THIRD DAY PROVES A THURSDAY CRUCIFIXION

[Doug]

I can show how I know Thursday was Nissan 15th, the day Christ was crucified.

[Luke 24:20 KJV] "And how the chief priests and our rulers delivered him to be condemned to death, and have crucified him."
[Luke 24:21 KJV] "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." ******** These things that were done are found in v20, which was Christ's crucifixion. We can use this verse to establish a timeline.

Wednesday................Nissan the 14th is the 1st day of the passover feast of unleavened bread when they killed the lamb and prepared the passover meal *********** [Exodus 12:6 KJV] "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."
[Exodus 12:18 KJV] "In the first [month], on the fourteenth day of the month at even, ye shall eat unleavened bread, until the one and twentieth day of the month at even."
[Matthew 26:17 KJV] "Now the first [day] of the [feast of] unleavened bread the disciples came to Jesus, saying unto him, Where wilt thou that we prepare for thee to eat the passover?"

Thursday......... Nissan the 15th was the first day of refraining from leaven for 7 days ********** [Leviticus 23:6 KJV] "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." ********** If Wednesday is the 14th then Thursday, is the 15th. This day was a high day sabbath, a holy convocation. John says this is preparation in John 19:14 and John 19:31. CHRIST WAS CRUCIFIED THIS DAY, and is when Luke 24:21 says "these things were done.".

Friday ..........This is the first day "since these things were done"

Saturday..........This is the second day "since these things were done"

Sunday.............This is the THIRD DAY "since these things were done". We know Sunday was the third day "since these things were done" by the context of Luke 24. Luke 24:1 says this whole chapter took place on Sunday, the first day of the week. Luke 24:13 says it was the "same day", which was Sunday.

It has been proved Wednesday was Nissan the 14th, Thursday was Nissan the 15th, Jesus was crucified Thursday the 15th of Nissan, Nissan the 15th was a high day sabbath and the preparation.

 

[Grailhunter]

Quick facts

Jesus was crucified on Friday, which the scriptures define as the Day of Preparation, the day before the Sabbath. This is supported by multiple Gospel accounts, indicating that He was buried before sunset on Friday. The Passover and the Jewish Saturday Sabbath started at dusk on Friday. With the Passover and the Sabbath occurring on the same day the scriptures refer to this as a High Sabbath.

The day that Yeshua was sacrificed, the sacrificial lambs were being slaughtered and eaten. Yeshua was the Lamb of God the perfect sacrifice.

When Yeshua was before Pontius early Friday morning the Apostles had not eaten the actual Passover meal yet. But the Apostles had eaten the Last Supper with Yeshua on Thursday evening because He would not be able to eat the actual Passover meal with them because He would be on the Cross. The Last Supper is called a Passover meal for this reason.

 

[Pilgrimer]

These things that were done are found in v20, which was Christ's crucifixion

The "things that were done" included the chief priests and rulers sending Jesus to Pilate charging him with a capital offense that led to his crucifixon. Jesus himself spoke of his suffering and being crucified and rising the third day. His suffering began Thursday night when he was bound and arrested and drug before the priests and elders and accused of blaphemy and struck across the face, rejected by his own and turned over to the Romans with a charge that, if found guilty, would be a death sentence. Then he suffered being beaten and being nailed to a cross and suffered for six long hours before he died. Once Jesus' body was laid in the tomb, his suffering was over.

All these things Jesus suffered before he died and was buried, so his agony began that moonlit Thurday night in the garden of Gethsemane, and on the third day after suffering all these things he rose from the dead.

 

[Pilgrimer]

The day that Yeshua was sacrificed, the sacrificial lambs were being slaughtered and eaten ... When Yeshua was before Pontius early Friday morning the Apostles had not eaten the actual Passover meal yet.

According to Matthew, Mark, and Luke, Jesus and his disciples actually ate the Passover meal together the night before He died. While some try to align His death exactly with the hour of the slaughter of the lambs to emphasize the symbolism, Jesus' single sacrifice actually fulfilled all the Biblical sacrifices and offerings - including the daily morning and evening sacrifices that were offered day in and day out and the many sacrifices and offerings at various times throughout the year. His ultimate sacrifice didn't need to happen at a specific hour to fulfill what those manifold sacrifices and offerings foreshadowed, else he would have had to have died over and over and over again.

Jesus ate the Passover before he died, and then through his death he became our Passover ... and our Unleavened Bread ... and our Firstfruits ... and our Pentecost ... and our Atonement ... and our Tabernacle ... and our Water of Life. All of these, offered throughout the year, Jesus has become for us through that one Blessed Sacrifice.

 

[Grailhunter]

According to Matthew, Mark, and Luke, Jesus and his disciples actually ate the Passover meal together the night before He died.

You are right and wrong.
John 18:28 Proves that early Friday morning, the day of Christ’s crucifixion, when Christ was taken to the Praetorium the Apostles had not eaten the actual Passover meal yet.
Then they led Jesus from Caiaphas into the Praetorium, and it was early; and they themselves did not enter into the Praetorium so that they would not be defiled, but might eat the Passover.

 

[Grailhunter]

While some try to align His death exactly with the hour of the slaughter of the lambs to emphasize the symbolism, Jesus' single sacrifice actually fulfilled all the Biblical sacrifices and offerings - including the daily morning and evening sacrifices that were offered day in and day out and the many sacrifices and offerings at various times throughout the year. His ultimate sacrifice didn't need to happen at a specific hour to fulfill what those manifold sacrifices and offerings foreshadowed, else he would have had to have died over and over and over again.

In fact Yeshua was on the cross when they were sacrificing the lamb and cooking them for the Passover dinner,
They had to take Him off the cross before dusk because that was the beginning of Passover and the Jewish Saturday Sabbath.

 

[Pilgrimer]

Then they led Jesus from Caiaphas into the Praetorium, and it was early; and they themselves did not enter into the Praetorium so that they would not be defiled, but might eat the Passover.

But the whole seven-day festival was commonly called the Passover, and every day of the feast the people made sacrifices and offerings that they brought home portions of and cooked and ate. There were seven "feast" days and on any of those days, if they became defiled, they would not be able to eat the feast that day which always consisted of portions of the sacrifices of that day. So while the Synoptic Gospels are very clear that the disciples "made ready the passover" and that evening Jesus and the twelve "sat down and ate," I think it is much more likely that John was simply referring to the second passover meal and the Chagigah (peace-offering) sacrifice of the second night that the Pharisees would have been excluded from eating if they became defiled.

 

[Grailhunter]

But the whole seven-day festival was commonly called the Passover, and every day of the feast the people made sacrifices and offerings that they brought home portions of and cooked and ate

1. No work was allowed during Passover.....which included lighting fires.....no cooking.
2. No eating of leavened bread.....All leaven taken out of the house.
3. Distance of travel was restricted.

What did they eat? Basically, finger foods. Previously cooked meat?

 

[Grailhunter]

So while the Synoptic Gospels are very clear that the disciples "made ready the passover" and that evening Jesus and the twelve "sat down and ate," I think it is much more likely that John was simply referring to the second passover meal and the Chagigah (peace-offering) sacrifice of the second night that the Pharisees would have been excluded from eating if they became defiled.

The Last Supper occurred Thursday evening. He ate a Seder meal with them because the actual Passover meal would occur on Friday evening because He would not be around for the actual Friday evening Passover meal.

 

[Pilgrimer]

1. No work was allowed during Passover.....which included lighting fires.....no cooking.
2. No eating of leavened bread.....All leaven taken out of the house.
3. Distance of travel was restricted.

What did they eat? Basically, finger foods. Previously cooked meat?

Exodus 12:16 specifically states that the work that was necessary to prepare and eat the feast was allowed to be done even on the festival sabbaths: "And in the first day there shall be an holy convocation, and in the seventh day there shall be an holy convocation to you; no manner of work shall be done in them, except that which every man must do to eat [the feast], that only may be done of you."

So work was allowed on Passover in order to prepare the feast. The weekly Sabbath was the only day on the Jewish calendar when no work of any kind could be done, not even work necessary to prepare and eat the feast. So Fridays (the day before the weekly sabbath) were still Preparation days even during the festivals and the only day when the people had to prepare enough food for two feast days.

And they actually were required to offer up sacrifices on each of the seven days: "But ye shall offer an offering made by fire unto the Lord seven days." Each day was a "feast" day, when the people feasted on portions of the chagigah (peace-offerings) each of the seven days as commanded in Leviticus 7:15-18. And Deuteronomy 16:3-7 further stipulates that during the seven days when they eat these passover sacrifices, they were to eat no leavened breath with it and none of the meat was to be left over and the sacrifice could only be roasted and eaten within the gates of Jerusalem.

And historically, except for the dispute between the Pharisees and Sadducees over when to start the counting of the Omer, these were the laws that governed the way the Jews observed the feasts, so historically, this is the way events would have played out during Easter.

 

[Grailhunter]

Exodus 12:16 specifically states that the work that was necessary to prepare and eat the feast was allowed to be done even on the festival sabbaths:

This is true.....the key word is prepare.
The restrictions of Passover are easy enough to look up.
I am going to say the same thing over and over again because I know them.

 

[Pilgrimer]

The Last Supper occurred Thursday evening. He ate a Seder meal with them because the actual Passover meal would occur on Friday evening because He would not be around for the actual Friday evening Passover meal.

The "Last Supper" was a Passover Seder. The word "seder" means "order" and it refers to the order in which the meal is eaten on the first night of Unleavened Bread (Nisan 15 after sunset) when the Passover lamb was eaten after having been sacrificed that afternoon of Nisan 14.
It is not possible that anyone could have eaten an actual passover supper ahead of time. The Temple Priests would not have sanctioned a passover sacrifice offered at any time other than what was commanded in the Law. They were very meticulous in their observance as outlined in the Mishnah Tractate "Pesach." On Nisan 14, "between the evenings" (between the first evening which began Nisan 14 and the second evening which ended Nisan 14), on that afternoon the regular daily evening sacrifice was moved up from a 3:00 p.m. offering to a 1:00 p.m. offering. Immediately after, the slaying of the Passover lambs began and continued until 5:00 p.m., at which time the Passover sacrifices ceased to allow time for the people's portions to be roasted for the first passover meal that evening. There were literally thousands of lambs slain but the point is that the law only allowed this narrow window of time for those sacrifices to be made. No one would have gone to the Temple and expected to make a passover sacrifice on any other day or even at any hour contrary to the commandments.

So to suggest that Jesus and his disciples ate any form of a passover meal ahead of time is not historically possible, not with the strict way the priests followed the laws that governed sacrifices. On Thurday afternoon (Nisan 14), Jesus sent the disciples into the city to make ready the passover. That evening Jesus sat down with them and they ate the first passover meal with unleavened bread. That night Jesus was arrested and the next morning at 9:00 a.m. on Nisan 15 he was crucified. The Pharisees had refused to enter the Praetorium that morning because they would have been ritually defiled and excluded from eating the second passover feast that evening. Don't stumble over the fact tht John calls it "the passover," he calls the entire 7-day festival "the passover," which is actually quite common in the Bible. Even Luke says Unleavened Bread "is called Passover." Ezekiel also refers to "the Passover, a feast of seven days" where unleavened bread is to be eaten.

 

[Pilgrimer]

This is true.....the key word is prepare.

But what you have to demonstrate is scriptural evidence that the day before Nisan 15 was ever called "the preparation." If you are suggesting that it was on the basis of the sacrifices being slain in the temple and the meat roasted in the afternoon in preparation for the meal that evening somehow makes that day "the preparation," then that would make every day of the seven days "the preparation" because every afternoon sacrifices were slain and meat was roasted in preparation for the feast that evening. So your logic still winds up with John not being clear exactly which of the seven feast days he may have been referring to.

Nowhere in Scripture, in the Talmudic writings, or in any historical or archaeological relics that I am aware of is Nisan 14 ever called "the preparation." Nisan 14 is always called "the Passover," not because Nisan 14 is when the passover lambs were eaten, but because that is when the passover lambs were sacrificed.

The one and only day that is ever called "the preparation" was Friday, that was the name specifically given to the day before the weekly Sabbath, every other day being named "the 1st day" (after the Sabbath), the 2nd day" (after the Sabbath), "the 3rd day" (after the Sabbath) etc., until you get to Friday which is called specifically, "The Preparation" (for the Sabbath). It was the only name the Jews had for that day. But Nisan 14 was never called by that name, it was called "the Passover."

 

[Grailhunter]

The "Last Supper" was a Passover Seder. The word "seder" means "order" and it refers to the order in which the meal is eaten on the first night of Unleavened Bread (Nisan 15 after sunset) when the Passover lamb was eaten after having been sacrificed that afternoon of Nisan 14.

A Seder follows a 15-step order (the Seder Order) Chabad.org:

1. Kadesh – Blessing over the first cup of wine.
2. Urchatz – Washing hands before the meal.
3. Karpas – Dipping a vegetable in salt water.
4. Yachatz – Breaking the matzah (unleavened bread).
5. Maggid – Reciting the Haggadah and telling the Exodus story.
6. Rachtzah – Washing hands before eating.
7. Motzi Matzah – Eating the matzah.
8. Maror – Eating bitter herbs (symbolizing slavery).
9. Korech – “Hillel sandwich” (matzah with maror and charoset).
10. Shulchan Orech – The festive Passover meal.
11. Tzafun – Eating the afikoman (piece of matzah hidden earlier).
12. Barech – Blessings after the meal.
13. Hallel – Psalms of praise.
14. Nirtzah – Closing prayers and blessings.

 

[Grailhunter]

It is not possible that anyone could have eaten an actual passover supper ahead of time.

Very possible and that is what happened.
Because the time for the Passover meal would have been before dusk on Friday and He would not be around for that.

 

[Grailhunter]

So to suggest that Jesus and his disciples ate any form of a passover meal ahead of time is not historically possible,

It is possible it is documented in the scriptures and later the scriptures show that the Apostles had not eaten the Passover meal yet.

 

[Grailhunter]

But what you have to demonstrate is scriptural evidence that the day before Nisan 15 was ever called "the preparation." I

For one it is common knowledge.
In Jewish tradition, the Preparation Day (Hebrew: Paraskeue – “preparation”) is the day before the Sabbath that falls during the Passover week. It is a time of intensive preparation to ensure that all work is completed before the Sabbath begins, in accordance with the commandment to rest on the Sabbath Bible Hub+1.

Biblical and Historical Context​

The Passover (Pesach) commemorates the Israelites’ deliverance from Egypt, as described in Exodus 12. The Feast of Unleavened Bread follows for seven days, during which no leavened bread is eaten. The Sabbath during this week is a high day (a “sabbath of solemn assembly”), so no regular work is permitted Bible Hub. The Preparation Day is the day before this Sabbath, when Jews prepare meals, complete tasks, and prepare for the holy days StudyLight.org.

In the New Testament, the Preparation Day is significant because Jesus was crucified on this day (Mark 15:42; Luke 23:54; John 19:14). This timing aligns with the Passover lamb’s sacrifice, symbolically linking Jesus to the Passover lamb Bible Hub+1.

Observances on the Preparation Day​

• Preparation of food and meals: All meals for the Sabbath are prepared in advance, including the Passover lamb (Leviticus 23:5–6) Bible Hub.
• Completion of work: Any labor prohibited on the Sabbath is finished before sunset StudyLight.org.
• Spiritual preparation: Many Jews use this day for prayer, study, and personal reflection StudyLight.org.
• Fasting of firstborns: In some traditions, firstborn males fast on the Preparation Day to commemorate the sparing of the firstborn Israelites from the plague Chabad.org+1.

Jewish Calendar Timing​

In the Jewish tradition, the day begins at sunset and ends at sunset. If Passover starts on a Friday night, the Preparation Day is Thursday; if it starts on Saturday night, it is Friday yahadut.org. The exact times for chametz searches, burning, and other customs depend on local halachic times Chabad.org.

Summary​

The Preparation Day is both a practical and spiritual observance — ensuring the Sabbath is free from work while also preparing for the sacred Passover and Unleavened Bread. For Christians, it holds deep theological meaning as the day of Jesus’ crucifixion, tied to the Passover narrative

 

[Pilgrimer]

the Preparation Day (Hebrew: Paraskeue – “preparation”) is the day before the Sabbath that falls during the Passover week

This is talking about Saturday, the regular weekly Sabbath. In a 7-day festival, one of those 7 days would inevitably fall on a Saturday.

If this was talking about the "festival sabbath," there were always two of those sabbaths during the Passover week, the first day and the seventh day. So your quote would read, "the Preparartion Days are the days before the sabbaths, the first and seventh days of Passover week. So there would be two sabbaths and therefore two preparatioin days "during Passover week."

But this is not talking about those two festivals. It is talking about the regular weekly Sabbath (singular), Saturday, which would always fall on one (never two) of the seven days "during the Passover week."

The Sabbath during this week is a high day (a “sabbath of solemn assembly”), so no regular work is permitted Bible Hub. The Preparation Day is the day before this Sabbath,

Again, the Sabbath (singular) that fell during this week when no work could be done, not the "sabbaths" (plural), the two festival sabbaths during this week when they could do the work necessary to prepare the feast. So it wasn't necessary to prepare the feast the day before.

All meals for the Sabbath are prepared in advance, including the Passover lamb

Again, only the meals for the weekly Sabbath required them to prepare enough food for two days. On Nisan 14, they only had to prepare enough food for the meal to be eaten that evening. Then the next day (Nisan 15 and the first festival sabbath), they were able to prepare that day the feast to be eaten that evening. Same thing with Nisan 21 (the second festival sabbath), they did not have to prepare enough food on Nisan 20 for two days.

So again, the only "Sabbath" on the Jewish calendar that required enough food to be prepared for two days because no work at all could be done on that Sabbath, not even preparing the food for the feast, was the weekly Sabbath. So the day before was always "the Preparation," because they had to prepare enough food for two days.

This timing aligns with the Passover lamb’s sacrifice, symbolically linking Jesus to the Passover lamb

I understand and appreciate the sentiment behind what drives this narrative, that Jesus must have died at the time the Passover lambs were being slain in the Temple to "link" his sacrifice to the Passover lamb. And John is used to support that narrative while completely ignoring Matthew, Mark, and Luke, which narrative completely contradicts them. But it wasn't necessary for Jesus to die on that day and at that hour to fulfill what that sacrifice foreshadowed. After all, Jesus shed his blood to make atonement for sin. That fulfilled the sacrifice of the "Goat for Jehovah" that was sacrified on Tishri 10 and it's blood made atonement for sin, but Jesus didn't die on Tishri 10. Jesus' death also fulfilled the Shemini Atzeret, the ritual water offering on Tishri 22 when Jesus stood up in the Temple and declared that the thirsty could come to him and "drink" and "rivers of living water would flow from the belly" of those who believe in him. That was fulfilled when "one of the soldiers pierced Jesus side with a spear, and immediately blood and water came out." (John 19:34) It also fulfilled the rod of the Law striking the rock and the water flowed out. So many beautiful "shadows" Jesus' death fulfilled. And Unleavened Bread was eaten for seven days foreshadowing the Lord's Supper, but Jesus' sinless body wasn't sacrificed on each of those seven days to "link" his flesh to the unleavened bread, the "bread of affliction." There are so many beautiful ways in which God foreshadowed the blessings of the Cross of Christ, and those shadows were woven throughout the year with new moons and sabbaths and feast days and fast days sabbatical and jubilees and seedtime and harvest and the rains and the dews of heaven and on and on. But all those shadows that crowned the year with a holy mantle were all fulfilled in one day, in one hour, in the death of Jesus.

So trying to "time" his death to the passover, or any other sacrifice in order to "link" his death to them is futile when his death fulfilled sacrifices that were offered up day in and day out throughout the year, year after year. That one sacrifice fulfilled them all.

 

[Grailhunter]

This is talking about Saturday, the regular weekly Sabbath. In a 7-day festival, one of those 7 days would inevitably fall on a Saturday.

If this was talking about the "festival sabbath," there were always two of those sabbaths during the Passover week, the first day and the seventh day. So your quote would read, "the Preparartion Days are the days before the sabbaths, the first and seventh days of Passover week. So there would be two sabbaths and therefore two preparatioin days "during Passover week."

But this is not talking about those two festivals. It is talking about the regular weekly Sabbath (singular), Saturday, which would always fall on one (never two) of the seven days "during the Passover week."

Yeshua was crucified the day before the High Holy Day.....The Passover and the Saturday Jewish Sabbath starting at dusk that day.

 

[Grailhunter]

Again, the Sabbath (singular) that fell during this week when no work could be done, not the "sabbaths" (plural), the two festival sabbaths during this week when they could do the work necessary to prepare the feast. So it wasn't necessary to prepare the feast the day before.

Yeshua was crucified the day before the High Holy Day.....The Passover and the Saturday Jewish Sabbath starting at dusk that day.