Jesus… Death & Resurrection

Between Jesus’ baptism at age 30 (The Jewish Levites began their priestly service at age thirty (Numbers 4:3, 23, 30, 35) and His death at age 33 (based on the number of Passovers recorded in John and the other events of His ministry), He performs many miracles and teaches many parables. Here are a couple of charts organizing the two:

The 10th day of the 1st month. Nisan 10. That date on the calendar popped up a few times in our study. Today the Jewish people call it Yom HaAliyah, or Aliyah Day and it is a national holiday in Israel.

Here are some things we see that happened in the Old Testament on this date:

God instructed Moses to take an unblemished male lamb to separate it and watch over it for 4 days. This lamb would be sacrificed on Passover at twilight, before the end of Nisan 14. Its blood would be placed on the side posts and upper doorpost of the house in which it would be eaten. Exodus 12:1-6
Israel crossed the Jordan and encamped in Gilgal in the east border of Jericho. Joshua 4:19
Ezekiel saw the vision of a new city and a new temple of the restored kingdom. Ezekiel 40-48

Jesus fulfilled the pattern of the “sacrificed lamb.” He entered Jerusalem on this day to acclamations of “Hosanna to the Son of David! Blessed is He who comes in the name of the LORD!” We know this day as “Palm Sunday“. At that time, no one understood that He was coming as the Passover Lamb, the One born 33 years before in Bethlehem where the Passover lambs were born and inspected by the Temple Shepherds. Matthew 21:1-11

Over the next several days from Nisan 10 to Nisan 14, Jesus preached many sermons and parables.

Finally, Passover came and he instructed His disciples to prepare for it. As Jesus went through the Passover Seder with His disciples, we see Him not partaking of the cups of wine. There are four cups in the typical Passover Seder and Jesus is about to fulfill them all in His body. Here are a couple of haggadahs (tellings) you can read through:

a-messianic-family-haggadah-messiah-in-the-passover.docx-google-docs-1 Download

passover_haggadah Download

After the Passover Seder was finished, they headed out to the Garden of Gethsemane (Oil Press). It was here that Jesus prayed three separate times for a cup to be removed. Remember the cups of Passover? He means those cups. During this time His sweat became like blood dropping to the ground. This fulfilled the second cup of Passover, the Cup of Plagues also known as the Cup of Wrath. In the Seder, the people place drops of wine out of their cups onto their plates as they recite the plagues. Jesus lived this out and needed an angel to help strengthen Him.

Jesus was then betrayed by Judas and handed over to the authorities. Of course, no fault was found in Jesus but the people would not let up. They were given a choice between releasing Jesus or Barabbas, another prisoner. They chose Barabbas. This would fulfill the law of the scapegoat. The guilty was set free. Leviticus 16 For more information, check out Who was Barabbas in the Bible?

GARDEN TOMB

The timeline of events during Jesus’ last week have been skewed over the centuries. When you understand the Jewish Passover and the Jewish High Sabbath days in addition to regular Sabbath days, you understand the timeline much better.

Jesus was crucified in a place named “the Skull” (Golgotha in Aramaic). Matthew 27:33, Mark 15:22, Luke 23:33, and John 19:17 This happened on a Thursday. This may throw some people off since we traditionally observe His death on Good Friday. This isn’t the only calendar issue we have with Biblical dates though. Jesus wasn’t born on December 25 and everyone knows it, but we continue to celebrate on that day anyway. In case you’re wondering, the dating of Easter is off too. That timing was changed so that we could always celebrate on a Sunday. It should actually follow the Jewish Passover. BUT, when we celebrate isn’t as important as the fact that we do. But if you learn the real calendar times, you can celebrate twice.

The Feast of Unleavened Bread is the day after Passover and it is a High Sabbath day. That Friday is the day Joseph of Arimathea was preparing for. There would be a regular Saturday Sabbath day after that.

The accounts of the death, burial and resurrection of Jesus can be found in:

Matthew 28:1-10

Mark 16:1-14

Luke 24:1-44

John 20:1-29

There were certain times of the day that sacrifices were made. Look at this chart and compare the time Jesus went on the cross until the time He breathed His last. Putting the Gospel accounts together, Jesus was crucified at the third hour, darkness descended at the sixth hour until the ninth hour, and He died about the ninth hour. Jesus was on the cross for six hours, three of those in total darkness. Matthew 27:45-51, Mark 15:25, Luke 23:44-47

daily-sacrifice Download

Three days later on the Feast of Firstfruits, Jesus rose from the dead. Years later, Paul will remind us that Jesus fulfilled this feast:

²⁰But Christ has indeed been raised from the dead, the Firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep. ²¹For since death came through a man, the resurrection of the dead comes also through a man. ²²For as in Adam all die, so in Christ all will be made alive. ²³But each in turn: Christ, the Firstfruits; then, when he comes, those who belong to him. 1 Corinthians 15:20-23

After this we see Jesus making appearances all over town at various times just popping in and out of the physical realm. Jesus wasn’t the only one surprising folks. Matthew 27:52-53 tell us “⁵²the tombs broke open. The bodies of many holy people who had died were raised to life. ⁵³They came out of the tombs after Jesus’ resurrection and went into the holy city and appeared to many people.”

EMMAUS

Only the Gospel of Luke tells the “Road to Emmaus” story. It’s found in Luke 24:1-49.

Verse 27 says “And beginning with Moses and all the Prophets, he explained to them what was said in all the Scriptures concerning himself.”

Can you imagine that lesson? We know it was powerful because once their eyes were opened and Jesus disappeared, verse 32 says “They asked each other, ‘Were not our hearts burning within us while he talked with us on the road and opened the Scriptures to us?’”

THE ASCENSION

Finally on the 40th day after the resurrection (and the counting of the Omer), we see Him ascend into Heaven. The disciples stood there looking dumbfounded into the sky. Two angels had to come and tell them ¹¹“Men of Galilee,” they said, “why do you stand here looking into the sky? This same Jesus, who has been taken from you into heaven, will come back in the same way you have seen him go into heaven.” Acts 1:11

For the next 9 days, the disciples wait in Jerusalem like Jesus has asked. They weren’t told it would be 9 days though. But they knew that Shavuot was coming, the 50th day, the day of rejoicing of the giving of the Torah. Did they think that maybe Jesus would do something on that day?

Finally on the 5oth day, on Shavuot on the Feast of Pentecost, the Holy Spirit was sent, just like Jesus said it would be.

Now it is time for the Bride of Christ to await His return. Revelation 19-20 gives us what that will look like in the future. A new Jerusalem will be set up. It will be the shape of a cube just like the Holy of Holies was in the old tabernacle and temple. This time the Lord God Almighty and the Lamb are its temple. The Tree of Life will be there too and Eden will be restored. But there is still so much more to happen before that day. There is a rapture, a wedding feast, a tribulation period, a 1000 year reign… and the order of all that is hotly debated among scholars. But they will happen.

⁶The angel told John, “These words are trustworthy and true… ¹²“Look, I am coming soon! My reward is with me, and I will give to each person according to what they have done. ¹³I am the Alpha and the Omega, the First and the Last, the Beginning and the End. Revelation 22:6,12-13

Extra Charts & Resources:

The Bible Project Video: The Death of Jesus

The Bible Project Video: The Crucifixion of Jesus

The Bible Project Video: The Resurrection of Jesus

The Bible Project Video: Pentecost

The Bible Project Blog: Why did Jesus Rise on the Third Day?

The Bible Project Podcast: The Character of God Series Ep 10 Two Men Named Jesus

The Bible Recap podcast: Matthew 2 6 , Mark 14

The Bible Recap podcast: Luke 22, John 13

The Bible Recap podcast: Matthew 27, Mark 15

The Bible Recap podcast: Luke 23, John 18-19

The Bible Recap podcast: Matthew 28, Mark 16