OF GOD. If the Passover LAMB was to be a type of Christ, then there should be a connection between the death of the Lamb in the Passover feast and Jesus Christ’s death on the Cross.
The purpose of Christ’s death was foreshadowed in the death of the Passover Lamb:
Exodus 12:23 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 in unto your houses to smite you. 24 And ye shall observe this thing for an ordinance to thee and to thy sons for ever. 25 And it shall come to pass, when ye be come to the land which the LORD will give you, according as he hath promised, that ye shall keep this service. 26 And it shall come to pass, when your children shall say unto you, What mean ye by this service? 27 That ye shall say, It is the sacrifice of the LORD'S passover, who passed over the houses of the children of Israel in Egypt, when he smote the Egyptians, and delivered our houses. And the people bowed the head and worshipped.
Christians understand the meaning of this as the Egyptians are the representing of Sin in the Believers life. When a person is Born Again, they pass under the Blood, they are saved by the Blood of Jesus Christ, shed on the cross for our sins, that we are no longer servants of sin, but alive unto God.
(Rom 6:17 KJV) But God be thanked, that ye were the servants of sin, but ye have obeyed from the heart that form of doctrine which was delivered you.
(1 Pet 1:18 KJV) 18 Forasmuch as ye know that ye were not redeemed with corruptible things, as silver and gold, from your vain conversation received by tradition from your fathers; 19 But with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot:
Being a slave in Egypt is likened to being a slave to sin. When a person is Born Again, they are released from this bondage, being now a child of God. They are to approach this life with their clothes fully on, and their shoes on, just like the Jews were told to eat the Passover meal, fully clothed, and with their shoes on their feet, ready to move, ready to live for God. While the Believer will still suffer temptation and still sin, Jesus Christ paid the penalty for their sin, and the bondage of eternal punishment is over.
Knowing all this, what can we expect to find concerning Christ’s relation to the Passover? The Passover Lamb was presented to the people on the 10th day of the month. The Bible tells us this concerning what day Jesus was ‘Presented’ to the people of the land of Israel which we call PALM SUNDAY. However, we can determine other things from the Bible, and prove what day of the week Jesus was Crucified for our sins.
John 12:1 Then Jesus six days before the passover came to Bethany, where Lazarus was which had been dead, whom he raised from the dead. 2 There they made him a supper; and Martha served: but Lazarus was one of them that sat at the table with him.
Luke 8
22 Now it came to pass on a certain day, that he went into a ship with his disciples: and he said unto them, Let us go over unto the other side of the lake. And they launched forth.
23 But as they sailed he fell asleep: and there came down a storm of wind on the lake; and they were filled with water, and were in jeopardy.
24 And they came to him, and awoke him, saying, Master, master, we perish. Then he arose, and rebuked the wind and the raging of the water: and they ceased, and there was a calm.
25 And he said unto them, Where is your faith? And they being afraid wondered, saying one to another, What manner of man is this! for he commandeth even the winds and water, and they obey him.
26 And they arrived at the country of the Gadarenes, which is over against Galilee.
Ship, Storm, Asleep
Jonah 1
3 But Jonah arose to flee to Tarshish from the presence of the LORD. He went down to Joppa, and found a ship going to Tarshish; so he paid the fare, and went down into it, to go with them to Tarshish from the presence of the LORD.
The Storm at Sea
4 But the LORD sent out a great wind on the sea, and there was a mighty tempest on the sea, so that the ship was about to be broken up.
5 Then the mariners were afraid; and every man cried out to his god, and threw the cargo that was in the ship into the sea, to lighten the load. But Jonah had gone down into the lowest parts of the ship, had lain down, and was fast asleep.
6 So the captain came to him, and said to him, "What do you mean, sleeper? Arise, call on your God; perhaps your God will consider us, so that we may not perish."
7 And they said to one another, "Come, let us cast lots, that we may know for whose cause this trouble has come upon us." So they cast lots, and the lot fell on Jonah.
12 And he said to them, "Pick me up and throw me into the sea; then the sea will become calm for you. For I know that this great tempest is because of me."
15 So they picked up Jonah and threw him into the sea, and the sea ceased from its raging.
17 Now the LORD had prepared a great fish to swallow Jonah. And Jonah was in the belly of the fish three days and three nights.
Matthew 20
17 Now Jesus, going up to Jerusalem, took the twelve disciples aside on the road and said to them, 18 "Behold, we are going up to Jerusalem, and the Son of Man will be betrayed to the chief priests and to the scribes; and they will condemn Him to death, 19 and deliver Him to the Gentiles to mock and to scourge and to crucify. And the third day He will rise again."
Preperation Day, Sabbath, Resurrection Day
Galilee: wheel; revolution
Galilee: circuit. Solomon rewarded Hiram for certain services rendered him by the gift of an upland plain among the mountains of Naphtali. Hiram was dissatisfied with the gift, and called it "the land of Cabul" ( q.v.). The Jews called it Galil. It continued long to be occupied by the original inhabitants, and hence came to be called "Galilee of the Gentiles" ( Mat 4:15), and also "Upper Galilee," to distinguish it from the extensive addition afterwards made to it toward the south, which was usually called "Lower Galilee." In the time of our Lord, Galilee embraced more than one-third of Western Palestine, extending "from Dan on the north, at the base of Mount Hermon, to the ridges of Carmel and Gilboa on the south, and from the Jordan valley on the east away across the splendid plains of Jezreel and Acre to the shores of the Mediterranean on the west." Palestine was divided into three provinces, Judea, Samaria, and Galilee, which comprehended the whole northern section of the country ( Act 9:31), and was the largest of the three.
It was the scene of some of the most memorable events of Jewish history. Galilee also was the home of our Lord during at least thirty years of his life. The first three Gospels are chiefly taken up with our Lord's public ministry in this province. "The entire province is encircled with a halo of holy associations connected with the life, works, and teachings of Jesus of Nazareth." "It is noteworthy that of his thirty-two beautiful parables, no less than ninteen were spoken in Galilee. And it is no less remarkable that of his entire thirty-three great miracles, twenty-five were wrought in this province. His first miracle was wrought at the wedding in Cana of Galilee, and his last, after his resurrection, on the shore of Galilee's sea. In Galilee our Lord delivered the Sermon on The Mount, and the discourses on 'The Bread of Life,' on 'Purity,' on 'Forgiveness,' and on 'Humility.' In Galilee he called his first disciples; and there occurred the sublime scene of the Transfiguration" ( Porter's Through Samaria). When the Sanhedrin were about to proceed with some plan for the condemnation of our Lord ( Jhn 7:45-52), Nicodemus interposed in his behalf. ( Deu 1:16,17; 17:8.) They replied, "Art thou also of Galilee?.... Out of Galilee ariseth no prophet." This saying of theirs was "not historically true, for two prophets at least had arisen from Galilee, Jonah of Gath-hepher, and the greatest of all the prophets, Elijah of Thisbe, and perhaps also Nahum and Hosea. Their contempt for Galilee made them lose sight of historical accuracy" ( Alford, Com.).
The Heart of the Earth is not to be confused with the bowels of the earth!
The thing that doesn't fit is "on the third day He rose again according to the scriptures" - which messes a Wednesday crucifiction all up as I think (?) we all agree that He rose on Sunday.
I think I understand what you are saying, but St. Paul does say "on the third day he rose again" and I don't know what you can do with that... ?
I know you are a more knowledgable biblical scholar than I am one. But... (always a but!) Doesn't the bible say that Jesus Christ rose on the first day of the week - which would be Sunday. Why couldn't the Resurrection have happened after midnight and before sunrise on Sunday? And "on the third day" would preclude 3 nights in the grave as any time after the third night in the grave would make it the forth day.
I might not be back for awhile as I am preparing Easter dinner for quite a few people.
Sorry, I still don't see any solid connection here. Jesus wasn't in the habit of speaking and saying things so cryptic that no one could understand. What Jesus said, and He made the connection Himself, was that as Jonah was 3 days and 3 nights in the belly of the Whale, He would be 3 days and 3 nights in the Earth (buried), and would rise again after that time, the same as Jonah was returned to land after the same amount of time. The Disciples understood what Jesus said, especially after the Resurrection.
Jesus drew an exact parallel here, and you're trying to obscure it with all sorts of very tenuous and far-fetched explanations that are really non-sequitors.
PS. Thanks for the replies, maybe I am dense.
Matthew 17:22 Now while they were staying in Galilee, Jesus said to them, "The Son of Man is about to be betrayed into the hands of men, 23 and they will kill Him, and the third day He will be raised up." And they were exceedingly sorrowful.
Matthew 20:19 ...and deliver Him to the Gentiles to mock and to scourge and to crucify. And the third day He will rise again."
The Third Day does not equal Three Days and Three Nights
Follow the story...
Matthew 12:38 Then some of the scribes and Pharisees answered, saying, "Teacher, we want to see a sign from You." 39 But He answered and said to them, "An evil and adulterous generation seeks after a sign, and no sign will be given to it except the sign of the prophet Jonah.
40 For as Jonah was three days and three nights in the belly of the great fish, so will the Son of Man be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth.
41 The men of Nineveh will rise up in the judgment with this generation and condemn it, because they repented at the preaching of Jonah; and indeed a greater than Jonah is here. 42 The queen of the South will rise up in the judgment with this generation and condemn it, for she came from the ends of the earth to hear the wisdom of Solomon; and indeed a greater than Solomon is here.
Matthew 13:1 On the same day Jesus went out of the house and sat by the sea. 2 And great multitudes were gathered together to Him, so that He got into a boat and sat; and the whole multitude stood on the shore.
Matthew 15:32 Now Jesus called His disciples to Himself and said, "I have compassion on the multitude, because they have now continued with Me three days and have nothing to eat. And I do not want to send them away hungry, lest they faint on the way."
...39 And dismissing the crowd, He went into the boat, and came to the borders of Magdala.
Three Days and Three Nights Go By...
Matthew 16:1 Then the Pharisees and Sadducees came, and testing Him asked that He would show them a sign from heaven. 2 He answered and said to them, "When it is evening you say, "It will be fair weather, for the sky is red'; 3 and in the morning, "It will be foul weather today, for the sky is red and threatening.' Hypocrites! You know how to discern the face of the sky, but you cannot discern the signs of the times. 4 A wicked and adulterous generation seeks after a sign, and no sign shall be given to it except the sign of the prophet Jonah." And He left them and departed.
The sign of the prophet Jonah, but no three days and three nights...
The Pharisees knew the Bible too, but understood little. Same with you two, while you may not understand, someone on this thread will, and that's who I'm posting to.
Well did Rabbi Sha'ul speak of you...2 Timothy 3:7
Luke 1:26 Now in the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent by God to a city of Galilee named Nazareth, 27 to a virgin betrothed to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David. The virgin's name was Miryam. 28 And having come in, the angel said to her, "Rejoice, highly favored one, the Lord is with you; blessed are you among women!"
Luke 4:14 And Jesus returned in the power of the Spirit into Galilee: and there went out a fame of him through all the region round about...
Well, pardon me for being so dense...take your high and mighty, I'm-so-much-smarter-than-you attitude and spread it somewhere else. We are interested in actually understanding things here, not in playing games and acting superior to others. If you're not willing to actually explain yourself and your position, or to actually refute what Race has written, keep it to yourself. Quoting a bunch of scriptures with little cryptic asides is insulting. You haven't shown anything that refutes what has been written here.
Find the error in their argument hint (premise).
Find another forum to post on if you're going to continue playing games. We speak plainly here, not in cat-and-mouse riddles.
What's yer point?
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