Note, I have recently updated this article to indicate that the Crucifixion of Jesus may have occurred on Good Wednesday  April 5, 30 AD  if you consider that Nisan 10 started on the Sabbath (Saturday) when Jesus entered Jerusalem instead of Palm Sunday (click here).

There are many web sites that have timelines of Jesus final week but I couldn’t find any one site that reconciled all five of these important points:

(1) that Jesus was in the tomb 3 days and 3 nights (to fulfill the sign of Jonah).  Therefore, Jesus had to be crucified and buried on “Thursday” not Friday, in order to rise on Sunday morning – three days later.

 

(2) that Jesus was observed for five days beginning on Sunday when He entered Jerusalem and went to the Temple in order to fulfill the 5 days of observation necessary for the Passover lamb (Exodus 12:1-6).  Therefore, Jesus had to be crucified and buried on “Thursday”, the 5th day, not Friday, the 6th day.

 

(3) that Jesus was crucified on the day of preparation, the day before the Passover meal was eaten.  The Passover meal was eaten after 6 pm, which began the first day of the feast of week long celebration of the “Feast of Weeks”.    Jesus was crucified on the same day the Passover lamb was slain in order to fulfill the Feast of the Passover and become the perfect lamb of God that takes a way the sin of the world.

 

(4) that Jesus rose from the grave Sunday morning (to fulfill the feast of “First Fruits”).  After being in the ground 3 days and 3 nights, which means He was crucified and buried on “Thursday” not Friday.

 

(5) that Jesus was crucified 69 weeks of years after the decree by King Artaxerxes (to fulfill the prophesy of Daniel 9:25).  This date occurs on Thursday Nisan 14, 32 AD!

A Jewish day begins at sunset, in the same way the first day was created by God in Genesis 1:5.

“God called the light day, and the darkness He called night. And there was evening and there was morning, one day.”

This timeline shows the three days and three nights that Jesus was in the tomb before He rose Sunday morning.  This is only possible if He was crucified and placed in the tomb on “Good Thursday” not Friday.

.. 6pm               midnight   6am     9am-3pm      6pm        6am          6pm       6am         6pm        6am
__|__________________|____  +  _______|______|_______|______|_______|_______|__________
….  Last Supper  Garden    Pilate    Cross  Tomb     | *ePM  and FDUB    |     Sabbath            |              Christ Arose! 
….      day of preparation     Thursday 14th             |     Friday 15th        |     Sat 16th            |        Sun 17th
….. Jesus’ trail & crucifixion on Thursday  1 day      |  1 night | 2 days    | 2 nights | 3 days   | 3 nights |  Jesus seen 

      * eat Passover Meal (ePM) after 6 pm which also began the First Day of Unleavened Bread (FDUB)  – a day of rest

Note, “the Last Supper” that the disciples ate with Jesus was NOT the “Passover Meal” but they ate their last supper with Jesus on the day before the Passover meal was eaten, called the “Passover Day or the day of preparation”.  This day, like every Jewish day started at 6 pm, which is when the disciples had the last supper with Jesus.  On this day you would make preparation for the Passover meal by removing all the leavened bread from the house to prepare for the week long feast of unleavened bread.  On this day of preparation you would have the priest slay your Passover lamb and you would cook it for the Passover meal, after 6 pm, which would start a new day, a Sabbath Holy Day of rest, the first day of Unleavened Bread.  

The gospels of Matthew, Mark and Luke record that Jesus ate the Passover meal with them in the upper room but the gospel of John records that Jesus ate the meal the day before Passover.  There is no clear explanation of how Jesus shared eating the Passover Lamb with His disciples and also died as the Passover Lamb.  One explanation is that Jesus knew the “real” day of Passover and held it correctly with His disciples and then gave Himself as the Passover Lamb on the next day when the Jews observed Passover. This discrepancy in time keeping could have resulted when the Sun stood still for 24 hours and the Jews counted this period as one day but God counted it as two days (Joshua 10:13). 

 

Someone recently left a post a comment on a YT video that the difference in the observation of Passover is due to the way the Essene Jews observed Passover vs the Orthodox Jews.  The Essene Jews used a 364 calendar which in 30 AD was a day ahead of the Orthodox calendar.  This is a simple explanation and this article makes the case that Jesus was crucified on “Good Wednesday” in 30 AD.  http://theos-sphragis.info/essene_passover_dates.html

On the Passover day, the head of the household would take the lamb that the family had been observing for five days to the priest who would slay your Passover lamb (from noon to 6 pm) and sprinkle blood on the altar for the forgiveness of your sin.  You would then take the lamb home and cook the lamb with the bitter herbs and have the “Passover Meal“, called “the Seder meal“, that evening after 6 pm,  which began the first day of Unleavened bread at 6 pm.  The first day and the last day of the week long celebration of Unleavened bread was considered a “holy” day like the Sabbath, where no work was done (Exodus 12:16).  This was why the woman did not have time properly anoint the body of Jesus before His burial which had to be completed before 6 pm the on day of preparation for the Passover, on Thursday.

In other words, “good Friday” was the first day of the Unleavened bread feast.  It was like a Sabbath day where no work could be done.  The Jewish Sanhedrin group would not have traveled with the Roman guards to the garden to have Jesus arrested on the Sabbath and then convened a court to convict him because it was against the Jesus law to work on the Sabbath.  Also the Jewish people would have traveled on the Sabbath and convened at the governor’s palace, to shout for Pilate to crucify Jesus.  The Friday of Unleavened Bread was a Sabbath, a day of rest.  Then Saturday, was the Sabbath day of worship, a day of rest.  This is why the women had to wait until the first day of the week, Sunday, to anoint the body of Jesus … but of course by then Jesus had risen, just as He said!  (Mark 16:1-2)

Matthew 26:17 “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?” (KJV)

The King James Version italicizes the words “day” and “feast of”.   Any time you see italicized words in the KJV, this tells you that these words were not found in the original texts (in this case, the original Greek).  Italicized words were added by translators either to clarify the English, or because they thought it necessary to aid the overall meaning.  A better translation of this verse is Now [at] the first of unleavened bread, the disciples came to Jesus, saying unto Him, “Where will You that we prepare for You to eat the Passover?”

The Greek word translated “first” is protos.  It means the “foremost in time,” “foremost in order,” “beginning” or “to go before.”  This precisely describes how the Passover day always precedes or goes before the Days of Unleavened Bread. Leviticus 23:5-6 makes this pattern unmistakably clear. Therefore, this verse is not referring to the Holy Day that began the week long Feast of Unleavened Bread but it refers to the day of preparation “before” the week long Feast of Unleavened Bread.  Matthew 26:17 is a discussion that the disciples have with Jesus during Wednesday evening before 6 pm.  After 6 pm is was Thursday, the day to prepare for the Passover meal, the day the lamb was slaughtered, the day Jesus became the Passover lamb for all of mankind on the cross. 

On the day of Passover preparation, a search is made to find and remove all “leavened” bread and yeast from the home (Ex. 12:18-19).  Leaven or yeast is a symbol of “sin” in the Bible.  Leaven is a small sugar eating fungus that spreads through the whole batch of dough, causing it to “puff up” with trapped carbonated air as sugar is transformed into ethyl alcohol during the fermentation process.  The effect to the bread is actually beneficial, making it more light and tasty but it’s analogy relative to “sin” is that like leaven, just the tiniest bit of sin, infects the whole person and makes us “puff up” with pride.  By celebrating a week long celebration of Unleavened bread after the Passover lamb is slain, this remind us that after we are “saved” by the blood of the lamb we are to live every day of the week free from sin.

Jesus knew that He would not be around to share the Passover meal with His disciples.  Therefore the meal they shared was a not Seder meal of remembrance for their delivery from Egypt but a communion meal in remembrance of the ministry of Jesus and the “delivery from sin” that He was about to undergo.  It’s possible they had lamb at the Last Supper but the important elements were the “bread” and the “wine”, which represented the body and blood of Jesus that was going to be poured out on the cross for the forgiveness of sin.   

26While they were eating, Jesus took some bread, and after a blessing, He broke it and gave it to the disciples, and said, “Take, eat; this is My body.” 27And when He had taken a cup and given thanks, He gave it to them, saying, “Drink from it, all of you; 28for this is My blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many for forgiveness of sins. . 29“But I say to you, I will not drink of this fruit of the vine from now on until that day when I drink it new with you in My Father’s kingdom.” – Matthew 26:26-29

In summary, the “Passover Day” is the day of “preparation” when the Passover lamb was slayed.  The “Passover Meal” would be served after 6 pm which by Jewish reckoning started a new day … in this case the first day of the week long celebration of Unleavened Bread.

This article does a good job of reviewing the pros and cons of whether or not Jesus ate the Passover Seder with His disciples.   https://bible.org/question/was-last-supper-passover-seder

The Passover Day occurs on the 14th day of the month of Nisan (and the week long celebration of the Unleavened Bread begins on April 15th). The Passover day does not come on the same day of the week each year and it does not vary by one day of week each year like Christmas does for us because we use a Gregorian Calendar of 365 days, a solar year, the time it takes the earth to revolve around the sun (52 weeks x 7 = 364) + 1 = 365. The one extra day each year means that if today’s date is Wednesday, next year it will be on Thursday (unless of course it’s a leap year in which case it will be Friday).  The Jewish year is based on the lunar cycle of 29.5 days, and in order to keep the seasons in sync with the solar year, they add an extra month every two or three years.  For every 19 years there is an extra month added in 7 of those years. The extra month is called Adar Sheni or Adar II and it is added to ever 3rd, 6th, 8th, 11th, 14th, 17th and 19th year.

After the Spring or Vernal Equinox and when the barley is ripe (Aviv), the Jewish or Bible year begins with the sighting of the Crescent New Moon. The Vernal Equinox is when the day light and night time are even in duration.  Then the first moon after the Vernal Equinox begins the Jewish year, Nisan 1.  It is during the first moon month of Nisan when the first three feasts are observed.   After that the Feast of Weeks occurs in the third moon month and the final three feasts occurring in the seventh moon month.  The seven moon months keep the Jewish life in motion and connected to God.  Just like the configuration of the Menorah with its 7 candlesticks, 3-1-3.  God’s perfect design is seen in all He does.  On the 10th day of Nisan the Passover lamb was selected and on the 14th day of Nisan the lamb was sacrificed before sunset.  Then after sunset, which began the 15th day of Nisan, the lamb was eaten in what is called the Passover meal, the Sedar, which also marked the first day of the 7 day feast of Unleavened Bread.  Jesus was crucified on Nisan 14th before sunset (the Passover Day) and then the Passover Seder (dinner) was observed after sunset on the 15th, the first day of Unleavened Bread.

Exodus 12:   1Now the LORD said to Moses and Aaron in the land of Egypt, 2“This month shall be the beginning of months for you; it is to be the first month of the year to you. 3“Speak to all the congregation of Israel, saying, ‘On the tenth of this month they are each one to take a lamb for themselves, according to their fathers’ households, alamb for each household. 4‘Now if the household is too small for a lamb, then he and his neighbor nearest to his house are to take one according to the number of persons in them; according to what each man should eat, you are to divide the lamb. 5‘Your lamb shall be an unblemished male a year old; you may take it from the sheep or from the goats. 6‘You shall keep it until the fourteenth day of the same month, then the whole assembly of the congregation of Israel is to kill it at twilight

Twilight  – the soft glowing light from the sky when the sun is below the horizon, caused by the refraction and scattering of the sun’s rays from the atmosphere.   synonyms:half-light, semidarkness, gloom  

Nisan      

10 – Sunday – Lamb selected and approved by the Temple

11 – Monday – Observed

12 – Tuesday – Observed

13 – Wednesday – Observed

14 – Thursday – Jesus on the cross gave up His Spirit at 3 pm (Mark 15:25) and was in the tomb before 6 pm (day 

15 – Friday – (night 1, day 2)

16 – Saturday – (night 2, day 3)

17 – Sunday – (night 3)    sunrise 6 am …. He is Risen !

Therefore in order for Jesus to be fulfill the promise of being our Passover lamb, He was crucified on the same day as the Passover, Nisan 14, Thursday.  I searched the Internet to see what day of the week did Nisan 14 fall on from the years 29 AD to 33 AD.  However, in the Internet world there is not a consensus of date and days of weeks, which is a little worrisome.  One thing that complicates the issue is that the Jews recognized a day beginning at sunset to the next sunset, while the Romans, as we do today, recognized a day from midnight to midnight.  Most Bible commentators pick “Friday” 33 AD as the date of Jesus’ crucifixion but as stated many times His crucifixion and burial had to occur on Thursday, so He could fulfill the sign of Jonah, of 3 days and 3 nights in the tomb. 

Consider this, there is a growing movement in America of people called “Q” who are questioning the globalism movement of the Deep State.  Q is the 17th letter of the alphabet which is interesting and 17 stands for victory in the Bible.  The number 17 is the combination of “7” which is God’s perfect number of divinity (7 days of creation) and “10” which is God’s perfect number for the obedience of man toward God (10 commandments).   Jesus is the only one who is God (7) and perfect man (10).  Jesus rose on Sunday the 17th of Nisan!  And 7+1 = 8, which is the beginning of a new week and 8 means eternity, it looks like the symbol for infinity.  Is this a coincidence or evidence of the amazing order and wonderful work of God! 

http://peacecrusader.wordpress.com/2009/07/19/was-jesus-crucified-sometime-in-a-d-30/

Nisan 14, 29 A.D. – Saturday, April 14
Nisan 14, 30 A.D. – Wednesday, April 3
Nisan 14, 31 A.D. – Monday, March 24
Nisan 14, 32 A.D. – Monday, April 12
Nisan 14, 33 A.D. – Friday, April 1          –  Most sites say Friday occurred on April 3rd

http://www.ncregister.com/blog/jimmy-akin/when-precisely-did-jesus-die-the-year-month-day-and-hour-revealed#ixzz34RLdVL8E

Nisan 14, 29 A.D. – Monday, April 18
Nisan 14, 30 A.D. – Friday, April 7
Nisan 14, 31 A.D. – Tuesday, March 27
Nisan 14, 32 A.D. – Monday, April 14
Nisan 14, 33 A.D. – Friday, April 3            – Most pick this date because it’s on a Friday
Nisan 14, 34 A.D. – Wednesday, March 24

http://www.judaismvschristianity.com/Passover_dates.htm 

Nisan 14, 29 A.D. – Monday, April 18
Nisan 14, 30 A.D. – Friday, April 7
Nisan 14, 31 A.D. – Wednesday, April 25
Nisan 14, 32 A.D. – Monday, April 14
Nisan 14, 33 A.D. – Saturday, April 3      
Nisan 14, 34 A.D. – Thursday, April 22     – this is a possible date*

http://www.marieslibrary.com/PDF_Articles/JesusDiedHebrewCalendar.pdf

Nisan 14, 28 A.D. – Monday, March 29
Nisan 14, 29 A.D. – Saturday, April 16
Nisan 14, 30 A.D. – Wednesday, April 5    – a possible date for Good Wednesday
Nisan 14, 31 A.D. – Monday, March 26
Nisan 14, 32 A.D. – Monday, April 14
Nisan 14, 33 A.D. – Friday, April 3        – most pick this date because it’s on a Friday

http://endtimepilgrim.org/70wks1.htm  

This site states that the Passover occurred on:

Nisan 14, 32 AD Passover – Thursday, April 6      *  Bingo!   This is Good Thursday!

This date also matches “exact date” when “69” of the “70” weeks of judgment (or 483 years) were completed by the Jews as prophesied by Daniel 9:24-27.  This is an amazing prophetic timeline that was first published by Sir Robert Anderson in 1894 in his book “The Coming Prince“.

    Daniel 9:: 24“Seventy weeks have been decreed for your people and your holy city, to finish the transgression, to make an end of sin, to make atonement for iniquity, to bring in everlasting righteousness, to seal up vision and prophecy and to anoint the most holy place. 25“So you are to know and discern that from the issuing of a decree to restore and rebuild Jerusalem until Messiah the Prince there will be seven weeks and sixty-two weeks; it will be built again, with plaza and moat, even in times of distress. 26“Then after the sixty-two weeks the Messiah will be cut off and have nothing, and the people of the prince who is to come will destroy the city and the sanctuary. And its end will come with a flood; even to the end there will be war; desolations are determined. 27“And he will make a firm covenant with the many for one week, but in the middle of the week he will put a stop to sacrifice and grain offering; and on the wing of abominations will come one who makes desolate, even until a complete destruction, one that is decreed, is poured out on the one who makes desolate.”

History records that this prophetic countdown of 69 week or 483 years began when the Medo-Persian King Artaxerxes issued this decree on March 14, 445 B.C. and it concluded in the year 32 A.D. on April 6 (Good Thursday) when Christ hung upon the cross as the Passover lamb to take away the sin of the world.  At this moment the Jews were “cut off” (Daniel 9:26) from God’s evangelism plan for earth and put “on hold” while the “church age” was ushered in to fulfill the Great Commission (Matthew 28:19).  After the rapture of the church, the last seven years of judgment for the Jews (or the last week of judgment) will be accomplished during the Tribulation period and once again the Jews like the 144,000 in Revelation 7:4 will be used to proclaim the gospel message.  Then when the seven year Tribulation period is completed the Jews will look upon Him whom they pierced and recognize Jesus as their Messiah (Zechariah 12:10).

There are seven feasts that Moses gave the Jews to recognize and remember their deliverance from Egypt (Leviticus 23).  Each of these seven feast are also “sign” of a prophetic event that will happen in the future (once for the Jews and once for the Gentiles)!  Note, that the feasts are arranged like the Menorah Lamp-stand (3-1-3) with three feasts being in the spring, the middle feast in the summer and the last three feasts in the fall.

This is so beautiful, please listen to Resurrection Hallelujah by Kelly Mooney:

Here is the detail timeline of the last week of Jesus upon the earth:

The-Final-Passover-Week1

http://die2live.worthyofpraise.org/wp-content/uploads/2015/03/The-Final-Passover-Week1.pdf

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