Of Knowledge and Faith, Part 1 of 2

Of Knowledge and Faith 

Part 1 of 2

“That the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give unto you the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge (“epignosis”) of Him.”

Eph 1:17

“And to know the love of Christ, which passeth knowledge (“gnosis”), that ye might be filled with all the fullness of God” 

Eph 3:19

     Not many people understand that faith is an action verb in the Hebrew tongue.  Faith is an experience, a state of being in which we must reside.  We are called to walk “from faith to faith” (Rom 1:17), meeting every new challenge with our continued “faithing” response.

     Most people think that faith means to believe.  But faith transcends mere belief.  To only believe something denotes doubt.  But true faith is to know something with all certainty.  It is the knowledge of God applied, a peace that surpasses all understanding (Phil 4:7).

     There are three elements to refined faith—ACTION; BELIEF; and CONFIDENCE.  They form the perfect trinity to faith, as illustrated by the equilateral triangle.  ACTIONS are the top node, the manifestation of the active verb “faith” which we speak of.  The two bottom nodes are BELIEF and CONFIDENCE.  BELIEF and CONFIDENCE must be drawn together, traveling toward one another and up their relative slopes until all doubt is erased.  They meet at the top, resulting in faith-inspired, Spirit-filled ACTION—enter the resurrection!

     Faith-inspired, Spirit-filled action is pure, performed without thought.  It is not us who performs it but Him who lives in us and operates through us.  This kind of ACTION cannot be forced, but must be waited upon.  It is the result of the Holy Spirit moving through us:

THE ABC’s OF FAITH

   ACTION

                                                                                                                                                                                        BELIEF                       CONFIDENCE

 

     There are two different kinds of knowledge spoken of in the New Testament.  There is the Greek word “gnosis,” which refers to mere academic knowledge or rote memorization.  And there is also the Greek word “epignosis,” the prefix “epi-” meaning “over and beyond” or “out of” mere “gnosis” (knowledge).

     “Epignosis” means to have “over and beyond knowledge.” It is the application of what you “know,” the point in which you no longer have to think about it or rehearse it.

     To learn algebra and calculus is mere “gnosis,” but to use algebra and calculus to launch a rocket to the moon, that is “epignosis.”  Epignosis removes all doubt and uncertainty.  It is “to know that you know,” much like Jehovah is “I am that I am.”

     The perfection of faith is an “epignosis,” something over and beyond knowledge.  It cannot be discovered or learned but requires divine revelation.  Epignosis must be unlocked and opened by the Holy Spirit:

“That the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give unto you the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge (“epignosis”) of Him.” Eph 1:17

“And to know the love of Christ, which passeth knowledge (“gnosis”), that ye might be filled with all the fullness of God” 

Eph 3:19

     When we recite the Bible and scripture, that is mere gnosis.  But when we live Bible scripture, this is epignosis.  Epignosis is synonymous with spirituality in that it denotes certainty.

     Epignosis is beyond our ability to learn or perform, it requires the revelation of God.  God opens up this revelation to us when we place our complete trust in Him.  He perfects our faith through many trials and experiences, much like  building a muscle.  It is our job but to submit to His will and wait for His Spirit.

     God appropriates us faith by first proving Himself faithful.  We start from nothing and it begins at salvation.  We simply stand there and wait.  When delivering the Israelites out of bondage Jehovah told them:

“…Fear ye not, stand still, and see the salvation of the Lord” Exod 14:13

      God parted the Red Sea and delivered the Israelites from slavery in Egypt.  Notice that nothing is required of you at salvation.  God does all the work.  You simply put your trust in Him.  The Israelites were told to: (1) Fear not; (2) Stand still; and (3) see the salvation of the Lord.

     The same holds true in our personal relationship with Christ.  God does all the work for us at salvation.  We are to simply trust, receive, and behold the miracle that is taking place.

     But notice what happens to the Israelites when they finally reach the Promised Land.  God does not simply part the waters of the Jordan River for them the same way He parted the Red Sea.  Instead, the Lord instructs the Israelites to have the priests enter the rushing river and as soon as the soles of their feet touch the water, the river will dry up and they will walk over dry shod (Josh 3:13):

“…as soon as the soles of the feet… rest in the waters… that the waters of Jordan shall be cut off… and they shall stand upon an heap” (Jos 3:13)

     As faith grows like a muscle, God makes the believer a participant in the faith-action, meaning actions that proceed from an unwavering trust in God.  At Salvation all you have to do is stand still and trust Him, such as the Israelites delivered from Egypt.  But to enter the Promised Land, that victorious life of Christian living, you have to pass over the Jordan River and demonstrate your faith with action.  As soon as the priests put their feet in that water, a path was revealed to walk over dry shod.

     To enter the Promised Land you have to perform knowing the waters will dry once your feet enter.  Your actions are no longer your own.  You wait, pray and trust; your belief and confidence meld into together until, suddenly, like a mighty whirlwind, His Spirit will move you. At that time, it is no longer you who perform, but the Master who abides.  Our vessels become instruments of His desire played in this cosmic song called reality.

     After experiencing this kind of Living Faith and coming to rely on the certitude of His presence, the believer learns to yield to His gentle sway.  God verifies and validates the faith.  One passes from mere “gnosis” to having “epignosis.”  May the Lord bless you and reveal to you “epignosis,” the spiritual life that transcends beyond mere knowledge (gnosis).   

     I recommend meditating on these concepts before reading Of Knowledge and Faith, Part 2 of 2. 

Larry Word

TruthBroadcast Statement of Faith

Our Statement of Faith and Approach to Teaching

We strive to present objective arguments for the various interpretations of scripture.  We encourage our fellowship to do their own research and court a relationship with God.   This is a foundational principle, that God desires intimacy in a personal relationship.  Truth reveals herself to the diligent seeker.

     The ancient Greeks believed that Truth was locked within the heart.  The premise of “Socratic” method was to, through the use of rhetoric and discourse, draw out Truth.  Indeed we often know the answers but do not have the courage to ask ourselves the tough questions.  There is an enemy at work seeking to deceive.  The battleground is the mind.

     The following tenets express the beliefs of the TruthBroadcast ministry.  We strive to present the facts based on evidence.  We invite you to join us on this quest to grow in the grace and knowledge of Jesus Christ.  May the Lord enrich your life and reveal His hidden purpose in your heart.

WE BELIEVE:

1)  There is but one God “YHWH” who is personal, infinite, knowable, and eternally existing as Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.  Each person of the trinity is equal in divine perfection (1 Jn 5:7; Dt 6:4; Mk 12:29; Mt 28:19)

2)  The Bible in its original language is the inspired Word of God, penned by men who were moved by the Holy Spirit.  Both the Old and New Testaments are complete, without error, correct in all context, and totally infallible (2 Tim 3:16, 17; 2 Pet 1:20, 21; Ps 119:160)

3)  The Bible is the final authority and unadulterated Truth by which all other religions, philosophies, and “truths” must be measured (Ps 119:105; Mt 4:4; 1 Tim 4:13-16)

4)  The Bible is understood only by revelation of the Holy Spirit.  Man in his fallen state cannot comprehend scripture without enlightenment from the Holy Spirit (1 Cor 2:11)

5) Humans are born physically alive but spiritually dead.  At the moment of faith in Christ, the Holy Spirit revives to life the dead human spirit in man, also known as the “new man” in scripture (Eph 2:1, 5; 4:24)

6)  Faith begins with the resurrection (spiritual in the heart) and culminates with the resurrection (immortality of the body).

7)  Faith comes by hearing the Word of God or by a revelatory gift of the Holy Spirit (Rom 10:17; Eph 1:17)

8) Salvation (heaven) is the free gift of God made solely by grace (unmerited favor) through faith (trust) in Jesus Christ apart from any works.  Salvation cannot be earned, deserved, lost, or forfeited once implanted in the heart.  Salvation comes through faith alone in Christ alone.  (Eph 2:4-10; Tit 3:4-7; Rom 5:8-10; Jn 10:10-11; Jn 15:13-16)

9)  Repentance is a change in mind, attitude, and direction toward God.  Repentance involves the working of the Holy Spirit in the conviction of sin.

10)  Salvation first occurs by hearing the Gospel message and the Holy Spirit stirring the regenerated new nature “awake” in the heart.  Conviction of sin leads to repentance and a turning toward God (Rom 13:11; Eph 5:14)

11)  The body is the temple of the living God.  The Holy Spirit and the resurrected Jesus Christ indwell within every believer, empowering the spiritual identity in the heart to grow to maturity (1 Cor 6:19)

12)  Jesus Christ is the only begotten Son of God, the Word incarnate in the flesh.  Jesus Christ is the hypostatic union of God and man, being perfect, sinless, and equal to the Father, yet born in a human form.   (Jn 1:1)

13) Before the foundation of the world, God’s plan of salvation was foreordained by the Father, accomplished by the work of Christ’s death on the cross, and revealed in the hearts of men by the Holy Spirit (1 Pet 1:18-20; Eph 1:3-11; Jn 16:7-14; 1 Cor 2:9-13)

14) Jesus Christ is the expressed image of God who came into the world to redeem man from his sinful condition.  This redemptive work on the cross is our complete atonement for sins, once and for all (Heb 1:1-3; Col 2:9; Heb 9:14; 10:12-14)

15) Jesus Christ was born of the Virgin Mary, conceived of the Holy Spirit, was crucified (died), buried, and rose from the dead on the third day.  He then ascended into heaven and is seated at the right hand of the Father, making intercession on our behalf (Isa 7:14; Mt 1:18-23; 1 Cor 15:3-4; Acts 1:9-11; Heb 7:24-25; 8:1-3; 9:11-12; 9:24; 10:12)

16) Justification is an act of God, in which He declares those who believe “righteous” on the basis of faith in Christ.  Therefore, because He (Christ) alone is righteous, His righteousness is imputed to all who believe in Him, resulting in justification (Rom 3:24-28; 4:1-9; 4:23-25; Gal 2:16; 1 Cor 1:30-31)

17) Sanctification is the “setting apart” of a believer by God unto Himself as His “purchased possession” through the work of the Holy Spirit and the power of His Word (Jude 1:1; 1 Pet 1:2; Heb 10:10; 2 Thes 2:13; Jn 17:16-19; Eph 5:26-27)

18) Every true regenerated (born again) believer is eternally secured, kept by the power of God until the day of redemption (Jn 1:12-13; 3:5-7; 10:27-29; Rom 8:9-14; 1 Pet 3-5; Phil 1:6)

19) Every believer is commanded to be baptized by full immersion.  It is not a requirement for eternal salvation but a direct result of it.  It is an outward expression of an inward conversion.  It is represents identification with the Lord’s death, burial and resurrection, the believer dying to self and sin in order to live unto God (Mt 28:19-20; Acts 10:47-48; Rom 6:3-11; 12:1-2)

20) The observance of the Lord’s supper should be done as often as we put in remembrance His sacrificial death at Calvary.  The bread represents a promised body of immortality while the wine represents the blood of Christ through which there is remission of sins (Lk 22:14-20; 1 Cor 11:23-29; 1 Cor 10:16-17)

21) The enemy, Satan, is a fallen, created being, opposed to all that is holy, and is destined for eternal punishment along with the one third of the angels that followed him in rebellion against God (Isa 14:12-15; Rev 20:10; 2 Pet 2:4; Mt 25:41)

22) God is the Creator of the universe.  From out of nothing, His Word created all things in the beginning.  Therefore, believers reject all theories of macroevolution (one species transforming into another) (Gen 1; Rev 4:11; Rom 1:19-20; Ps 146 1:6; Isa 42:5)

23)  Israel remains God’s covenant people who have been blinded because of unbelief.  However, they will be redeemed as a nation after the times of the Gentiles is fulfilled. (Eze 36:17-24; Rom 11:1-16; 25-32; Eze 36:25-34)

24) There will be a resurrection of both believers and unbelievers in separate periods of time.  The righteous shall rise first and will receive glorified heavenly bodies for eternal life.  Unbelievers will stand unto judgment of eternal damnation in the lake of fire, initially reserved for Satan and his fallen angels (Mt. 25:31-34, 41; 1 Cor 15:20-28; 43-57; Rev 7:9-17; 20:1-15)

25)  Jesus Christ, our High Priest, can sympathize with our weakness, because He was in all points tempted as we are, yet without sin (Heb 2:14-18; 4:15; 1 Pet 2:21-22)

As a Bride Looks Forward to Her Wedding Day

 The New Paradigm for Perceiving Death

“A good name is better than precious ointment; and the day of death than the day of one’s birth.”  Eccles 7:1

“…through death He might destroy him that had the power of death, that is, the devil”  Heb 2:14

“…that He by the grace of God should taste death for every man.”  Heb 2:9

     I remember before I knew the Lord, how very much afraid I was to die. I would never have admitted it, though.  The ego constructs such powerful defense mechanisms, to keep it from contemplating unpleasant truths.  I would rationalize away death, convincing myself it was a natural stage of life we all must pass.  Of course, it helped that I was a healthy, young man with potentially decades longer to live.

     But I pondered the subject, once in a while meditating deep enough to realize how scared I really was.  I was glad I did not have to face the dreaded Grim Reaper anytime soon, so I thought.

     How different things became after the Lord entered my life.  God quickened in me a conscious, breathing spirit; the new creation in Christ awakened in my heart.  At the same time, part of me died. 

     Being certain of the Creator’s existence yields its own implications.  It becomes incumbent upon you to share the joy with others; to glorify His name in your life. We crucify self daily to walk after Him.  (1 Cor. 15:31; Gal 5:24).  He in us will increase if put off our old self and decrease (John 3:30).

     The process of sanctification means to be set apart for the Lord’s purposes.  My sanctification came through much chastisement, but I was always thankful to be set apart, to have been forknown before the universe was created.  Sanctification can occur through obedience or chastisement.  As a child of God, the Father will discipline his children.  He will humble you through enforced humiliation  if you do not voluntarily humble yourself.  He will transform some through pain, tears, and supplication if needed. 

     If He has called our name then He has also provided you everything needed to crucify your affections and lead a victorious life of faith.  But He will use calamity to get your attention, if need be.

     Whether sanctification occurs through voluntary submission or enforced humility, the amazing thing is that no believer enlists to follow God.   Believers are not volunteers but are drafted.  You cannot claim grace unless grace first claims you.  One cannot choose Christ; it is the Father exerting that soft tug upon the heart and gently drawing the believer to Himself through the Spirit (John 6:44).   We are incapable of choosing God, and if anyone thinks that they did, then it is probably the self-righteous trend in the sin nature at work.

     God whispered the name of believers into the cosmos before the creation of the universe (Eph 1:4).  To understand this is the beginning of sensing that gentle call upon your heart, the beginning of discerning that Spirit that moves you toward Love.  Let no man believe he or she came to Christ purely of their own volition, but rather, that they were responding to a call upon their heart.

     After I received Christ, I knew part of me would live for eternity and part of me would die.  Death no longer scared me any more.

     So whenever your aging body reminds you of how numbered your days are, whenever mortal infirmities remind you of how you draw closer to dying, take comfort in the fact that:

“Precious in the sight of the Lord is the death of His saints”

Psalm 116:15

He will not leave your soul in the grave, but will raise you a new immortal body.  The spiritually mature believer understands that the day of death is better than the day of one’s physical birth (Ecc. 7:1).  It is okay to romanticize over it.  It is the day that we are reunited with our Beloved, the day we stare face-to-face into the eyes of the glorified Christ:

“And they shall see His face… and they need no candle, neither light of the sun”

Rev 22:4-5

WHY?

“…for the glory of God did lighten it, and the Lamb is the light thereof”

Rev 21:23

     If you are in covenant relationship with the Lord and have received Him into your heart, then death no longer has sting or victory over you (1 Cor. 15:55).  At death, you will either be honored with martyrdom or comforted as your fleshly shell expires.

     For the believer, God is a Lover—He simply takes your breath away.  In dying grace, we swoon, exhaling our last, with complete trust that He will raise us up again and carry us over that bridge to eternity.

     As a bride looks forward to her wedding day, so too does the mature believer look forward to death.  For in that day we are married, truly becoming one with Christ.  Until then, sing songs of joy and thanksgiving in the land of the living.  And take comfort, with eager anticipation and expectation, because truly is the day of one’s death more blessed than the day of one’s birth (Ecc 7:1).

Larry Word

The Fallacy of Good Friday

How We Know Christ was Crucified on Passover Wednesday

 

“For as Jonas was three days and three nights in the whale’s belly; so shall the Son of man be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth” Mat 12:40

“… and be raised again the third day”

Mat 16:21

“…beside all this, to day is the third day since these things were done” Luke 24:21

     Today we are going to study an esoteric doctrine: the fallacy of Good Friday.  Have you ever wondered about the seeming contradiction in the Bible, that Christ died on Friday, was in the grave three days and three nights, and rose on Sunday?  How do you get three days from Friday afternoon to Sunday morning?

     The answer to this question is that the tradition of Christ dying on Good Friday is erroneous and unscriptural.  Today we will expose this fallacy, explore how it came to be the prevalent teaching in Christianity, and unequivocally prove that Christ was killed on Passover Wednesday, buried and in the ground by Thursday, and rose on Saturday night (which would be Sunday by Jewish reckoning).  I strongly suggest you follow along in your own Bibles. Let’s begin!

     The source of the Good Friday fallacy comes from a misunderstanding of scripture.  After Jesus had been crucified, and as evening approached, it is stated that the following day was a Sabbath:

“And now when the even was come, because it was the preparation, that is, the day before the Sabbath”   Mark 15:42

     Looks like the following day must be Saturday, right?  But wait, the Sabbath referred to here is not the regular weekly Sabbath.  Rather, it is the first day of the Feast of Unleavened Bread, a “feast day” Sabbath that followed Passover.

     Passover took place on the 14^th of the Jewish month of Nisan. Following the Passover was the Feast of Unleavened Bread, which occurred from the 15^th of Nisan to the 21^st of Nisan.  The 14^th of Nisan was called also called the “preparation day,” because the Jews had to “prepare” for the Sabbath that followed on the 15^th of Nisan. They “prepared” by finishing all servile work, travel, or other activities before the Sabbath began.

     The month of Nisan had many Sabbaths and special feast days that followed each other in succession. The 15^th and 21^st of Nisan were special “feast day” Sabbaths, also called “high” Sabbaths that corresponded with the Feast of Unleavened Bread.  From the 14^th to the 21^st of Nisan there could be as many as three Sabbaths—the weekly Saturday Sabbath, the “high” Sabbath which took place on the 15^th of Nisan, and the “high” Sabbath which took place on the 21^st of Nisan.  Let’s see what the Old Testament says on this subject:

“…on the fifteenth day of the same month (Nisan) is the feast of unleavened bread unto the Lord: seven days ye must eat unleavened bread.  In the first day (15^th Nisan) ye shall have an holy convocation (high Sabbath): ye shall do no servile work therein… in the seventh day (21^st Nisan) is an holy convocation (high Sabbath): ye shall do no servile work therein”

Lev. 23:6-8

    

     If there was any doubt as to which Sabbath followed the day of Christ’s death, the Gospel of John clears it up with this parenthetical insert:

“The Jews therefore, because it was the preparation, that the bodies should not remain upon the cross on the sabbath day  (because that sabbath day was an high day,)” John 19:31

     The Sabbath referred to here is not the regular weekly Sabbath, but the first day of the Feast of Unleavened Bread, the 15^th of Nisan.  It was a “high” Sabbath, and thus did necessarily have to fall on Saturday.

     Besides the issue of the Sabbath, another source of confusion involves how time was measured during Jesus’ day.  The Romans measured time from midnight to midnight, just like we do today.  Jews, on the other hand, measure time from sunset to sunset, commencing approximately at 6:00 P.M.  The new day begins with darkness because it is recorded in Genesis that evening came first: “the evening and the morning were the first day” (Gen 1:5). 

     The Jews divide the day into twelve hour increments, measured approximately from dusk until dawn.  So for example, when the Bible says that it was “the ninth hour,” that would be either 3:00 A.M or 3:00 P.M. (counting each hour from 6:00 o’clock A.M. or 6:00 o’clock P.M.), depending on whether it was light or dark outside.

     The Old Testament states that Passover was to be on the 14^th of Nissan (Lev. 23:5).  This was the time that Jesus and His disciples ate their Last Supper together.

     But contrary to scripture, the Judean Jews in Jesus’ had a custom of eating the Passover meal on the 15^th of Nisan, the first day of the Feast of Unleavened Bread.  This has often made it seem as if there were two Passover meals, because some of the Jews celebrated Passover on the 14^th while others celebrated it on the 15^th of Nisan.

     Thus Passover is often used synonymously with the Feast of Unleavened Bread, and when the Passover is spoken of in the Gospels, it could be referring to either the 14^th of Nisan or the 15^th of Nisan depending on the context:

 “Now the feast of unleavened bread drew nigh (15^th of Nisan), which is called the Passover”    Luke 22:1

“In the fourteenth day of the first month (14^th of Nisan) at even (better rendered ‘at twilight’ or ‘between the two evenings’) is the Lord’s Passover”  Lev 23:5

     Jesus and His disciples ate the Passover on the correct day, the 14^th of Nisan.  However, many Jews ate the Passover on the 15^th of Nisan, the “High Sabbath” of the Feast of Unleavened Bread, which was also called “the Passover.”

     Herein, we have covered some of the origins of the Good Friday fallacy and confusion surrounding the day Christ died..  Now we shall present the last week of Christ’s life and prove that he was crucified on Wednesday and in the grave for three days and three nights, just as the scripture records

FRIDAY, 9^th OF NISAN

“Then Jesus six days before the passover came to Bethany”  John 12:1 

     We know that this must be either the 8^th or 9^th of Nisan, because the Passover falls on the 14^th of Nisan, and the first day of the Feast of Unleavened Bread—which is also “called the Passover” (Luke 22:1; John 19:14)—falls on the 15^th of Nisan.  We can discern this to be the 9th of Nisan because Christ our Passover is anointed on the 10^th, corresponding to the date for choosing which lamb is slaughtered for the Passover meal (Exod. 12:3).

SATURDAY, 10^th OF NISAN

     As previously discussed, the new day begins with sunset.  Jesus arrives at Bethany Friday afternoon, the 9^th of Nisan (John 12:1).  Supper is served after sunset, meaning that it would then be Saturday the 10^th of Nisan when Martha served the meal (John 12:2).

     Jesus is now anointed by Mary: “Let her alone: against the day of My burying hath she kept this” (John 12:7).  This parallels the choosing of the Passover lamb on the 10^th of Nisan (Exod 12:3).

     Jesus does not travel on the Saturday Sabbath, quietly residing in Bethany until Sunday.

SUNDAY, 11^th OF NISAN

“On the next day (Sunday) much people that were come to the feast, when they heard that Jesus was coming to Jerusalem.”  John 12:12

     Here, we now fix the date on the 11^th of Nisan.  This is Palm Sunday, the infamous triumphal entry into Jerusalem.  Jesus arrives on a colt and cleanses the temple of moneychangers.  At the end of the day, he leaves the city and returns to Bethany to sleep (Mat. 21:17)

MONDAY, 12^th OF NISAN

“Now in the morning (Monday) as He returned to the city, He hungered.  And when He saw a fig tree in the way, He came to it, and found nothing thereon, but leaves only, and said unto it, ‘Let no fruit grow on thee henceforward for ever.  And presently (soon) the fig tree withered away”  Mat. 21:18-19

     Here we see that Jesus hungered, and when the fig tree bore no fruit, he cursed it.  While Mathew’s Gospel does not account for a time frame between the cursing and when the tree withered away, the Gospel of Mark does.  It is from there that we pick up the chronology:

TUESDAY, 13^th OF NISAN

“And in the morning, as they passed by, they saw the fig tree dried up from the roots.  And Peter calling to remembrance saith unto Him, ‘Master, behold the fig tree which Thou cursedst (yesterday) is withered away’” 

Mark 11:20-21

     There is an extra day between the time Jesus curses the fig tree and the time that it withers away, as illustrated above. This now fixes the date on Tuesday, the 13^th of Nisan.

     Recall that although the Passover was on the 14^th of Nisan, the Judean Jews also called the first day of the Feast of Unleavened Bread, the 15^th of Nisan, “the Passover” (Mark 14:1; Luke 22:1).  From the entire time of the 14^th to the 21^st of Nisan no leaven was to be eaten (see underlined below), and specifically the 15^th and the 21^st of Nisan were High Feast Day Sabbaths.  We now pick up the story just as the sun sets, the beginning of the next day.

WEDNESDAY, 14^th OF NISAN

“Now the first day of the feast of unleavened bread (14^th of Nisan) the disciples came to Jesus, saying unto Him, ‘Where wilt Thou that we prepare Thee to eat the Passover?’”

Mat 26:17

     Here, the sun just set on Tuesday the 13^th of Nisan, and the disciples are asking where to eat supper, the first meal of the day.  This would not be just any ordinary supper; this would be the Passover, Christ’s Last Supper.

     We know that the “first day of the feast of unleavened bread” in the above scripture refers to the 14^th of Nisan because, when Christ is betrayed and brought before Pilate at about midnight, scripture says that it is still the “preparation” for the Sabbath.

“And it was the preparation of the Passover (preparation for the High Sabbath day), and about the sixth hour (approximately midnight, count six hours from 6:00 P.M sunset): and he saith unto the Jews, Behold your King”    John 19:14

     Jesus is crucified and on the cross between the hours of 9:00 A.M. and 3:00 P.M. the next morning

“And it was the third hour; and they crucified Him”  Mark 16:25

“And when the sixth hour was come, there was a darkness over the whole land until the ninth hour” Mark 15:33   

     Recall that Jesus is betrayed and before Pilate during the dark hours, so the “sixth hour” is reckoned from sunset, counting from 6:00 P.M.  When He is crucified in the morning, it is daylight hours, so the “third hour” would be approximately 9:00 A.M. (counting three hours from 6:00 A.M.). In both cases, however, it is still the same day, Wednesday the 14^th of Nisan, because Jews measure the beginning of the day from sunset to sunset.

     Christ fulfilled the exact role of the Passover lamb, dying on Passover day of the 14^th of Nisan, making Him “our Passover.”

“For even Christ our Passover is sacrificed for us.” 1 Cor 5:7

      Let’s compare the following scriptures regarding the Passover lamb and see how Christ fulfilled this role:

“Your Lamb shall be without blemish”

Exod 12:5

Christ was without sin, a form of blemish.

“And ye shall keep it until the fourteenth day of the same month (Nisan): and the whole assembly of the congregation shall kill it”

Exod. 12:6

     Christ was killed by the whole congregation.  The Jews told Pilate:

“His blood be upon us, and on our children” Mat. 27:25.

     Jesus dies at approximately 3:00 P.M. the “ninth hour” of Wednesday the 14^th of Nisan (Mat 27:46).  Recall the end of the day/beginning of the new day starts at sunset, and the following day—the 15^th of Nisan—is a “High Sabbath” (John 19:31).  By 3:00 P.M. there is only a few short hours before the Sabbath begins.

     The Romans usually left bodies hanging on the cross until the flesh rotted away.  But the Old Testament stated that a body could not remain on the cross during the Sabbath (Mark 15:42; Luke 23:54), otherwise it would defile the land (Deut 21:23; Gal 3:13).  Thus, the Pharisees arrange to expedite the death of those crucified by breaking their legs.

     But Jesus was already dead (John 19:33) and not a single bone in His body was broken, fulfilling the prophecy of Psalm 34:20 and the role of the Passover lamb, which could not have any broken bones (Exod. 12:46; Num. 9:12).

     Christ is buried and in the ground by sunset, bringing us to the beginning of the next day:

THURSDAY, 15^th OF NISAN

“Now the next day, that followed the day of the preparation, the chief priests and Pharisees came together unto Pilate, Saying ‘Sir, we remember that that deceiver said while He was yet alive, ‘After three days I will rise again’”  Mat. 27:62-63

     On Thursday morning the Pharisees request a guard be placed before the sepulcher, that it be, “made sure until the third day” (Mat. 27:64).

     It is impossible that Christ was crucified on Friday and rose on Sunday when considering that Christ himself said:

“For as Jonas was three days and three nights in the whale’s belly; so shall the Son of man be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth” Mat 12:40

     It has to be a full seventy-two hours, three days and three nights.  Christ rises both after three days (since death Wednesday) and on the third day (since burial Thursday) (Compare Mark 8:31 and Luke 24:21).  A look at the diagram at the end of this chapter should help you better understand the chronology of the three-days and three-nights.

SUNDAY, 18^th OF NISAN

     Christ is resurrected the moment the sun sets on our Saturday night, making it the beginning of Sunday on the Jewish calendar.  We know this because Mary arrives prior to dawn:

“The first day of the week cometh (Sunday) Mary Magdalene early, when it was yet dark, unto the sepulcher, and seeth the stone taken away from the sepulcher” John 20:1

“In the end of the Sabbath (Saturday), as it began to dawn toward the first day of the week, came Mary Magdalene… and an angel… rolled back the stone from the door”

Mat. 28:1-2

     It is impossible to cling to the belief of a Friday crucifixion if you compare the scriptures.  Tradition may hold that Friday was the day of this event, but this stems from an erroneous understanding of the “High Day” Sabbaths that fell on certain feast days, the fact that the Jews mark the beginning of the day from Sunset, and that the Feast of Unleavened bread on the 15^th of Nisan was often referred to as “the Passover” of the 14^th.

     Jesus fulfilled the substance of what the Old Testament Passover lamb foreshadowed.  He became “our Passover lamb,” and was slaughtered for the sins of the entire human race.  No matter how you do the math, Friday until Sunday does not add up to three days.  I encourage anyone interested to look into this matter for themselves and allow the unadulterated Truth to validate itself.  May the Lord of Glory bless you and illuminate your understanding. Amen.

Larry Word

             Jewish Time                       Gentile Time

	Wed. 14th Nisan	6 PM
	Christ eats Passover (Last Supper); is betrayed and arrested Before Pontius Pilate Christ Crucified Christ dies; Speedy burial before sunset
		12AM	Wed. 14th Nisan
		9AM 3PM	Judean Passover Lambs slaughtered Judean Jews eat Passover
Day 1	Thu. 15th Nisan	6 PM
	“High Day” Sabbath—Feast of Unleavened Bread
		12 AM	Thu 15th. Nisan
			Pharisees ask for a watch to guard  the tomb of Christ
Day 2	Fri. 16th Nisan	6 PM
	“High Day” Sabbath ends
		12 AM	Fri. 16th Nisan
Day 3	Sat 16th Nisan	6 PM
	Weekly Sabbath Begins
		12 AM	Sat 16th Nisan
			CHRIST RESURRECTED
	Sun 17th Nisan	6 PM
	Lord Rises at sunset, the moment the weekly Sabbath ends
		12 AM	Sun 17th Nisan