Yahshua's Death, Burial, and Resurrection Part 1: Death
I have been in the faith now for over 40yrs and one of the on-going issues between assemblies has been the passover – 14th or 15th . I am not writing this paper with the intention of debate, just for explanation on why the Congregation of Yahshua, Pittsburgh does what it does.
DEATH: To begin we must start with that first Passover:
Ex. 12:3, “Speak ye unto all the congregation of Israel, saying, In the tenth day of this month they shall take to them every man a lamb, according to the house of their fathers, a lamb for an house:”
Ex. 12:5 -6, “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. “
Those that keep the passover or the memorial supper on the 14th have the lamb/goat killed on the 13th and eaten on the 14th. Those that keep the memorial supper on the 15th have the lamb/goat killed on the 14th and eaten on the 15th.
The word until, the use of this word is once the event after the word happens then that which is before the word is finished. So I get my lamb/goat on the 10th day of the month and keep it up until the 14th. Once the 14th comes I now will do something else with it. It is also important to remember that the animal can be a lamb or a goat, an animal from the flock.
“The animal was slain on the eve of the Passover, on the afternoon of the 14th of Abib, after the Tamid sacrifice had been killed, i.e., at three o'clock. [JewishEncyclopedia.com The unedited full-text of the 1906 Jewish Encyclopedia] “- Tamid sacrifice, that is the perpetual (evening and morning) sacrifice.
Lev. 23:5, “In the fourteenth day of the first month at even is Yahweh’s passover.”
Ex. 12:11, “And thus shall ye eat it; with your loins girded, your shoes on your feet, and your staff in your hand; and ye shall eat it in haste: it is Yahweh’s passover.
Ex. 12:12 For I will pass through the land of Egypt this night, and will smite all the firstborn in the land of Egypt, both man and beast; and against all the gods of Egypt I will execute judgment: I am Yahweh.
Ex. 12:13 And the blood shall be to you for a token upon the houses where ye are: and when I see the blood, I will pass over you, and the plague shall not be upon you to destroy you, when I smite the land of Egypt.
Ex. 12:14 And this day shall be unto you for a memorial; and ye shall keep it a feast to Yahweh throughout your generations; ye shall keep it a feast by an ordinance forever.
Ex. 12:15 Seven days shall ye eat unleavened bread; even the first day ye shall put away leaven out of your houses: for whosoever eateth leavened bread from the first day until the seventh day, that soul shall be cut off from Israel.
Ex. 12:16 And in the first day there shall be an holy convocation, and in the seventh day there shall be an holy convocation to you; no manner of work shall be done in them, save that which every man must eat, that only may be done of you.
Ex. 12:17 And ye shall observe the feast of unleavened bread; for in this selfsame day have I brought your armies out of the land of Egypt: therefore shall ye observe this day in your generations by an ordinance forever. “
We see in these continuing verses they were to eat in haste, they needed to be prepared to leave. Verse 14 says this will be a memorial a feast forever, seven days you shall eat unleavened bread. The memorial he is speaking of is the feast of unleavened bread not passover. With that said we should clarify that the passover is not the feast of unleavened bread.
I know that we call it that and in the time of Yahshua on the earth as a man it was called that. I think that has lead to some of the confusion. Passover by definition according to Strong’s concordance for the old testament is the day or the victim.
When we see the word passover throughout the old testament it is either speaking of Abib 14th the day of the sacrifice or the sacrifice that occurred on that day. When you speak of the feast of unleavened bread it is from Abib 15th through 21st. Lev. 23:5-6, “In the fourteenth day of the first month at even is the Yahweh’s passover.
And on the fifteenth day of the same month is the feast of unleavened bread unto Yahweh: seven days ye must eat unleavened bread.” So we can read verse 5 like this - In the fourteenth day of the first month at even (late afternoon) is Yahweh’s passover (the day the sacrifice is to be offered, from the flock, a lamb or kid).
Back to Exodus 12:11, they were to eat it in haste and be dressed to depart because the 15th was the great deliverance. Num. 33:3, “And they departed from Rameses in the first month, on the fifteenth day of the first month; on the morrow after the passover (the sacrifice) the children of Israel went out with an high hand in the sight of all the Egyptians.” The 15th, the first day of the Feast of Unleavened Bread is the day of great deliverance.
We at the congregation of Yahshua, Pittsburgh believe from the above scripture that the passover sacrifice was slain on late afternoon of the 14th and was actually eaten on the 15th. (Keep in mind Yahweh’s days begin in the evening after sunset).
Now that we have established old testament let us look at new testament. At this time the Jews in Yahshua time had added the 14th day to the feast of unleavened bread and made it 8 days. Also according to Strong’s concordance the word passover now has 4 different meanings:
1) The day (14th of Abib) 2) the sacrifice 3) the meal (which was lamb/goat) 4) the feast of unleavened bread or 5) a special sacrifices connected with it.
So now when we read “passover” in the new testament it could have one of these four meanings, so with each scripture we will have to look at context to see which definition fits.
We will start with when the disciples approach Yahshua and questioned where will we eat the passover:
Mat. 26:17, “Now the first day of the feast of unleavened bread the disciples came to Yahshua, saying unto him, Where wilt thou that we prepare for thee to eat the passover?
Mark 14:12, “And the first day of unleavened bread, when they killed the passover, his disciples said unto him, Where wilt thou that we go and prepare that thou mayest eat the passover?
Luke 22:7-9, “Then came the day of unleavened bread, when the passover must be killed. And he sent Peter and John, saying, Go and prepare us the passover, that we may eat. And they said unto him, Where wilt thou that we prepare?
When we look at Matthew by itself, Mat 26:17, “Now the first day of the feast of unleavened bread the disciples came to Yahshua, saying unto him, Where wilt thou that we prepare for thee to eat the passover? “
Based on this alone it would seem since the first day of unleavened bread according to old testament is the 15th that would be the day the disciples came to Yahshua, but when you add the Mark and Luke scriptures we see that it was the first day of unleavened bread, when they killed the passover. The passover sacrifice was killed on late afternoon of the 14th. Matthew doesn’t add, “when they killed the passover”, because of who he is speaking to.
Matthew’s letter is written to the Jews. They knew the first day of unleavened bread was the day they killed the passover since they had added that day to the feast. Whereas Mark and Luke are writing to non-Jews therefore they added, “when they killed the passover”, so it would be clear to them exactly which day the disciples came to Yahshua. They approached him on the 14th as to where they would be having the passover meal on the 15th.
With this we see that Yahshua did eat the actual passover meal on the 15th and that was the day of His crucifixion. Yes, I had an issue when I first heard this as well. How was He crucified on a Sabbath?!! But the scripture as shown above does bear this out. The Romans had no trouble crucifying Him on that day, it was just another day to them. Research shows that it was a Roman political trial and crucifixion.
Now let us look at a scripture that seems to say otherwise. John 18:28 “Then led they Yahshua from Caiaphas unto the hall of judgment: and it was early; and they themselves went not into the judgment hall, lest they should be defiled; but that they might eat the passover. “ Before we can review this we need the events that led up to this.
Yahshua eats the passover meal on the beginning of the Abib 15th, then goes to the garden for prayer, is arrested, brought before Annas, then Caiaphas, then Pilate who sends him to Herod who sends him back to Pilate, who then gives the order for crucifixion.
Mat. 26:57, “And they that had laid hold on Yahshua led him away to Caiaphas the high priest, where the scribes and the elders were assembled.”
Mark 14:53, “And they led Yahshua away to the high priest: and with him were assembled all the chief priests and the elders and the scribes.”
John 18:12-14, “Then the band and the captain and officers of the Jews took Yahshua, and bound him, And led him away to Annas first; for he was father in law to Caiaphas, which was the high priest that same year. Now Caiaphas was he, which gave counsel to the Jews that it was expedient that one man should die for the people. “ John 18:19-24, “The high priest then asked Yahshua of his disciples, and of his doctrine. Yahshua answered him, I spake openly to the world; I ever taught in the synagogue, and in the temple, whither the Jews always resort; and in secret have I said nothing.
Why askest thou me? ask them which heard me, what I have said unto them: behold, they know what I said. And when he had thus spoken, one of the officers which stood by struck Yahshua with the palm of his hand, saying, Answerest thou the high priest so? Yahshua answered him, If I have spoken evil, bear witness of the evil: but if well, why smitest thou me?
Now Annas had sent him bound unto Caiaphas the high priest. “ Mat. 27:1-2, “When the morning was come, all the chief priests and elders of the people took counsel against Yahshua to put him to death: And when they had bound him, they led him away, and delivered him to Pontius Pilate the governor. “
Mark 15:1, “And straightway in the morning the chief priests held a consultation with the elders and scribes and the whole council, and bound Yahshua, and carried him away, and delivered him to Pilate. “
The Jews had no authority to put anyone to death so they had to go to the Roman government.
Luke 23:1-5, “And the whole multitude of them arose, and led him unto Pilate. And they began to accuse him, saying, We found this fellow perverting the nation, and forbidding to give tribute to Caesar, saying that he himself is Messiah a King. And Pilate asked him, saying, Art thou the King of the Jews? And he answered him and said, Thou sayest it. Then said Pilate to the chief priests and to the people, I find no fault in this man. And they were the more fierce, saying, He stirreth up the people, teaching throughout all Jewry, beginning from Galilee to this place. “
Luke 23:6-11 “When Pilate heard of Galilee, he asked whether the man were a Galilaean. And as soon as he knew that he belonged unto Herod's jurisdiction, he sent him to Herod, who himself also was at Jerusalem at that time. And when Herod saw Yahshua, he was exceeding glad: for he was desirous to see him of a long season, because he had heard many things of him; and he hoped to have seen some miracle done by him. Then he questioned with him in many words; but he answered him nothing. And the chief priests and scribes stood and vehemently accused him.
And Herod with his men of war set him at nought, and mocked him, and arrayed him in a gorgeous robe, and sent him again to Pilate. “ All of this happened on the same day, overnight into early morning of Abib 15th.
(Hence in those six hours He was marched from this garden back to the other side of Jerusalem to be examined first by the ex High priest Annas, then by the Sanhedrin presided over by the High priest Caiaphas (Matt. 26:57, Mark 14:55) at night (when normally Sanhedrin trials were only permitted in daylight and not on the Sabbath), then taken to Pilate (Luke 23:1), then to Herod Antipas (Luke 23:7), then back to Pilate (Luke 23:11), sentenced, handed over to the soldiers to be dressed up as a mock-king, then dragged his cross to Golgotha to be crucified – all this in 6 hours? 1st century Jerusalem measured about 1000 meters west to east, and 1700 meters south to north.
Annas and Caiaphas either occupied separate apartments in one building or had separate houses that shared one courtyard. (Compare John 18:12-27; Mark 14:53-72; Luke 22:54-71) Assuming this was near the Temple it was about 500 meters or a five minute walk from Gethsemene. Luke mentions 1 hour at the Annas/Caiaphas location (22:59) as only part of the time spent there.
The Sanhedrin gathered at Caiaphas' house (Mark 14:53) and met formally to try Yahshua "when day came" (Luke 22:66) "early in the morning" (Mark 15:1). Governor Pontius Pilate lived at Caesarea on the coast but went to Jerusalem during major festivals. Pilate probably stayed in the palace of Herod Antipas. Philo and Josephus testify that the Roman governors stayed in Herod's Palace while they were in Jerusalem, and carrying out their judgments on the pavement immediately outside it.
All the walking between Yahshua's arrest and his Crucifixion as described in the Gospels might have taken 1 to 1 1/2 hours. This allows plenty of time to fit the other events into the early-morning time-frame such as the trial by the Sanhedrin, and the questioning by Antipas and Pilate.) – TIME AND DISTANCE TROUBLE by Dean Dowling
Now back to John 18:28 “Then led they Yahshua from Caiaphas unto the hall of judgment: and it was early; and they themselves went not into the judgment hall, lest they should be defiled; but that they might eat the passover. “
With the statement, “…but that they might eat the passover” seems to say that what Yahshua ate was not the passover, but how do you dismiss the record of Matthew, Mark and Luke that the disciples came to him and asked where should they make preparation for the Passover on the day the passover was killed? So we must reconcile this! Remember according to the concordance the word Passover means – the day, the meal, the feast of unleavened, or a special sacrifice connected with it.
Remember the passover sacrifice that we read in Exodus, the sacrifice that would save from the death angle had to come from the flock, a lamb (sheep) or a kid (goat). Let us look at what this special sacrifice is.
Deut. 16:1-2, “Observe the month of Abib, and keep the passover unto Yahweh thy God: for in the month of Abib Yahweh thy God brought thee forth out of Egypt by night. Thou shalt therefore sacrifice the passover unto Yahweh thy God, of the flock and the herd, in the place which Yahweh shall choose to place his name there. “
What is this? 2 Passover sacrifices, one of the flock and one of the herd?
2Ch. 35:7, “And Josiah gave to the people, of the flock, lambs and kids, all for the passover offerings, for all that were present, to the number of thirty thousand, and three thousand bullocks: these were of the king's substance. “
2Ch. 35:11, “And they killed the passover, and the priests sprinkled the blood from their hands, and the Levites flayed them.
2Ch. 35:12 And they removed the burnt offerings, that they might give according to the divisions of the families of the people, to offer unto Yahweh, as it is written in the book of Moses. And so did they with the oxen.
2Ch. 35:13 And they roasted the passover with fire according to the ordinance: but the other holy offerings sod they in pots, and in caldrons, and in pans, and divided them speedily among all the people.
So we see here 2 offerings one the passover from the flock (lamb/kid) which was roasted according to the ordinance but the other offering from the herd sod they in pots (boiled) but they call both of these, passover offering; “Thou shalt therefore sacrifice the passover unto Yahweh thy God, of the flock and the herd” (Deut 16:2). The passover from the herd is call chagigah (hagigah).
John 18:28 “Then led they Yahshua from Caiaphas unto the hall of judgment: and it was early; and they themselves went not into the judgment hall, lest they should be defiled; but that they might eat the passover. “ Those Jews feared possible defilement in the headquarters of gentiles, the praetorium. How is the term “Passover” used here? David Stern, Jewish New Testament Commentary, page 206, “The Pesach (Passover) in this verse refers to other food eaten during Pesach, specifically the chagigah (festival sacrifice).
This is the Pesach meal they would have been unable to eat, because their defilement would have lasted till sundown. If “the Pesach” meant the Passover lamb, defilement in the morning might not have been a problem.” Not a problem because most uncleanness/defilement would have lasted only until evening of a day… and the Passover was eaten after sunset at the beginning of a new day.
Gill commentary on John 18:28, “Not the Passover lamb, for that they had eaten the night before. But the “Chaggigah”, or feast on the 15th day of the month.” Robertson’s NT Word Pictures, “In 2 Chron. 30:22 we read, ‘And they did eat the festival 7 days’, when the paschal festival is meant, not the paschal lamb or paschal supper.
There are eight other examples of Passover in John’s gospel, and in all of them the feast is meant, not the supper. Not the meal of John 13:2, which was the regular Passover meal.” Talmud Pes. vi.3 “One Levitically defiled cannot offer the Chaggigah.”
Edersheim The Life and Times of Jesus the Messiah, p. 866 “Entrance into the Praetorium on the morning of the first Passover day would have rendered it impossible for them to offer the Chagigah, which was also designated by the term Pesach [Passover].” The chagigah meal from the herd/boiled things would be that day, Abib 15th.
The Bible didn’t specify exactly when to eat from the herd… but Deut. 16:2, 2 Chron., John’s gospel, the Talmud, etc. is historical evidence of this Passover week custom! John 18:28 doesn’t refer to a lamb meal upcoming that night… supposed defilement would end at sunset!
It would have been very poetic to have Yahshua killed at the actual time as the passover lamb/kids were killed but Yahweh had a particular time because Yahshua was more than that single sacrifice. Do you remember when Yahweh asked Abraham to sacrifice Isaac? (Gen. 22:1-13) They get to the mountain and Isaac asks where’s the sacrifice – Gen 22:7-8, “And Isaac spake unto Abraham his father, and said, My father: and he said, Here am I, my son. And he said, Behold the fire and the wood: but where is the lamb for a burnt offering? And Abraham said, My son, Yahweh will provide himself a lamb for a burnt offering: so they went both of them together. “
Gen 22:13, “And Abraham lifted up his eyes, and looked, and behold behind him a ram caught in a thicket by his horns: and Abraham went and took the ram, and offered him up for a burnt offering in the stead of his son.”
Then after Yahweh delivered Israel from Egypt and was setting up the sacrificial system – there was this perpetual sacrifice set up.
Ex. 29:38-42, “Now this is that which thou shalt offer upon the altar; two lambs of the first year day by day continually. The one lamb thou shalt offer in the morning; and the other lamb thou shalt offer at even: And with the one lamb a tenth deal of flour mingled with the fourth part of an hin of beaten oil; and the fourth part of an hin of wine for a drink offering.
And the other lamb thou shalt offer at even, and shalt do thereto according to the meat offering of the morning, and according to the drink offering thereof, for a sweet savor, an offering made by fire unto Yahweh. This shall be a continual burnt offering throughout your generations at the door of the tabernacle of the congregation before Yahweh: where I will meet you, to speak there unto thee.
Num. 28:3-4, “And thou shalt say unto them, This is the offering made by fire which ye shall offer unto Yahweh; two lambs of the first year without spot day by day, for a continual burnt offering. The one lamb shalt thou offer in the morning, and the other lamb shalt thou offer at even; “
Per the concordance this lamb is a ram old enough to butt (which is 5 to 7 months), two lambs of the first year. It is to be particularly observed that this offering was not provided by any individual. It was offered for the people as a whole. It was not the sinner's offering to Yahweh; it was, on the contrary, Yahweh’s offering for His people.
“Yahweh will provide himself a lamb for a burnt offering” It was offered irrespective of whether the individual Israelite took advantage of its provision or not. This sacrifice could only be a lamb. Where all the other sacrifice there were choices – some depending on your economic status and some depending on who you were.
Even the passover sacrifice could be a lamb or a kid, but the evening and morning sacrifice could only be a lamb. John 1:35-36, “Again the next day after John stood, and two of his disciples; And looking upon Yahshua as he walked, he saith, Behold the Lamb of Yah!”
The timing of this sacrifice, the Tamid sacrifice, also known as the Perpetual Sacrifice, the morning sacrifice was the 3rd hour (9am),and the evening sacrifice 9th hour (3pm). Yahshua was crucified 3rd hour - Mark 15:25, “And it was the third hour, and they crucified him.” And He died the 9th hour - Mark 15:34-37, “And at the ninth hour Yahshua cried with a loud voice, saying, Eloi, Eloi, lama sabachthani? which is, being interpreted, My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me?
And some of them that stood by, when they heard it, said, Behold, he calleth Elias. And one ran and filled a spunge full of vinegar, and put it on a reed, and gave him to drink, saying, Let alone; let us see whether Elias will come to take him down. And Yahshua cried with a loud voice, and gave up the ghost.” “Yahweh will provide himself a lamb for a burnt offering”. Some other points concerning the burnt offering were it was a voluntary offering, it was an atonement offering and it had to stay on the altar till morning, (Lev. 1:3-4; 6:9).
So what is our conclusion – Yahshua did eat the actual passover meal on the evening (beginning) of Abib 15, therefore his arrest, trail, and crucifixion were all done on the 15th – the first day of the feast of unleavened bread. We have reconciled John 18:28 as that special sacrifice (chagigah) now also called passover. And that Yahshua’s crucifixion and death align with the Tamid sacrifice.
This study continues to part 2
DEATH: To begin we must start with that first Passover:
Ex. 12:3, “Speak ye unto all the congregation of Israel, saying, In the tenth day of this month they shall take to them every man a lamb, according to the house of their fathers, a lamb for an house:”
Ex. 12:5 -6, “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. “
Those that keep the passover or the memorial supper on the 14th have the lamb/goat killed on the 13th and eaten on the 14th. Those that keep the memorial supper on the 15th have the lamb/goat killed on the 14th and eaten on the 15th.
The word until, the use of this word is once the event after the word happens then that which is before the word is finished. So I get my lamb/goat on the 10th day of the month and keep it up until the 14th. Once the 14th comes I now will do something else with it. It is also important to remember that the animal can be a lamb or a goat, an animal from the flock.
“The animal was slain on the eve of the Passover, on the afternoon of the 14th of Abib, after the Tamid sacrifice had been killed, i.e., at three o'clock. [JewishEncyclopedia.com The unedited full-text of the 1906 Jewish Encyclopedia] “- Tamid sacrifice, that is the perpetual (evening and morning) sacrifice.
Lev. 23:5, “In the fourteenth day of the first month at even is Yahweh’s passover.”
Ex. 12:11, “And thus shall ye eat it; with your loins girded, your shoes on your feet, and your staff in your hand; and ye shall eat it in haste: it is Yahweh’s passover.
Ex. 12:12 For I will pass through the land of Egypt this night, and will smite all the firstborn in the land of Egypt, both man and beast; and against all the gods of Egypt I will execute judgment: I am Yahweh.
Ex. 12:13 And the blood shall be to you for a token upon the houses where ye are: and when I see the blood, I will pass over you, and the plague shall not be upon you to destroy you, when I smite the land of Egypt.
Ex. 12:14 And this day shall be unto you for a memorial; and ye shall keep it a feast to Yahweh throughout your generations; ye shall keep it a feast by an ordinance forever.
Ex. 12:15 Seven days shall ye eat unleavened bread; even the first day ye shall put away leaven out of your houses: for whosoever eateth leavened bread from the first day until the seventh day, that soul shall be cut off from Israel.
Ex. 12:16 And in the first day there shall be an holy convocation, and in the seventh day there shall be an holy convocation to you; no manner of work shall be done in them, save that which every man must eat, that only may be done of you.
Ex. 12:17 And ye shall observe the feast of unleavened bread; for in this selfsame day have I brought your armies out of the land of Egypt: therefore shall ye observe this day in your generations by an ordinance forever. “
We see in these continuing verses they were to eat in haste, they needed to be prepared to leave. Verse 14 says this will be a memorial a feast forever, seven days you shall eat unleavened bread. The memorial he is speaking of is the feast of unleavened bread not passover. With that said we should clarify that the passover is not the feast of unleavened bread.
I know that we call it that and in the time of Yahshua on the earth as a man it was called that. I think that has lead to some of the confusion. Passover by definition according to Strong’s concordance for the old testament is the day or the victim.
When we see the word passover throughout the old testament it is either speaking of Abib 14th the day of the sacrifice or the sacrifice that occurred on that day. When you speak of the feast of unleavened bread it is from Abib 15th through 21st. Lev. 23:5-6, “In the fourteenth day of the first month at even is the Yahweh’s passover.
And on the fifteenth day of the same month is the feast of unleavened bread unto Yahweh: seven days ye must eat unleavened bread.” So we can read verse 5 like this - In the fourteenth day of the first month at even (late afternoon) is Yahweh’s passover (the day the sacrifice is to be offered, from the flock, a lamb or kid).
Back to Exodus 12:11, they were to eat it in haste and be dressed to depart because the 15th was the great deliverance. Num. 33:3, “And they departed from Rameses in the first month, on the fifteenth day of the first month; on the morrow after the passover (the sacrifice) the children of Israel went out with an high hand in the sight of all the Egyptians.” The 15th, the first day of the Feast of Unleavened Bread is the day of great deliverance.
We at the congregation of Yahshua, Pittsburgh believe from the above scripture that the passover sacrifice was slain on late afternoon of the 14th and was actually eaten on the 15th. (Keep in mind Yahweh’s days begin in the evening after sunset).
Now that we have established old testament let us look at new testament. At this time the Jews in Yahshua time had added the 14th day to the feast of unleavened bread and made it 8 days. Also according to Strong’s concordance the word passover now has 4 different meanings:
1) The day (14th of Abib) 2) the sacrifice 3) the meal (which was lamb/goat) 4) the feast of unleavened bread or 5) a special sacrifices connected with it.
So now when we read “passover” in the new testament it could have one of these four meanings, so with each scripture we will have to look at context to see which definition fits.
We will start with when the disciples approach Yahshua and questioned where will we eat the passover:
Mat. 26:17, “Now the first day of the feast of unleavened bread the disciples came to Yahshua, saying unto him, Where wilt thou that we prepare for thee to eat the passover?
Mark 14:12, “And the first day of unleavened bread, when they killed the passover, his disciples said unto him, Where wilt thou that we go and prepare that thou mayest eat the passover?
Luke 22:7-9, “Then came the day of unleavened bread, when the passover must be killed. And he sent Peter and John, saying, Go and prepare us the passover, that we may eat. And they said unto him, Where wilt thou that we prepare?
When we look at Matthew by itself, Mat 26:17, “Now the first day of the feast of unleavened bread the disciples came to Yahshua, saying unto him, Where wilt thou that we prepare for thee to eat the passover? “
Based on this alone it would seem since the first day of unleavened bread according to old testament is the 15th that would be the day the disciples came to Yahshua, but when you add the Mark and Luke scriptures we see that it was the first day of unleavened bread, when they killed the passover. The passover sacrifice was killed on late afternoon of the 14th. Matthew doesn’t add, “when they killed the passover”, because of who he is speaking to.
Matthew’s letter is written to the Jews. They knew the first day of unleavened bread was the day they killed the passover since they had added that day to the feast. Whereas Mark and Luke are writing to non-Jews therefore they added, “when they killed the passover”, so it would be clear to them exactly which day the disciples came to Yahshua. They approached him on the 14th as to where they would be having the passover meal on the 15th.
With this we see that Yahshua did eat the actual passover meal on the 15th and that was the day of His crucifixion. Yes, I had an issue when I first heard this as well. How was He crucified on a Sabbath?!! But the scripture as shown above does bear this out. The Romans had no trouble crucifying Him on that day, it was just another day to them. Research shows that it was a Roman political trial and crucifixion.
Now let us look at a scripture that seems to say otherwise. John 18:28 “Then led they Yahshua from Caiaphas unto the hall of judgment: and it was early; and they themselves went not into the judgment hall, lest they should be defiled; but that they might eat the passover. “ Before we can review this we need the events that led up to this.
Yahshua eats the passover meal on the beginning of the Abib 15th, then goes to the garden for prayer, is arrested, brought before Annas, then Caiaphas, then Pilate who sends him to Herod who sends him back to Pilate, who then gives the order for crucifixion.
Mat. 26:57, “And they that had laid hold on Yahshua led him away to Caiaphas the high priest, where the scribes and the elders were assembled.”
Mark 14:53, “And they led Yahshua away to the high priest: and with him were assembled all the chief priests and the elders and the scribes.”
John 18:12-14, “Then the band and the captain and officers of the Jews took Yahshua, and bound him, And led him away to Annas first; for he was father in law to Caiaphas, which was the high priest that same year. Now Caiaphas was he, which gave counsel to the Jews that it was expedient that one man should die for the people. “ John 18:19-24, “The high priest then asked Yahshua of his disciples, and of his doctrine. Yahshua answered him, I spake openly to the world; I ever taught in the synagogue, and in the temple, whither the Jews always resort; and in secret have I said nothing.
Why askest thou me? ask them which heard me, what I have said unto them: behold, they know what I said. And when he had thus spoken, one of the officers which stood by struck Yahshua with the palm of his hand, saying, Answerest thou the high priest so? Yahshua answered him, If I have spoken evil, bear witness of the evil: but if well, why smitest thou me?
Now Annas had sent him bound unto Caiaphas the high priest. “ Mat. 27:1-2, “When the morning was come, all the chief priests and elders of the people took counsel against Yahshua to put him to death: And when they had bound him, they led him away, and delivered him to Pontius Pilate the governor. “
Mark 15:1, “And straightway in the morning the chief priests held a consultation with the elders and scribes and the whole council, and bound Yahshua, and carried him away, and delivered him to Pilate. “
The Jews had no authority to put anyone to death so they had to go to the Roman government.
Luke 23:1-5, “And the whole multitude of them arose, and led him unto Pilate. And they began to accuse him, saying, We found this fellow perverting the nation, and forbidding to give tribute to Caesar, saying that he himself is Messiah a King. And Pilate asked him, saying, Art thou the King of the Jews? And he answered him and said, Thou sayest it. Then said Pilate to the chief priests and to the people, I find no fault in this man. And they were the more fierce, saying, He stirreth up the people, teaching throughout all Jewry, beginning from Galilee to this place. “
Luke 23:6-11 “When Pilate heard of Galilee, he asked whether the man were a Galilaean. And as soon as he knew that he belonged unto Herod's jurisdiction, he sent him to Herod, who himself also was at Jerusalem at that time. And when Herod saw Yahshua, he was exceeding glad: for he was desirous to see him of a long season, because he had heard many things of him; and he hoped to have seen some miracle done by him. Then he questioned with him in many words; but he answered him nothing. And the chief priests and scribes stood and vehemently accused him.
And Herod with his men of war set him at nought, and mocked him, and arrayed him in a gorgeous robe, and sent him again to Pilate. “ All of this happened on the same day, overnight into early morning of Abib 15th.
(Hence in those six hours He was marched from this garden back to the other side of Jerusalem to be examined first by the ex High priest Annas, then by the Sanhedrin presided over by the High priest Caiaphas (Matt. 26:57, Mark 14:55) at night (when normally Sanhedrin trials were only permitted in daylight and not on the Sabbath), then taken to Pilate (Luke 23:1), then to Herod Antipas (Luke 23:7), then back to Pilate (Luke 23:11), sentenced, handed over to the soldiers to be dressed up as a mock-king, then dragged his cross to Golgotha to be crucified – all this in 6 hours? 1st century Jerusalem measured about 1000 meters west to east, and 1700 meters south to north.
Annas and Caiaphas either occupied separate apartments in one building or had separate houses that shared one courtyard. (Compare John 18:12-27; Mark 14:53-72; Luke 22:54-71) Assuming this was near the Temple it was about 500 meters or a five minute walk from Gethsemene. Luke mentions 1 hour at the Annas/Caiaphas location (22:59) as only part of the time spent there.
The Sanhedrin gathered at Caiaphas' house (Mark 14:53) and met formally to try Yahshua "when day came" (Luke 22:66) "early in the morning" (Mark 15:1). Governor Pontius Pilate lived at Caesarea on the coast but went to Jerusalem during major festivals. Pilate probably stayed in the palace of Herod Antipas. Philo and Josephus testify that the Roman governors stayed in Herod's Palace while they were in Jerusalem, and carrying out their judgments on the pavement immediately outside it.
All the walking between Yahshua's arrest and his Crucifixion as described in the Gospels might have taken 1 to 1 1/2 hours. This allows plenty of time to fit the other events into the early-morning time-frame such as the trial by the Sanhedrin, and the questioning by Antipas and Pilate.) – TIME AND DISTANCE TROUBLE by Dean Dowling
Now back to John 18:28 “Then led they Yahshua from Caiaphas unto the hall of judgment: and it was early; and they themselves went not into the judgment hall, lest they should be defiled; but that they might eat the passover. “
With the statement, “…but that they might eat the passover” seems to say that what Yahshua ate was not the passover, but how do you dismiss the record of Matthew, Mark and Luke that the disciples came to him and asked where should they make preparation for the Passover on the day the passover was killed? So we must reconcile this! Remember according to the concordance the word Passover means – the day, the meal, the feast of unleavened, or a special sacrifice connected with it.
Remember the passover sacrifice that we read in Exodus, the sacrifice that would save from the death angle had to come from the flock, a lamb (sheep) or a kid (goat). Let us look at what this special sacrifice is.
Deut. 16:1-2, “Observe the month of Abib, and keep the passover unto Yahweh thy God: for in the month of Abib Yahweh thy God brought thee forth out of Egypt by night. Thou shalt therefore sacrifice the passover unto Yahweh thy God, of the flock and the herd, in the place which Yahweh shall choose to place his name there. “
What is this? 2 Passover sacrifices, one of the flock and one of the herd?
2Ch. 35:7, “And Josiah gave to the people, of the flock, lambs and kids, all for the passover offerings, for all that were present, to the number of thirty thousand, and three thousand bullocks: these were of the king's substance. “
2Ch. 35:11, “And they killed the passover, and the priests sprinkled the blood from their hands, and the Levites flayed them.
2Ch. 35:12 And they removed the burnt offerings, that they might give according to the divisions of the families of the people, to offer unto Yahweh, as it is written in the book of Moses. And so did they with the oxen.
2Ch. 35:13 And they roasted the passover with fire according to the ordinance: but the other holy offerings sod they in pots, and in caldrons, and in pans, and divided them speedily among all the people.
So we see here 2 offerings one the passover from the flock (lamb/kid) which was roasted according to the ordinance but the other offering from the herd sod they in pots (boiled) but they call both of these, passover offering; “Thou shalt therefore sacrifice the passover unto Yahweh thy God, of the flock and the herd” (Deut 16:2). The passover from the herd is call chagigah (hagigah).
John 18:28 “Then led they Yahshua from Caiaphas unto the hall of judgment: and it was early; and they themselves went not into the judgment hall, lest they should be defiled; but that they might eat the passover. “ Those Jews feared possible defilement in the headquarters of gentiles, the praetorium. How is the term “Passover” used here? David Stern, Jewish New Testament Commentary, page 206, “The Pesach (Passover) in this verse refers to other food eaten during Pesach, specifically the chagigah (festival sacrifice).
This is the Pesach meal they would have been unable to eat, because their defilement would have lasted till sundown. If “the Pesach” meant the Passover lamb, defilement in the morning might not have been a problem.” Not a problem because most uncleanness/defilement would have lasted only until evening of a day… and the Passover was eaten after sunset at the beginning of a new day.
Gill commentary on John 18:28, “Not the Passover lamb, for that they had eaten the night before. But the “Chaggigah”, or feast on the 15th day of the month.” Robertson’s NT Word Pictures, “In 2 Chron. 30:22 we read, ‘And they did eat the festival 7 days’, when the paschal festival is meant, not the paschal lamb or paschal supper.
There are eight other examples of Passover in John’s gospel, and in all of them the feast is meant, not the supper. Not the meal of John 13:2, which was the regular Passover meal.” Talmud Pes. vi.3 “One Levitically defiled cannot offer the Chaggigah.”
Edersheim The Life and Times of Jesus the Messiah, p. 866 “Entrance into the Praetorium on the morning of the first Passover day would have rendered it impossible for them to offer the Chagigah, which was also designated by the term Pesach [Passover].” The chagigah meal from the herd/boiled things would be that day, Abib 15th.
The Bible didn’t specify exactly when to eat from the herd… but Deut. 16:2, 2 Chron., John’s gospel, the Talmud, etc. is historical evidence of this Passover week custom! John 18:28 doesn’t refer to a lamb meal upcoming that night… supposed defilement would end at sunset!
It would have been very poetic to have Yahshua killed at the actual time as the passover lamb/kids were killed but Yahweh had a particular time because Yahshua was more than that single sacrifice. Do you remember when Yahweh asked Abraham to sacrifice Isaac? (Gen. 22:1-13) They get to the mountain and Isaac asks where’s the sacrifice – Gen 22:7-8, “And Isaac spake unto Abraham his father, and said, My father: and he said, Here am I, my son. And he said, Behold the fire and the wood: but where is the lamb for a burnt offering? And Abraham said, My son, Yahweh will provide himself a lamb for a burnt offering: so they went both of them together. “
Gen 22:13, “And Abraham lifted up his eyes, and looked, and behold behind him a ram caught in a thicket by his horns: and Abraham went and took the ram, and offered him up for a burnt offering in the stead of his son.”
Then after Yahweh delivered Israel from Egypt and was setting up the sacrificial system – there was this perpetual sacrifice set up.
Ex. 29:38-42, “Now this is that which thou shalt offer upon the altar; two lambs of the first year day by day continually. The one lamb thou shalt offer in the morning; and the other lamb thou shalt offer at even: And with the one lamb a tenth deal of flour mingled with the fourth part of an hin of beaten oil; and the fourth part of an hin of wine for a drink offering.
And the other lamb thou shalt offer at even, and shalt do thereto according to the meat offering of the morning, and according to the drink offering thereof, for a sweet savor, an offering made by fire unto Yahweh. This shall be a continual burnt offering throughout your generations at the door of the tabernacle of the congregation before Yahweh: where I will meet you, to speak there unto thee.
Num. 28:3-4, “And thou shalt say unto them, This is the offering made by fire which ye shall offer unto Yahweh; two lambs of the first year without spot day by day, for a continual burnt offering. The one lamb shalt thou offer in the morning, and the other lamb shalt thou offer at even; “
Per the concordance this lamb is a ram old enough to butt (which is 5 to 7 months), two lambs of the first year. It is to be particularly observed that this offering was not provided by any individual. It was offered for the people as a whole. It was not the sinner's offering to Yahweh; it was, on the contrary, Yahweh’s offering for His people.
“Yahweh will provide himself a lamb for a burnt offering” It was offered irrespective of whether the individual Israelite took advantage of its provision or not. This sacrifice could only be a lamb. Where all the other sacrifice there were choices – some depending on your economic status and some depending on who you were.
Even the passover sacrifice could be a lamb or a kid, but the evening and morning sacrifice could only be a lamb. John 1:35-36, “Again the next day after John stood, and two of his disciples; And looking upon Yahshua as he walked, he saith, Behold the Lamb of Yah!”
The timing of this sacrifice, the Tamid sacrifice, also known as the Perpetual Sacrifice, the morning sacrifice was the 3rd hour (9am),and the evening sacrifice 9th hour (3pm). Yahshua was crucified 3rd hour - Mark 15:25, “And it was the third hour, and they crucified him.” And He died the 9th hour - Mark 15:34-37, “And at the ninth hour Yahshua cried with a loud voice, saying, Eloi, Eloi, lama sabachthani? which is, being interpreted, My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me?
And some of them that stood by, when they heard it, said, Behold, he calleth Elias. And one ran and filled a spunge full of vinegar, and put it on a reed, and gave him to drink, saying, Let alone; let us see whether Elias will come to take him down. And Yahshua cried with a loud voice, and gave up the ghost.” “Yahweh will provide himself a lamb for a burnt offering”. Some other points concerning the burnt offering were it was a voluntary offering, it was an atonement offering and it had to stay on the altar till morning, (Lev. 1:3-4; 6:9).
So what is our conclusion – Yahshua did eat the actual passover meal on the evening (beginning) of Abib 15, therefore his arrest, trail, and crucifixion were all done on the 15th – the first day of the feast of unleavened bread. We have reconciled John 18:28 as that special sacrifice (chagigah) now also called passover. And that Yahshua’s crucifixion and death align with the Tamid sacrifice.
This study continues to part 2