During this period in the season of Lent, I have noticed that there is certainly a shift in public view on the religion of Christianity. Many special interest groups are now actively trying to discredit the authenticity of the Scriptures in order to transform society as they deem fit. I have to confess, I do spend a considerable amount of time on the social media sites, probably more time that I should, but I will confess to all that another time. See, I brought up social media, as this is the medium where I noticed the strongest systematic effort to thwart Christianity’s view of social morals, and even more concerning, their efforts to remove all Christian traditions and holidays from society.
Don’t get me wrong. The Facebook, Instagram, Twitter naysayers are not oblivious to the significance of Holy Week to the Christendom. In fact, it is for this reason that they cannot resist the temptation to discredit this special time in the worship lives of Christians. The common attack I noticed this year is the mockery of the observation of Good Friday pertaining to the fact that it is only 2 days from Easter Sunday. They say that Sunday is not three days, three nights away from Friday. This they say is proof that the Bible is inaccurate. Without a true understanding of the Jewish calendar and feast days, then one will be sure to think that they are correct. However, there are both Biblical as well historical explanations to this perceived error of how the week is observed by Christians.
Matthew 12:39-40 NIV
He answered, “A wicked and adulterous generation asks for a sign! But none will be given it except the sign of the prophet Jonah. For as Jonah was three days and three nights in the belly of a huge fish, so the Son of Man will be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth.”
On the Jewish calendar, Holy Week occurs during the month of Nisan, the first month of the year on the Jewish calendar, which fall within the months of March and April on today’s Western calendar. Now, to explain this perception, that the Friday observation is inconsistent with parts of Biblical recordings, it will be more advantageous to take a look into the week as a whole. We will have to examine this most important week in the history of mankind to garner a full understanding of the sequence of occurrence.
First, we have to take in consideration that the events, as recorded in the Scriptures, are based on the Jewish calendar. Unlike the calendars of today, the Jewish calendar days start at sundown on the previous day. For example, Sunday, the 1st day of the week actually starts at sundown on Saturday (approx. 6p.m.) of the previous week.
Now Passover is observed on the 14th day in the month of Nisan; this means that Passover begins on the evening of the 13th. During the Holy Week, the 13th was on Wednesday. This shows that Jesus did not eat the Passover with the disciples. We know that the Passover is to be eaten on the evening of the 14th. The fact that Jesus did not ate the Passover with the disciples is further proven within the Gospels as Jesus discussed his impending crucifixion with the disciples during the Last Supper.
Luke 22:15-16
And He said to them, “I have eagerly desired to eat this Passover with you before I suffer. For I tell you, I will not eat it again until it finds fulfillment in the kingdom of God.”
Jesus have knew that His sacrificial death would take place that very day before the feast of the Passover meal was to be celebrated. Jesus Himself would not have been able to take part because of His crucifixion and death on the cross.
John 13:27-29
As soon as Judas took the bread, Satan entered into him. So Jesus told him, “What you are about to do, do quickly.” But no one at the meal understood why Jesus said this to him. Since Judas had charge of the money, some thought Jesus was telling him to buy what was needed for the festival, or to give something for the poor.
This had occurred during the meal which is now known as the Last Super, on the evening before the Passover. If this was not so, the disciples would not have believed that Jesus was sending Judas to purchase what was needed to prepare the meal for the Passover festival.
Further proof that the Last Supper was not the Passover meal: Jesus was arrested that night and the Jew would not have done anything on the night the Passover was to be eaten. This would have rendered them unclean to partake in the festival. Last but not least, in proving that the Last Supper was not on the day of the festival, the crucifixion of Jesus was stated to be the “day of preparation for the Passover Week”. This is further confirmation that Jesus was the perfect sacrifice, a perfect Passover Lamp to cover all the sins of mankind. The parallel of Jesus being the fulfillment of the Jewish Festivals during Holy Week and beyond began to unravel on the first day of this special week. It was custom for the Jews to choose the Paschal Lamb on the 10th day of the month. The chosen lamb was to be prepared for the sacrifice of the people sins on the 14th. The 10th day of the month was Sunday, the first day of the week. It was Sunday, the 10th when Jesus rode in to Jerusalem on a donkey and was chosen by the people as the Messiah, which means deliverer. The 10th is known today as Palm Sunday. Little did the people know that they had chosen the perfect Sacrificial Lamb, that they had welcomed the Christ into the city, waving palm branches with shouts of acclamation; Hosanna to the Highest!! If only they knew, that through Him, their sins were forgiven, and that there would no longer be any need for the sacrificing of animals or any more need for the Passover Festival.
Exodus 12:5-6 KJV
Your lamb shall be without blemish, a male of the first year: ye shall take it out from the sheep, or from the goats: 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.
Now, after the lamb was chosen on the 10th day of Nisan, the people of Israel were to examine the lamb over the next three days, which are the 11th, 12th, and 13th, to assure that it was spotless, a requirement for the Passover Feast. Well, we know that during these three days, Jesus was challenged repeatedly by the Pharisees, who were trying to find flaws in Jesus’ message. They approached Jesus numerous times in an effort to discredit Him publicly. The effort to discredit Jesus failed miserably for the challengers as they could not find any blemishes in His message or character.
They questioned Jesus’ authority.
Matthew 21:23-27 NIV
Jesus entered the temple courts, and, while He was teaching, the chief priests and the elders of the people came to Him. “By what authority are you doing these things?” they asked. “And who gave you this authority?” Jesus replied, “I will also ask you one question. If you answer Me, I will tell you by what authority I am doing these things. John’s baptism—where did it come from? Was it from heaven, or of human origin?” They discussed it among themselves and said, “If we say, ‘From heaven,’ he will ask, ‘Then, why didn’t you believe him?’ But if we say, ‘Of human origin’—we are afraid of the people, for they all hold that John was a prophet.” So they answered Jesus, “We don’t know.” Then he said, “Neither will I tell you by what authority I am doing these things.”
They tested Jesus against earthly kingdom and heavenly kingdom.
Matthew 22:15-22 NIV
Then the Pharisees went out and laid plans to trap Him in His words. They sent their disciples to Him along with the Herodians. “Teacher,” they said, “we know that You are a man of integrity and that You teach the way of God in accordance with the truth. You aren’t swayed by others, because You pay no attention to who they are. Tell us then, what is Your opinion? Is it right to pay the imperial tax to Caesar or not?” But Jesus, knowing their evil intent, said, “You hypocrites, why are you trying to trap Me? Show Me the coin used for paying the tax.” They brought Him a denarius, and He asked them, “Whose image is this? And whose inscription?” “Caesar’s,” they replied. Then He said to them, “So give back to Caesar what is Caesar’s, and to God what is God’s.” When they heard this, they were amazed. So they left Him and went away.
So, now we have established that the Last Supper was not eaten on the Passover, we will turn our attention to the event during the day of the 14th; the day Jesus was crucified.
Leviticus 23:5 KJV
In the fourteenth day of the first month at even is the Lord’s Passover.
In the late of the day, on the 14th, the Passover is be observed which continues in the early hours of the 15th. This day is Thursday, the day of the Crucifixion. Now, I know you might begin to question the accuracy of this, since we know that the Jews were worried about the Sabbath, as it approached that evening. Well, this is what is referred as a Special Sabbath. The 15th day of month Nisan, is to be observed as a Special Sabbath no matter what day of the week it falls on. Some referred to this as High Holy Day. If this day, the 15th, falls on a Friday, then that Friday and the Saturday are to be observed as Sabbaths. The 15th is also known as the Feast of the Unleavened Bread. This is one of the Special feasts day that was observed as a Sabbath day.
Jesus was crucified on what is known today as Holy Thursday. We know that the Pharisees were in a hurry to wrap up the crucifixion so they could move on with the celebration of the Sabbath without defiling themselves first.
John 19:31NIV
Now it was the day of Preparation, and the next day was to be a special Sabbath. Because the Jewish leaders did not want the bodies left on the crosses during the Sabbath, they asked Pilate to have the legs broken and the bodies taken down.
The KJV states it this way:
The Jews, therefore, because it was the preparation, that the bodies should not remain upon the cross on the Sabbath day, (for that Sabbath day was a high day,) besought Pilate that their legs might be broken, and that they might be taken away.
So we see that in the NIV, the 15th was described as a Special Sabbath, and in the KJV, it was interpreted as the High Day. Whichever way that you want to view the 15th, High Holy Day or Special Sabbath, it is obvious that the Jews observed the day as they would have the ordinary Sabbath, which is every Saturday. This is further proof that the Friday was a Special Sabbath. Then, Jesus the Lamb of God, died and was buried on Thursday, the 14th day of Nisan. Now Jesus rested on the Sabbaths which was Friday the 15th and Saturday the 16th.
Deuteronomy 16:3-4 NIV
Do not eat it with bread made with yeast, but for seven days eat unleavened bread, the bread of affliction, because you left Egypt in haste—so that all the days of your life you may remember the time of your departure from Egypt. Let no yeast be found in your possession in all your land for seven days. Do not let any of the meat you sacrifice on the evening of the first day remain until morning.
Now to further expound on the Feast of the Unleavened bread and its significance to Jesus’ death and burial, let’s look into what this feast means to the Jewish people. This feast was celebrated to remember the Israelites’ exodus from Egypt. Because the move out of Egypt was done in a hurry, the leaven was left out of the bread because there was such a haste to flee Egypt. Because the leaven was left out the bread, also known as matzah, it was not subjected to fermentation which leads to decay. Leaven also represents sin and elevated pride. This is the fulfillment of the prophecy that Jesus’ body would not be left to decay: Psalm 16:10 NIV
“…because you will not abandon me to the realm of the dead, nor will you let your faithful one see decay.”
The Feast of the Unleavened Bread, is a parallel symbolic celebration that our Lord, Who is without sin, would not be subjected to having His body decay. The Lord Jesus, a man who was free of all corruption, the perfect sacrifice, humbly endured the pain and shame of the cross, that we all can have everlasting life, was laid in a tomb.
1 Corinthians 15:20-23 NIV
But Christ has indeed been raised from the dead, the Firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep. For since death came through a man, the resurrection of the dead comes also through a man. For as in Adam all die, so in Christ all will be made alive. But each in turn: Christ, the Firstfruits; then, when he comes, those who belong to him.
Hallelujah, the Lord has risen!!
On the Sunday following the Passover, the Jews celebrate the Feast of the First Fruit.
Leviticus 23:10-12 NIV
“Speak to the Israelites and say to them: ‘When you enter the land I am going to give you and you reap its harvest, bring to the priest a sheaf of the first grain you harvest. He is to wave the sheaf before the Lord so it will be accepted on your behalf; the priest is to wave it on the day after the Sabbath. On the day you wave the sheaf, you must sacrifice as a burnt offering to the Lord a lamb a year old without defect,
The day after the Sabbath is Sunday. The Festival of the Firstfruit is now Resurrection Day! God said this festival must always fall on a Sunday. The day of Jesus’ resurrection occurred on a day when the Jews offered up to the Lord the first of their produce as a thanks offering for the forgiveness of their sin. In other words, they were now a new creation in the sight of the Lord. Because of the resurrection of Jesus, all who believe and accept Him as Lord and Savior are made new in Him. Paul said in 1 Corinthians 15:20: “But Christ has indeed been raised from the dead, the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep. For since death came through a man, the resurrection of the dead comes also through a man”. So the Festival of the First Fruit was a symbol of a new beginning. It represented a new creation within the people of Israel. The resurrection of Jesus is the fulfillment of the celebration as He is the Firstfruit of all who had fallen asleep; because He is risen, all will acquire a New Person status because of Jesus’ glorification.
Now all this time line, whether accurate or not, should not be a hindrance to your belief in the proven facts: this Jesus, did ride on a donkey in Jerusalem on what is now known as Palm Sunday. This Jesus did share a meal with the twelve disciples which is now call the Last Supper. This Jesus was crucified, nailed to a cross, suffered death, and was buried in a tomb. This Jesus, Son of the living God, our Savior and Lord, has risen from the dead on that glorious day, which we now call Easter Sunday.
Hallelujah, the Lord has risen!
The Lord has risen indeed!
He is coming again to judge the living and the dead!
J.R.Tracey+
The Branch Life 
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