Category: Jesus’ Death, Resurrection, and Ascensions

Jesus’ Death, Resurrection, and Ascensions

Note: The following Post is taken from the book by Joseph Lenard entitled Mysteries of Jesus’ Life Revealed—His Birth, Death, Resurrection, and Ascensions. For an overview and complete chapter listing of this fascinating study, click here.

In Conclusion . . .

What difference does all of this attention regarding the correct chronology of Jesus’ death, burial, resurrection, and ascensions make to us as individual believers and to the church at large?  Quite simply, Scripture is the Word of God, the truth (in the original manuscripts), just as He Himself is Truth. It is therefore essential that all Scripture harmonize and be internally consistent.

If the traditional Friday, Saturday, Sunday chronology is accepted as being true, then it could be argued that the precise words of Christ (his sign) – “three days and three nights in the heart of the earth” (Matthew 12:40) – are not exactly true. This would, in turn, raise the possibility that Jesus meant something other than what He said. More to the point, it would question the means by which Jesus authenticated that He is, indeed, the Messiah, the one and only Son of the Living God. Fulfilling the sign of Jonah to the letter is the confirmation that He is the Messiah (Matthew 12:38–42).

Continue reading “Jesus’ Death, Resurrection, and Ascensions – Conclusion”

Jesus’ Death and Resurrection

Note: The following Post is taken from the book by Joseph Lenard entitled Mysteries of Jesus’ Life Revealed—His Birth, Death, Resurrection, and Ascensions. For an overview and complete chapter listing of this fascinating study, click here.

AD 30 – A Year for the ages

Although various arguments have been made by Bible scholars and theologians over the centuries, the year in which Jesus was crucified has long been a mystery. I believe the case I have been building in my various Posts for the year AD 30 is both compelling and accurate.  We will look more closely at that date in this Post.

The actual birth date of Jesus which I have advocated in previous Posts is September 11, 3 BC.  Taking into account His life and ministry – as presented in the Gospels – and the fact that His ministry began at age 30 and encompassed three Passovers, we are left with AD 30 as the most probable year for the crucifixion. Then, too, the writings of various Jewish authors regarding strange happenings in the temple beginning in AD 30 make it even more likely that something highly significant happened that year.

Continue reading “Jesus’ Death and Resurrection – Year of Death and Resurrection”

Jesus’ Death, Resurrection, and Ascensions

Note: The following Post is taken from the book by Joseph Lenard entitled Mysteries of Jesus’ Life Revealed—His Birth, Death, Resurrection, and Ascensions. For an overview and complete chapter listing of this fascinating study, click here.

Not One, But Two

It will come as a surprise to most Christians that there were actually two ascensions of Jesus to heaven following His resurrection. Most Christians know about the public ascension of Jesus (Mark 16:19, Luke 24:50-51, and Acts 1:9–10), which was witnessed by His disciples 39 days following His resurrection. However, this was actually the second ascension.

Jesus’ first ascension occurred very shortly after his resurrection – on the same day as the resurrection. This first ascension was related to the Feast of the Lord known as First Fruits. Although this Feast is clearly documented and celebrated throughout Scripture, it has been largely forgotten by church tradition.

Continue reading “Jesus’ Death, Resurrection, and Ascensions – Two Ascensions”

Note: The following Post is taken from the book by Joseph Lenard entitled Mysteries of Jesus’ Life Revealed—His Birth, Death, Resurrection, and Ascensions. For an overview and complete chapter listing of this fascinating study, click here.

Accidental or Intentional?

If you have been following my Posts as I have built my case for a revised chronology of the week of Jesus’ crucifixion, it should by now be clear that Jesus did not die on a Friday, as has been traditionally maintained by the church. The simplest explanations for how the church could have erred in accepting a Friday crucifixion are rooted either in ignorance or intentional disregard for the Hebrew roots of the chronology.

Continue reading “Jesus’ Death and Resurrection – How the Church Erred”

Note: The following Post is taken from the book by Joseph Lenard entitled Mysteries of Jesus’ Life Revealed—His Birth, Death, Resurrection, and Ascensions. For an overview and complete chapter listing of this fascinating study, click here.

Three Days?

As part of my proposed chronology for the crucifixion week (Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, Saturday, and Sunday), I need to address the references in the Gospels to the phrases “three days” and “on the third day” (Luke 24:7) that Christ used in referencing His resurrection. We might call these the Hard Scriptures.

The Roman church, I believe, incorrectly interpreted these references in supporting the Friday, Saturday, Sunday chronology. Properly interpreted, these phrases are shown to fully support not only my adjusted chronology but also the “3 days and 3 nights” spoken of by Jesus in Matthew 12:40, as well as the chronology of the three women who visited the tomb, which I addressed in my Post Chronology of the Women.

Continue reading “Jesus’ Death and Resurrection – Hard Scriptures”

Note: The following Post is taken from the book by Joseph Lenard entitled Mysteries of Jesus’ Life Revealed—His Birth, Death, Resurrection, and Ascensions. For an overview and complete chapter listing of this fascinating study, click here.

Crucifixion Week Chronology

The following table summarizes the days and specific events during the week of the crucifixion of Jesus.  The dates (9th, 10th, 11th, etc.) refer to the days of the Jewish month of Nisan (Abib) for AD 30, the year of the crucifixion. For the specific week and year of the crucifixion, the Pharisaic Passover was on Nisan 14 (per Leviticus 23:5); and First Fruits fell on Nisan 17 (the Sadducees’ First Fruits was always on a Sunday).

Continue reading “Jesus’ Death and Resurrection – Summary Table”

Note: The following Post is taken from the book by Joseph Lenard entitled Mysteries of Jesus’ Life Revealed—His Birth, Death, Resurrection, and Ascensions. For an overview and complete chapter listing of this fascinating study, click here.

Longstanding Traditions

Both Christianity and Judaism have traditions which have been passed down from generation to generation for hundreds – sometimes thousands – of years. Unfortunately, some of these traditions are simply not biblical and run counter to a credible chronology of the crucifixion week of Jesus. Exploring these traditions constitutes the eleventh and final puzzle piece in our quest to discover the true date of the death of Christ.

Perhaps most unfortunate is when traditions prevent people from accepting the truth. Often, the only rationale for ignoring the truth is the simple reluctance to abandon traditions that have been around for so long that they have somehow come to be accepted as truth. Unfortunately, long-standing tradition does not necessarily equate to truth.

Continue reading “Jesus’ Death and Resurrection – Jewish and Christian Traditions”

Jesus’ Death and Resurrection

Note: The following Post is taken from the book by Joseph Lenard entitled Mysteries of Jesus’ Life Revealed—His Birth, Death, Resurrection, and Ascensions. For an overview and complete chapter listing of this fascinating study, click here.

What Can Astronomy Tell Us?

As I did in attempting to determine the actual date of Jesus’ birth, I now consider the astronomical signs which existed during the Passion Week, the week of Jesus’ death. This consideration becomes the tenth puzzle piece in our quest to establish the actual date of Jesus’ death.

I have stated in previous Posts that I agree with Messianic Rabbi Avi Ben Mordechai that Jesus was crucified late on Wednesday afternoon of the Mosaic/Sadducees’ Passover, Nisan 13/14, which was also the Pharisaic “Day of Preparation.” The crucifixion occurred during the period of time defined in Hebrew writings as “between the two evening times.”  Additionally, I agree with Ben Mordechai that Jesus was most likely crucified in AD 30; I make this case later in my upcoming Post entitled Year and Death of Resurrection.

So how do we use astronomical software to align this Wednesday date of Nisan 13 in AD 30 with the crucifixion?

Continue reading “Jesus’ Death and Resurrection – Astronomical Considerations”

Jesus’ Death and Resurrection

Note: The following Post is taken from the book by Joseph Lenard entitled Mysteries of Jesus’ Life Revealed—His Birth, Death, Resurrection, and Ascensions. For an overview and complete chapter listing of this fascinating study, click here.

The Burial Site

Ancient Jewish tradition allowed people to visit a burial site during the three days after entombment for the purpose of ensuring that the person was truly dead.  I will examine this tradition as the ninth puzzle piece in our quest to establish the date of Jesus’ death, burial, and resurrection.

The women who witnessed Christ’s burial and subsequently visited the tomb would have followed Jewish tradition. However, they were prevented from visiting the tomb following burial because Saturday was a High Holy Day Sabbath (the first day of the Feast of Unleavened Bread, beginning at sundown of Nisan 15/16). Accordingly, they arrived at the tomb early in the morning of the fourth day, on Sunday, Nisan 17.

The Gospel of Matthew tells us:

“Now on the next day [Friday], which is the one after the preparation [Nisan 15], the chief priests and the Pharisees gathered together with Pilate . . .” (Matthew 27:62).

Continue reading “Jesus’ Death and Resurrection – Visiting the Burial Site”

Jesus’ Death and Resurrection

Note: The following Post is taken from the book by Joseph Lenard entitled Mysteries of Jesus’ Life Revealed—His Birth, Death, Resurrection, and Ascensions. For an overview and complete chapter listing of this fascinating study, click here.

Three Women

The three women who witnessed Christ’s burial and then purchased spices for the preparation of his body are often overlooked (Mark 16:1; Luke 23:54-56). However, the timing of their activities is critical to the process of confirming the sequence of events surrounding the crucifixion, burial, and resurrection of Christ. Evaluating the activities of these women in conjunction with the death and burial of Jesus is the eighth puzzle piece in this topical series.

After these women had purchased and prepared the spices, they returned to the tomb on another day (Mark 16:1-2) to anoint the body of Jesus. We are not told specifically the reason for this anointing. Many theologians believe it was the customary way of reducing the odor of a decomposing body. Others suggest it was their way of expressing devotion to the one they remembered and loved.

Continue reading “Jesus’ Death and Resurrection – Chronology of the Women”