The Death of Christ Jesus

Before we get into our study, I must preface it with this statement: Regardless of what you choose to believe about the birth of Jesus, it is a tertiary issue and has no bearing whatsoever upon your salvation. What does have a bearing on whether you are saved or not is that you believe that Jesus is eternal God, the only begotten Son of the Father, the second Person in the Trinity, the Word of God made flesh, conceived by the Holy Spirit, born of a virgin, lived a holy life without sin, was crucified, entombed, resurrected, and ascended into Heaven, from where He came.

In 2012, after studying the various passages pertaining to the crucifixion of Jesus, and after looking up dates for the 14th of Nisan on a dozen Hebrew calendar conversion calculators, I had become convinced that Jesus was crucified on a Wednesday (and risen on the Sunday, as the Scriptures make plain, for those who think He rose on a Saturday). This year, after taking another look at it, I realized that all the passages (save for two that seem contradictory) support a Friday crucifixion. The actual year, however, seems impossible to determine, as you will see further below. As someone who desires to conform himself to the truths of Scripture, no matter the cost to myself, I have recently changed my position as to the crucifixion of Jesus.

THE MINISTRY OF JOHN THE PURIFIER

"Now in the fifteenth year of the reign of Tiberius Caesar, when Pontius Pilate was governor of Judea, and Herod was tetrarch of Galilee, and his brother Philip was tetrarch of the region of Ituraea and Trachonitis, and Lysanias was tetrarch of Abilene, in the high priesthood of Annas and Caiaphas..." Luke 3:1-2

This is when John the Purifier's ministry began. The only time period that fits all of these facts is A.D. 26-29.

1. Tiberius was named emperor in A.D. 14, but he actually started reigning two years prior to that, A.D. 12, as co-regent with Caesar Augustus. Using the earlier date, John’s ministry began circa A.D. 26–27.
    
2. All four gospels agree that Jesus was crucified on the orders of Pontius Pilate (Matt. 27:24-26; Mark 15:15; Luke 23:24; John 19:15-16). He governed over Judea from A.D. 26–36.
    
3. Antipas, Herod's son and successor, reigned over Galilee and Perea until A.D. 39. Coins exist that make reference to his 43rd year of his rule, which counted backward brings us to 4 B.C. This Herod is the one who had a hand in the beheading of John the Purifier (Mark 6:14-29) and who had a supporting role in the trial of Jesus (Luke 23:7-12).
    
4. Philip, Herod's son and successor, reigned over Ituraea and Trachonitis from 4 B.C. until his death in A.D. 34.
    
5. A Lysanias is mentioned by Josephus as having ruled over Chalcis and Abilene, and as having been slain by Mark Antony at the instigation of Cleopatra, which occurred about 36 B.C. Quite obviously this could not be that Lysanias. An inscription found on a temple in Abila named Lysanias as the tetrarch of that area. On the inscription, the words "the August lords" were thought to be a reference to a joint title that was given only to the emperor Tiberius (adopted son of Augustus) and his mother Livia (widow of Augustus). If this analysis is correct, this reference would establish the date of the inscription to between A.D. 14 (when Tiberius began to reign) and A.D. 29 (when Livia died).
    
6. The gospels indicate that Jesus was crucified at the instigation of the first century high priest named Caiaphas (Matt. 26:3-4; John 11:49-53). We know from other sources that Caiaphas served as high priest from A.D. 18 to 36, so that puts Jesus' death in that time frame.

If Jesus was “about thirty years of age” (Luke 3:23) by A.D. 26, a birth sometime between 6 and 4 B.C. would fit the chronology perfectly. Luke was a historian whose goal was to write an accurate account "in consecutive order" (Luke 1:3), and when he gave ages he did not round up or down to the nearest 5. In Luke 8:42, he writes, "for [Jairus] had an only daughter, about twelve years old, and she was dying." She could have been between 11 and 13 years of age. So when Luke wrote that "Jesus Himself was about thirty years of age" in Luke 3:23, Jesus could have been between 28 and 32 years of age, still “about thirty years of age.” All four gospels depict the ministry of Christ beginning after that of John the Purifier (Matt. 3; Mark 1; Luke 3; John 1). If Jesus began His ministry in A.D. 26-27, the end of His ministry would have been circa A.D. 29-30.

WHAT WE DO KNOW

We know what time Jesus died. Matthew, Mark, and Luke each record that Jesus died about "the ninth hour" (Matt. 27:45-50; Mark 15:34-37; Luke 23:44-46). The ninth hour is what we refer to as 3:00 P.M.

We know what day Jesus died. All four gospels agree that Jesus was crucified on a Friday (Matt. 27:62; Mark 15:42; Luke23:54;  John 19:42), just before a Sabbath, which was just before the first day of the week (Matt. 28:1; Mark 16:2; Luke 24:1; John 20:1). We know that it was a Friday because it is referred to as "the day of preparation"—that is, the day on which Jews made the preparations they needed for the Sabbath, since they could not do any work on that day (Lev. 23:4-8; Num. 28:16-18, 25).

The gospels also agree that Jesus was crucified in conjunction with the annual feast of Passover (Matt. 26:2; Mark 14:1; Luke 22:1; John 18:39). In Jesus' time, a day was from sunrise to sunset, as represented by "12 hours." Jesus even asks, "Are there not twelve hours in the day?" (John 11:9). There were no smaller units of time than the hour. Both the day and the night were divided into four watches, designated by three reference points. In the parable of the vineyard, all three are indicated: "the third hour [from sunrise]," "the sixth hour [from sunrise]," and "the ninth hour [from sunrise]" (Matt. 20:1-9). "Evening" rounds out the day. These reference points were for mid-morning, mid-day, and mid-afternoon. A night was from sunset to sunrise. When discussing His second coming, the four watches of the night are indicated: "in the evening, at midnight, or when the rooster crows, or in the morning" (Mark 13:35). While it appears as though Jesus and His disciples are having the Last Supper on Thursday (Matt. 26:19; Mark 14:14; Luke 22:15), 6:00 P.M. actually marks the start of Friday, the Passover. John, describing Friday morning, indicates that the Jewish authorities had not yet eaten the Passover meal (John 18:28-29a).

Understandably, the "hour" and "watch" are not necessarily exact times, but approximations. There may even be overlap between them, and the time given could depend whether the viewer rounded up or down to the reference points. For example, the "sixth hour" might be determined to be anywhere from 10:30 A.M. or 11:00 A.M. to 1:00 P.M. or 1:30 P.M..

Mark 15:25 and John 19:14 are not any sort of supposed "contradiction" because they are speaking of two completely different things. Mark 15:25 is speaking of a precise time of the day, while John 19:14 is speaking of something else entirely. How do we know this? From noon, the sixth hour (Matt. 27:45; Mark 15:33; Luke 23:44), Jesus was already on the cross and there was darkness over the entire land. If Jesus was already on the cross, how could He still be under examination by Pilate? You see, Jesus was our Passover Lamb. As such, He had to undergo preparation and be examined for any blemish (Ex. 12:2). He was examined by Annas, Caiaphas, Pilate, and Herod. Pilate repeatedly announced, "I find in Him no fault at all." The "sixth hour" refers to the sixth hour of His trial and examination before He was killed.

The "sixth hour" of John 19:14 does not correspond to midnight (as The Companion Bible, edited by E. W. Bullinger, suggests). First of all, those who claim it does fail to pay attention to the context of the passage: "Now it was the day of preparation for the Passover; it was about the sixth hour. And [Pilate] said to the Jews, 'Behold, your King!' So they cried out, 'Away with Him, away with Him, crucify Him!' Pilate said to them, 'Shall I crucify your King?' The chief priests answered, 'We have no king but Caesar.' So he then handed Him over to them to be crucified" (John 19:14-16). Second of all, Jesus was led away to the Sanhedrin "when it was day" (Luke 22:66), then to Pilate in the morning (Matt. 27:1; Mark 15:1). The trial before Pilate-Herod-Pilate must be after 6:00 A.M., which means that the "sixth hour" cannot possibly refer to the sixth hour of the night. Not to mention that many events would have to be crammed between sunset and midnight, leaving 9 hours between His sentencing and crucifixion. Also, the Bible writers never use Roman timing (which argument also encounters the same problems as above).

John 19:31 informs us that the coming Sabbath was a “high day.” There are seven annual high days: the first and seventh days of the Feast of Unleavened Bread (Lev. 23:4-8; Num. 28:16-18, 25), the Feast of Weeks (or, Pentecost; Ex. 34:22; Deut. 16:10), the Feast of Trumpets (Lev. 23:24-25; Num. 29:1), Yom Kippur (or, Day of Atonement; Lev. 16:29-31; 23:27-28), and the first and eighth days of the Feast of Tabernacles (Ex. 34:22; Lev. 23:42-43). These days were “to be a sabbath of...rest” (Lev. 16:31; 23:32) for the Jews. In other words, these seven special days were to be days of rest exactly like Saturdays were to be days of rest. Shabbat (sabbath) means “to rest.”

Apparently the Greek word used in Matthew 28:1 is in the plural: “after the Sabbaths.” That year, the first day of the Feast of Unleavened Bread (a day of rest; Lev. 23:6-7) fell on the weekly Sabbath. John is acknowledging what kind of Sabbath it would be, while Matthew is referencing both sabbaths (days of rest) as two-in-one. In other words, if Matthew used the plural form, his pluralization does not necessarily mean two separate days, but simply two days of rest coming together on the same day. Whether you refer them as Sabbaths or sabbaths is irrelevant. Therefore, the high day in view is the Feast of Unleavened Bread falling upon a weekly Sabbath.

We read and cannot ignore the statements "in three days" (Matt. 16:61; 27:40; Mark 14:58; 15:29; John 2:19-20), "after three days" (Matt. 27:63; Mark 8:31), "three days later" (Mark 9:31; 10:34), "on the third day" (Matt. 16:21; 17:23; 20:19; Luke 9:22; Acts 10:40; 1 Cor. 15:4), "the third day" (Luke 18:33; 24:7, 46), and "third day since" (Luke 24:21). Using the Hebrew idiom of part of a day equaling a whole day, and allowing the majority passages to interpret the minority passages—"three days and three nights" (Matt. 12:39-40; which is likely just an expression), counting backward from "the first day of the week" (Matt. 28:1; Mark 16:2, 9; Luke 24:1; John 20:1), which would be Sunday, would bring us to Friday.

WHICH DATE WAS IT?

According to Jack Finegan's Handbook of Biblical Chronology, Table 179, the 14th of Nisan fell on these dates in history:

• Monday, April 18, A.D. 29
• Friday, April 7, A.D. 30
• Tuesday, March 27, A.D. 31
• Monday, April 14, A.D. 32
• Friday, April 3, A.D. 33
• Wednesday, March 24, A.D. 34
• Tuesday, April 12, A.D. 35
• Saturday, March 31, A.D. 36

A chart claiming to use U.S. Naval Observatory data shows that the 14th of Nisan fell on these dates in history:

• Sunday, April 21, A.D. 26
• Friday, April 11, A.D. 27
• Wednesday, April 28, A.D. 28
• Monday, April 28, A.D. 29
• Friday, April 7, A.D. 30
• Wednesday, April 25, A.D. 31
• Monday, April 14, A.D. 32
• Saturday, April 4, A.D. 33
• Thursday, April 22, A.D. 34

According to over a dozen Hebrew calendar conversion calculators I've tested online (www.abdicate.net/cal.aspx, http://www.rosettacalendar.com/, http://www.midrash.org/calendar/), the 14th of Nisan fell on these dates in history (the first date in square brackets is the Julian date, while the second date is the Gregorian date):

• Friday, March [22 | 20], A.D. 26 (Nisan 14, 3786)
• Wednesday, April [9 | 7], A.D. 27 (Nisan 14, 3787)
• Monday, March [29 | 27], A.D. 28 (Nisan 14, 3788)
• Saturday, April [16 | 14], A.D. 29 (Nisan 14, 3789)
• Wednesday, April [5 | 3], A.D. 30 (Nisan 14, 3790)
• Monday, March [26 | 24], A.D. 31 (Nisan 14, 3791)
• Monday, April [14 | 12], A.D. 32 (Nisan 14, 3792)
• Friday, April [3 | 1], A.D. 33 (Nisan 14, 3793)
• Monday, March [22 | 20], A.D. 34 (Nisan 14, 3794)
• Monday, April [11 | 9], A.D. 35 (Nisan 14, 3795)
• Friday, March [30 | 28], A.D. 36 (Nisan 14, 3796)
• Wednesday, March [20 | 18], A.D. 37 (Nisan 14, 3797)

So which of these sets of dates is accurate, if any, and how do we know? How did Mr. Finegan arrive at his dates, and how do we know that they are even remotely accurate? The Gregorian calendar is the most widely used civil calendar in the world, named after Pope Gregory XIII who introduced it in October 1582. Because it was introduced in 1582, any dates prior to this time period are said to be proleptic (i.e., a calendar extrapolated to dates prior to its first adoption).

HISTORICAL ACKNOWLEDGEMENT

Justin Martyr, in chapter 67 of his First Apology, addressed to Emperor Antoninus Pius (circa A.D. 155-157), wrote: "But Sunday is the day on which we all hold our common assembly, because it is the first day on which God, having wrought a change in the darkness and matter, made the world; and Jesus Christ our Saviour on the same day rose from the dead. For He was crucified on the day before that of Saturn; and on the day after that of Saturn, which is the day of the Sun, having appeared to His apostles and disciples, He taught them these things, which we have submitted to you also for your consideration." (emphasis supplied).

Ignatius, in chapter 9 of his Epistle of Ignatius to the Trallians (circa A.D. 250), wrote: "On the day of the preparation, then, at the third hour, He received the sentence from Pilate, the Father permitting that to happen; at the sixth hour He was crucified; at the ninth hour He gave up the ghost; and before sunset He was buried. During the Sabbath He continued under the earth in the tomb in which Joseph of Arimathaea had laid Him. At the dawning of the Lord's day He arose from the dead, according to what was spoken by Himself, "As Jonah was three days and three nights in the whale's belly, so shall the Son of man also be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth." The day of the preparation, then, comprises the passion; the Sabbath embraces the burial; the Lord's Day contains the resurrection." 

A PROBLEM?

Mark 16:1 and Luke 23:56 would appear to be contradicting information. Luke 23:56 informs us that the women prepared the spices and "on the Sabbath they rested according to the commandment." This would tend to assume the weekly Sabbath. But Mark 16:1 informs us that "when the Sabbath was over" the women bought spices in order to anoint Jesus' body. This would almost suggest another Sabbath during the holy week. How could the women buy the spices after the Sabbath, yet prepare them before the Sabbath? A possible solution is that they bought them after sundown on Saturday, which would have been the start of their Sunday.

CONCLUSION

Based on the historical details surrounding Jesus' birth, and the details here, the most probable date for the death of Jesus, if we accept Finegan's dates, would be around 3:00 P.M. on Friday, April 7, A.D. 30. Contrary to what The Companion Bible, edited by E. W. Bullinger, has to say, Jesus was not crucified on a Wednesday and resurrected on a Sunday (or even a Saturday).

Nevertheless, you need to be your own judge on this issue. After all, scripture tells us in Romans 14:5 to "Let each man be fully convinced in his own mind." Ultimately, the precise date does not matter (just as with Jesus' birth). What matters is that it happened and that we must believe it to be true. Believing that what the Bible says is true is the only thing that really matters. If we had exact Hebrew dates for Jesus' birth and crucifixion, we would be able to figure it out more accurately. The fact God did not provide them for us pretty much informs us that the dates are not important—only the truth of the information is. "We walk by faith, not by sight" (2 Cor. 5:7). Our faith in Jesus is not based on empirical evidence (historical, archaeological, and scientific), although all this information does support our faith. "Without faith it is impossible to please Him" (Hebrews 11:6). Faith in the empirical evidence is no faith at all. True biblical faith does not stop with mental assent to the facts. If it did, it would not be genuine faith.