The Calendar Of Events Surrounding The Death Of Christ
Note: In Biblical days, the 24 hour daily cycle was divided into two equal parts: night and day – the night preceding the day, Genesis 1:5,8,13,19,23,31. The sun controlled the day, and the moon the night, John 11:9. In Biblical days, the day started at 6:00pm (in the evening) and ended at 6:00pm the next evening. Our days are reckoned from 12:00 midnight to 12:00 midnight.
SATURDAY: Mark 11:1-11: Jesus entered Jerusalem. The world says He entered on Palm Sunday. He entered the Temple as His custom was on the Sabbath. Mark 11:11, He returned to Bethany.
SUNDAY: Mark 11:12-19: He returns to Jerusalem. On the way, He curses the fig tree. Mark 11:15-19, He cleanses the Temple. Mark 11:19, Jesus goes back to Bethany.
MONDAY: Mark 11:20: Jesus returned to Jerusalem by the same route and sees the withered fig tree. Mark 11:27–Mark 14:1, Jesus teaches and answers questions. Mark 14:1…In 2 days (Wednesday) would be the Passover.
TUESDAY: Mark 14:12-16: The day before the Passover, the Preparation Day. The Jewish Passover began on the 14th day of the month Abib or Nisan, by killing the lamb that was caught on the 10th day of the month, Exodus 12:3-6. The Passover is a type of Christ – 1 Corinthians 5:7. The Passover lasted 7 days. The first day of the Passover (the 15th) and the last day were High Sabbaths (annual). – Leviticus 23:4-8.
WEDNESDAY: Their Wednesday began at 6:00pm…our Tuesday (see above note.) During this time, Jesus ate the Passover with His disciples, and instituted the Lord’s Supper, Mark 14:22-25. Mark 14:26-52, Tuesday evening (Wednesday Jewish time) they go out to the Garden of Gethsemane, where Christ prays and is arrested. Mark 14:53-72, The trial of Christ before the Sanhedrin, in the night hours (our Tuesday, their Wednesday.) Mark 15:1-25, The trial before Pilate and the crucifixion in the third hour of the day, which would be 9:00am Wednesday, our time. Wednesday, He is on the cross. Mark 15:33, There is darkness from the sixth to the ninth hours (12:00 noon to 3:00pm.) Mark 15:42-47, In the afternoon before 6:00pm, His death and burial, which would make it before the beginning of the next day, which was a High Sabbath (not the weekly Sabbath)…see John 19:31. So, before 6:00pm Wednesday, Christ was placed in the tomb.
THURSDAY: Matthew 27:62-66: Guards are placed at the tomb.
FRIDAY & SATURDAY: He is in the tomb. Saturday ended at 6:00pm.
SUNDAY: The tomb is visited, Matthew 28:1-7. Matthew 28:1 – as it begins to “dawn,” speaking of daylight. NOTE: Sunday (the first day of the week) had begun at 6:00pm Saturday, our time. Matthew 28:6, The tomb is already empty. He was in the tomb Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday nights…three nights. He was in the tomb Thursday, Friday, and Saturday…three days, just as He had said – Matthew 12:39-40. This is essential to have the gospel according to the scriptures – 1 Corinthians 15:1-4. He arose after 6:00pm Saturday evening, which was the Jewish first day of the week. So, we observe the first day of the week as the Lord’s Day. It is to be observed weekly on the first day of the week, rather than on an annual basis, just as the Old Testament Sabbath was observed weekly. If it were an annual observance, God would command it and it would fall on a different day of the week every year, just as any other annual holiday does…see 1 John 2:21.
SHARING
Christ’s Atonement
THE OLD TESTAMENT FORESHADOWED THROUGH ITS TYPES AND CEREMONIES, THE ATONING WORK OF CHRIST TO COME. When He came, He fulfilled them, manifesting the Old Testament’s work of projecting what the New testament revealed. Here are a few examples: when Christ died on the cross, His last words were, “It is finished.” (John 19:30)
–A covering for sin and its shame was provided through Christ’s redemption, typified by the coats of skin by which God clothed Adam and Eve, Genesis 3.
–A more excellent sacrifice was offered by which man is made acceptable to God, typified in Abel’s offering, Genesis 4.
–A shelter from the storm of God’s wrath was furnished through Christ’s atonement, typified by the ark for Noah, Genesis 6-8.
–The substitutionary death of Christ, pictured by the offering of the ram caught by his own horns (power), in the stead of Isaac, Genesis 22.
–The deliverance from the death angel, typified by the applied shed blood of the Passover lamb, was supplied by faith in Christ’s blood, Exodus 12.
–Salvation from the serpent’s bite, typified by the brazen serpent raised up on a pole for man to look unto and live, was provided for by faith in Christ’s death on the cross for our sins, Numbers 21.
–The provision of a life-giving fountain, typified by Moses’s striking (smiting) of the rock and water came forth, was provided by Christ, Who is the Water of life, Exodus 17:6 & John 4:14.
AND THE LIST GOES ON AND ON.
But, the important matter is, have you seen that the atonement Christ made was for you, personally, and have you ever trusted Him by faith for the salvation of your soul? Friend, there is nothing any greater than redemption’s story, Christ dying in the place of sinners–the Just, for the unjust.
Sad to say, few are letting their mind’s eye catch the glory of God’s redeeming grace–“This is a faithful saying and worthy of all acceptation, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners; of whom I am chief.” 1 Timothy 1:15.
Many are ignoring God’s call to repentance and treating lightly the blood of Christ shed for them. Though one may easily reject God’s invitation to salvation in this life, the hard part will be when they are rejected by God unto being cast into the lake of fire.
DON’T LET THIS HAPPEN TO YOU!!
“Behold now is the accepted time; behold, now is the day of salvation.” 2 Corinthians 6:2
“Today if ye will hear his voice, harden not your hearts, as in the provocation.” Hebrews 3:15
Take Heart!
“Now unto him that is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that worketh in us.” Ephesians 3:20
In most cases, if there is a project or a problem that we think we can handle, we remain upbeat about it. But once it goes beyond our ability to change or control, we grow weary in despair. We think the worst and we start contemplating what our losses will be.
But God tells us that when we reach the end of our resources, it is just the beginning of His. He tells us there is nothing too hard for the Lord. The fact of the matter is, when it comes to spiritual accomplishments, without Him, we can do nothing.
Another fact to consider, what we may think to be the end of the road, may just very well be the beginning of God working. When Joseph was sold into slavery, it seemed like a sure dead end. But it rather proved to be God’s highway of preparing Joseph for great position, power, and service.
Our God is a great parent! He uses His Word to teach us. But He also is able to use our mistakes to correct us. God’s forbearance allows us to realize the vanity of going our own way, rather than abiding with His will. Sometimes God allows His own to run their own course for a while and reap the consequences, so they will come to themselves and realize what they had in their Father’s house.
So whether it be loved ones or circumstances that you may think you have lost ground with, accept Christ’s invitation to bring it all unto Him for Him to do beyond all that you could ask or think. Our God specializes in things thought impossible.
Not only do we need to invoke God’s power to do all things for our own peace of mind, but also as our primary leverage to prove our case. When the three Hebrew children resisted Nebuchadnezzar’s command to worship his golden image, their knowledge that God was able, not only was their consolation, but it proved to be the challenge that brought about their victory in the eyes of the king (Daniel 3:17,28-30.) So the way to overcome is to take our stand with God, knowing that He is able to prove all things to all people.
Lest we be a miserable comforter like Job’s friends were, may we strive to perceive when our brethren are wrestling with a matter beyond their control, and rather than look for a failure to criticize, may we lift their hands and hearts up with the fact that with the Lord there is always hope, even in areas beyond our thinking ability.
We have no foe God cannot confound. We have no mountain that He cannot make plain. But we do need to believe in and give full honor to His power, in order to make room for it in our lives. For God works where God is being glorified! Ask David – 1 Samuel 17:45-47.
SHARING
