Posted by Is it reasonable? [GLamotta] on March 28, 1999 at 09:01:24 {boLUiPtahckTd4y4qNdUMW2MRXA6xmpsc}:
Now that Passover is approaching, it is a good time to review the events surrounding Jesus' last week.
Of course, the Bible establishes that Jesus did not die on Nisan 14 but on Nisan 20, a Thursday, three days and three nights before Jesus' resurrection on the 23rd. But for those still holding onto the concept that Jesus died on Friday, Nisan 14th and rose just 2 days later on Saturday night, here is something to consider regarding understanding why the events surrounding Jesus' arrest and trial might have taken more than just three hours. In order to do this, we must take a close look at the timeline of events in the scripture.
First of all, it wasn't until daybreak that Jesus was even taken to the Sanhedrin. Matthew 27:1 says: "When it had become morning, all the chief priests and the older men of the people held a consultation against Jesus so as to put him to death. 2 And after binding him, they led him off andhanded him over to Pilate the governor."
The problem with the chronology, is that Mark 15:25 says that it was the "third hour" that Jesus was impaled. Presuming all this happened on one day, that means basically you've about about three hours for all these events to take place; that is, from around 6:00 a.m. to 9:00 a.m. But is this reasonable?
Is it reasonable that two magistrates who were not interested in condemning Jesus would convict him in record time. And really, is there enough time for the basic events that happened? Let's consider just the basics.
WE ONLY HAVE 3 HOURS:
First, it was morning when Jesus was taken to the Sanhedrin and then formerally charged. How long did that take?
Then
Jesus was taken to Pilate, who might not have been expecting him. How long did it take for Pilate to hear their case? After hearing the case and questioning Jesus, then the soilders decided to disrobe Jesus and make fun of him. This
certainly suggests some period of downtime. After seeing Jesus dressed up as the kin of the Jews, Pilate then represented Jesus to the crowd, "here's your king." Of course, he was mocking the crowd who complained bitterly and said he was
causing trouble over a wide area including in Galilee.
It was at this point that Pilate discovered Jesus was from Galilee and after questioning him again, decided to send Jesus to Herod to make a disposition to Jesus.
Now how long did this first trial and inquisition before Pilate take? Remember, we only have three hours from 6:00 a.m. to 9:00 a.m.
So now Jesus goes to Herod. Was Herod having breakfast? Did he stop everything to question Jesus "with many words"? Even so, after his inquiry, the soliders again, thinking they had all the time in the world I suppose, disrobed Jesus and made fun of him.
How long did this take? What time is it now? 6:30? 7:30? 8:30? We only have till 9:00 a.m.
Then after his trial with Herod, Herod sends Jesus back to Pilate and Pilate and Herod finally break the ice between them and become "friends." How long did that take?
Then after that, we have Jesus' official trial during which Barabas is released. Of course John 19:14 says the trial was a Noon (the "sixth hour"), which is in conflict with Mark which says he was impaled at the third hour. But we're going to ignore John 19:14 for now and pretend that that reference is for some time period between 6:00 and 9:00 a.m.
Interestingly, after ths trial and after Pilate tried to get Jesus off and release him, Jesus is beaten, and again disrobed and teased by the guards. Again, suggesting some downtime.
So what time is it now? How long did this take? Is it 8:30 yet?
I ask since it's logical to think it likely took at least a half hour for Jesus to be led out to Calvary. He needed assistance to carry the torture stake. He had to then be nailed to the torture stake and Pilate had to write a sign out in three languages saying he was the "King of the Jews", all before 9:00 a.m.
Is it really reasonable that Roman government worked so fast, so early in the morning?
Then there are the direct contradictions the Witnesses refuse to acknowledge.
One is John 19:14 that clearly says the trial was at the sixth hour, or Noon.
Mark 15:25, of course, says Jesus was impaled on the torture stake by 9 o'clock, the third hour, but it doesn't say whether it was 9 o'clock at night or 9 o'clock in the day.
Then a couple of other scriptures say that it got dark from the "sixth to the ninth hour" after Jesus had been on the torture stake. Again, contradicting John 19;14 which says Jesus' trial was just getting underway at the sixth hour.
Then you have Luke which clearly states that Jesus sent his disciples out on the day the lambs were sacrificed which meant it was already during the daytime of Nisan 14th. History tells us the lambs were sacrificed at the temple in the afternoon. So this is perfectly consistent with Jesus sending the disciples out in the morning to prepare for Passover which began that evening. But if it was already Nisan 14th when Jesus sent the disciples out, with the lambs being sacrificed in the afternoon of Nisan 14th, when sunset came, it was the next day. That day being the "first day of unfermented cakes."
Of course, no leaven was allowed after this day, but that is precisely why the Passover Lamb is eaten with UNFERMENTED CAKES! It's because after sunset, it was the first day of unfermented cakes. This would be the 15th of Nisan. But does that makes sense?
Of course! Why? Because Numbers 33:3 tells us that the Jews left that same night and the night they left was Nisan 15th, not Nisan 14th. Another conflict.
And then there is Matthew 12:40 that says that Jesus was to be in the grave for "three days and three nights." If Jesus died on Friday, Nisan 14th, and rose on Sunday before daylight, that is, late Saturday night, then that's just two nights! That's Friday night and Saturday night. So where's the third night?
BOTTOM LINE: The bottom line is that there certainly is a crunch to squeeze three trials into three hours, especially when the administrators were not anxious to condemn this innocent man. If we appropriately date the death of Jesus on the day of preparation of Nisan 20th, a Thursday, however, all the above seeming contradictions totally disappear, especially Matthew 12:40 which then is directly fulfilled with Jesus being in the grave for "three nights" (i.e. Thursday night, Friday night, Saturday night).
With Jesus' death on Nisan 20th, there can be a relaxed flow of events and casuality over a period of 3-4 days, which explains why there was time for the soliders to disrobe Jesus and make fun of him. Certainly, they would not have had time to do so if there was a 3-hour crunch to get everything done by 9:00 a.m. for Jesus' impalement.
The fact is, once any of us actually bothers to seriously consider these events in conjunction with the timeline, it is clear Jesus could not have died on Nisan 14th. The main argument for dating his death on Nisan 14th, of course, has been that Jesus must fulfill being the Passover Lamb. But Jesus could still symbolically fulfill that by dying later on that week; after all, "Passover" was an entire week.
But the concept of Jesus not dying on "Good Friday" and not dying on Nisan 14th is just too much for most Christians to accept. It is easier for them to ignore all the contradictions and suggestions in scripture that point to Jesus dying on some other day than the day he was arrested.
Part of holding on to this false teaching, of course, is directly related to the religious leaders, including the GB of Jehovah's Witnessess who are not interested in Biblical truth, but in holding onto falsehood.
One must, therefore, ask why Jehovah's Witnesses insist upon teaching false
doctrines and why their leadership have not changed this teaching even as late as a recent
Watchtower which again presents the lie that Jesus sent his disciples out on Nisan 13th instead of the day the lambs were sacrificed which was
Nisan 14th, meaning that Jesus was arrested the next Jewish day, not on Nisan 14th but Nisan 15th.
Even if the details are complex as presented in scriptures, is it reasonable that all these events could have occurred in just 3 hours?
Something to consider!
Reasonableman