The Timing of Jesus' Death

I find it very interesting to look at the timing of the death of Jesus.  And there are facts around this particular time that I find most people unaware.  So we will take a close look in this blog at the timing and events of His death.

First we should note that Jesus kept the Old Law, the Jewish Law throughout His lifetime.  He didn't start Christianity; He taught, prepared the Way; but He left the actual beginnings of it for His apostles to carry out (see Acts 1 and especially Acts 2).  In demonstration of this fact, we see that Jesus met with His apostles just before His death in the upper room to partake of the Passover feast, a key Jewish feast.  Immediately following His celebrating the Passover, Jesus is taken by the Jewish leaders, tried, turned over to the Roman authorities, and all events move to the crucifixion.  He is taken down from the cross before the Passover Sabbath to be in accord with Jewish law.  But note that this Passover Sabbath is especially important for several reasons.  It is the last one in which Jesus will partake.  It begins the process of the death of Jesus.  It is the occasion of the teaching of the Lord's Supper, the communion.  And in fact, it is the last real Passover, for Christianity is about to begin in its fullness and the Jewish Law will no longer be in effect.  Finally, it begins a 50 day period that concludes with the Jewish feast of Pentecost...Pente meaning 50 in the Hebrew.

Acts 1:3 tells us that "...He presented Himself alive after His suffering by many infallible proofs, being seen by them during forty days and speaking of the things pertaining to the kingdom of God."  This is the only verse in the Bible where we learn that Jesus spent 40 days showing Himself on the earth after his resurrection from the dead.  And of course He would teach about the kingdom of God because it was about to begin in its fullness.

But thinking about the Pente, the 50 day period, it began on the Passover Sabbath, Saturday, Jesus rose on Sunday; that is one day; then Jesus was alive for 40 days; that is 41 days into the 50.  And we read in Acts 1 that Jesus told the apostles to wait in Jerusalem for the power of the Holy Spirit to come.  That happens on Sunday, the day of Pentecost, 50 days after the Passover Sabbath.  So Jesus ascended into heaven, see Acts 1:9, and it was just a few days of waiting by the apostles before they were endued by the Holy Spirit with the power, the power to do miracles, heal, etc, on the day of Pentecost, described in detail in Acts 2. 

This period between the last Passover feast and the Pentecost feast was an amazing period, a period in which Jesus brought to an end His ministry....and His life on this earth.  And it was a beginning.  a beginning of the church, of Christianity, of growth. 

Thanks for reading.  Feel the love.