The contents of this blog entry are not my own original thoughts coming solely out of my own research. I've heard much of it from several sources, and have attempted to make some sense of it here. For those of you who have researched the topic yourselves, feel free to comment on anything that doesn't seem accurate. I just think that tradition sometimes blocks the path to truth ... and although the truth of the timing of holy week doesn't have significance in our ability to live in the heart of God's work, it does bring to light a sticky problem ... disaster can result when we take what people tell us at face value, regardless of how deeply rooted it is in the tradition of the church. I venture to say that we have it wrong when we take the traditional approach to Holy Week. If that is wrong, what other traditional "truths" are simply wrong. I wonder?
Thoughts as Holy Week approaches …
Scripture says (NIV quoted here)…
John 12:1 - 6 days before Passover, Jesus arrived at Bethany
John 12:12 - the next day (following John 12:1), Triumphal Entry
Matt 12:39-41 - Jesus speaking " … 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. ..."
Mark 14:12 - “On the first day of the Feast of Unleavened Bread, when it was customary to sacrifice the Passover lamb, Jesus’ disciples asked him, ‘Where do you want us to go and make preparations for you to eat the Passover?”
Mark 14:1-9 - Passover 2 days away, Jesus had dinner in Bethany with Simon the Leper and was anointed
John 19:31 - “Now it was the day of Preparation, and the next day was to be a special Sabbath. Because the Jews did not want the bodies left on the crosses during the Sabbath, they asked Pilot to have the legs broken and the bodies taken down.”
John 19:42 “Because it was the Jewish day of Preparation and since the tomb was nearby, they laid Jesus there.”
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."
Traditional interpretation: This is the last Passover Jesus will eat with his disciples.
Alternate interpretation: It was his desire to spend this Passover with his disciples,but it will not be.
Luke 23:44-46 “It was now about the sixth hour, and darkness came over the whole land until the ninth hour, for the sun stopped shining … he breathed his last."
History/Jewish Tradition says …
The 14th day of Nisan was the Day of Preparation for the Passover.
The Passover meal was eaten on the 15th day of Nisan, which began at sundown after the conclusion of the Day of Preparation. (Numbers 9:3 – Celebrate Passover at twilight on the 14 day of the month.)
The Jewish day began at sundown, and went until sundown the next day. So all that we consider night (after the sun goes down) was a part of the next day, not the previous day. Also, it was not split between the previous day (before midnight) and the next day (after midnight) as we do today.
The Passover meal was eaten after sundown at the completion of the Day of Preparation (which began at sundown the day before).
The Passover Lamb was slaughtered at the ninth hour on the Day of Preparation (only a few hours before sundown, when it was consumed as a part of the Passover meal.
Passover was considered a “special” Sabbath.
The ninth hour was about 3:00pm on the current time scale.
(See Article: http://www.rabbiyeshua.com/articles/2001/pesach.html for additional information)
Mapping it all out (working backward)
Sunday - Resurrected Jesus
Saturday - Sabbath - Jesus in Tomb
Friday - Jesus in Tomb
Thursday - Passover (“special” Sabbath) - Jesus in Tomb
Wednesday (after sundown) - Passover meal eaten
Wednesday (after 3:00pm, before sundown) - Jesus placed in tomb
Wednesday (3:00pm) - Passover lamb slaughtered - Jesus dies on the Cross
Wednesday (9:00am) - Jesus crucified
Wednesday (before 9:00am) - Jesus tried
Tuesday (in garden after Upper room) - Jesus arrested
Tuesday (at sundown) - Day of Preparation begins - Jesus in Upper Room with Disciples
Monday - Evening Meal in Bethany with Simon (Jesus anointed)
Sunday
Saturday - Sabbath - Triumphal Entry(Day after Jesus arrives in Bethany)
Friday - 6 Days before Passover - Jesus arrives in Bethany
Traditional Holy Week (working backward as above)
Sunday - Resurrected Jesus
Saturday - Sabbath - Jesus in Tomb
Friday - Passover - Jesus tried, crucified, dies, placed in tomb
Thursday - Passover begins - Jesus in Upper Room with Disciples, arrested
Wednesday
Tuesday - Teaches in temple, anointed in Bethany
Monday - Jesus curses fig tree/clears temple
Sunday - Triumphal Entry
Well ... thoughts?
