CHRIST
IS CRUCIFIED
Mormon takes note that if Nephi had made no mistake in keeping
their calendar, then Christ’s crucifixion took place on the fourth day of the
first month of the thirty-four year after the sign of His birth. If we can identify
a date for the crucifixion, then we also know the date of His birth—four days
earlier.
Catholic tradition has set the crucifixion on a Friday, and
certain theologians have claimed the date to be April 7, in the year 30 A.D.
Due to changes in our calendar, over the centuries, we are not sure of the date
of our Lord’s birth, but we do know that the time of His death was the month Nisan,
the equivalent of our modern April (The Interpreter’s Dictionary of the
Bible, Vol. 1, “Calendars,” p. 486). The Christian world has long accepted
the tradition that the crucifixion took place on the Jewish holy day of
Passover.
Scholars have raised questions not only about the date, but as to
the possibility that such a thing could have been done on the day of the
Passover celebration. If Christ died on a Friday, then He made a statement which
can not be applied to His death.
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.—Matthew 12:40.
The three days will fit if one accepts the early Hebrew dating
practice of counting a part of a day as a full day. But there is no way to fit
three nights into a Friday crucifixion, when the resurrection occurred early
Sunday (“As is well known, a reign of three years in the earlier Hebrew
antedating practice may mean only one full year and parts of two others. Three
days may also imply one full day and parts of two others.”—William Foxwell
Albright, Archaeology and the Religion of Israel, p. 213, Note 17). Due
to this discrepancy, scholars have usually ignored this scripture as pertaining
to His death.
If we had been good students of our Book of Mormon, we would have
shown the world long ago that the crucifixion had to have occurred on a
Thursday and Christ’s statement did refer to His death and the time in the
tomb. There is the prophecy of Samuel, given about 6 B.C.:
But behold, as I said unto you concerning another sign, a sign of
his death, behold, in that day that he shall suffer death, the sun shall be
darkened and refuse to give his light unto you; and also the moon, and the
stars; And there shall be no light upon the face of this land, even from the
time that he shall suffer death, for the space of three days, to the time that
he shall rise again from the dead;--Helaman 5:75, 76
If Jesus died on the cross at midafternoon in Jerusalem, as
recorded in the Gospels, and we allow for the eight hours difference in time
for this hemisphere, the hour of His death would have been 7:00 a.m. in Zarahemla.
Samuel had said the darkness would last from the moment of His death until He
arose three days later. This would require darkness for all of Thursday,
Friday, and Saturday, with light returning on Sunday morning.
The accounts given in Mark and Luke state that darkness covered
Jerusalem from the sixth to the ninth hour—12:00 noon until 3:00 in the
afternoon. The apocryphal gospel of Peter declares:
And it was noon and darkness came over all Judea; and they were
troubled and distressed, lest the sun had set . . . And many went about with
lamps, supposing it was night, and fell down. Then the sun arose and it was found
the ninth hour . . .(“The Lost Gospel According to Peter,” pp. 283-284. Found in The
Lost Books of the Bible and the Forgotten Books of Eden [World Publishing Co.,
New York])
The climax came at the ninth hour, when Christ gave up His life,
for then the earth shook and the veil of the temple was rent. Recently some
scientists have proposed that the darkening of the city in Jerusalem was due to
an eclipse. This is not possible as there can not be a solar eclipse when the
moon is full, and the 15th of Nisan is always the full moon. Note in the
statement from Samuel that the “moon” would also refuse to give its light.
In Zarahemla, those three hours would correspond to 4:00 a.m.-7:00
a.m. During these hours the winds and earthquakes devastated the land. Cities were
set on fire, which was quenched by the “mists of darkness” wherein no fire
could be lit. Mormon gives us the times:
And it came to pass when the thunderings, and the lightning, and
the storm, and the tempest, and the quakings of the earth did cease—for behold,
they did last for about the space of three hours; and it was said by some that
the time was greater; Nevertheless, all these great and terrible things were
done in about the space of three hours; and then behold, there was darkness
upon the face of the land. And it came to pass that it did last for the space
of three days, and there was no light seen; and there was great mourning, and
howling, and weeping among all the people continually;--III Nephi 4:16, 17, 21
At the end of that period, Mormon records:
And it came to pass that thus did the three days pass away. And it
was in the morning, and the darkness dispersed from off the face of the land .
. . and the wailing of the people who were spared alive, did cease;--III Nephi 4:61-63.
The Book of Mormon demands a Thursday crucifixion. And when we
know this, it is possible to find verification in the Gospels, even though the
contradictions found there created the problems in the first place. The first
question is whether Christ died on the day of the Passover of (the 15th of
Nisan) or on the 14th, “the day of preparation.” The accounts given in Matthew,
Mark, and Luke appear to place it on the Passover, although there are
contradictory statements present, but the gospel of John states plainly that it
was the day before. The Interpreter’s Bible makes this comment:
In this instance John is almost certainly correct . . . since the
Passover was a sacred day, it is almost inconceivable that Jesus could have
been arrested, examined before the Sanhedrin, tried before Pilate, crucified,
and buried during the course of it.—Volume 8, p. 378.
John’s account of this event is quite different from the other
Gospels and it appears to be more complete. We shall attempt a reconstruction
of that last week as taken from the Gospels.
Let us begin by examining a statement made by Paul:
Purge out therefore the old leaven, that ye may be a new lump, as
ye are unleavened. For even Christ our Passover is sacrificed for us.—1 Corinthians
5:7.
Paul is pointing out that Christ had fulfilled the role of the
paschal lamb, as the sacrifice for the Passover. If Christ was the symbol of
the Passover lamb, then He should have carried out all of the symbolism
inherent in the celebration of the Passover. We find the instructions
concerning the Passover in the twelfth chapter of Exodus. The lamb was to be chosen on the 10th day of
the first month (determined by the new moon), “kept up” until the 14th day,
when it was to be killed, with no bones broken, and then cooked and eaten after
sunset, which was the beginning of the 15th day of Nisan. As practiced by the
Jews in the days of Christ, the lambs so chosen were taken to the Temple and
were killed by the priests on the afternoon of the 14th of Nisan, between the hours
of three and five. The meal was eaten shortly after sunset. Because the Jewish
day began at sunset, the Passover meal would be eaten in the early hours of the
15th of Nisan (Passover). This was a holy day and was called a sabbath,
although it could fall on any day of the week (4). The 14th of Nisan was the “day
of preparation” when the homes were thoroughly cleansed and all leaven removed
from the house. It was the beginning of the week of unleavened bread.
If Christ was to fulfill the symbolism, then He had to be “chosen”
on the 10th day, “kept up” until the 14th, and killed between the ninth and
eleventh hour of the 14th of Nisan—“the day of preparation.” A careful study of
the four gospels clearly portrays Christ’s fulfillment of this role. Let’s
outline the chronology:
|
Friday |
Jesus arrived in Bethany six days before the Passover (John
12:1). A Friday arrival at the house of Lazarus is necessary as he was
coming from Ephraim “near to the wilderness” and could not make no long
journey on the Saturday sabbath. |
|
Saturday |
The sabbath probably spent quietly with the family in Bethany
until evening. But then, after sunset, Martha prepared a supper for Him and
friends came out from Jerusalem to visit with Him and with Lazarus (John
12:9).
The Book of Mormon account indicates that these were the early
hours of His birthday—perhaps that is why Martha prepared a meal and invited
friends. |
|
Sunday |
On this day, the 10th of Nisan, Christ entered Jerusalem and was
acclaimed by the multitude. This would fulfill the “choosing” of the lamb on
the tenth day. We call this Palm Sunday. It was four days to Passover. |
|
Monday and Tuesday |
Christ stayed in the environs of Bethany and Jerusalem, visiting
the Temple, teaching the Twelve on the Mount of Olives and being confronted
by the Pharisees who hoped to catch Him in a statement that would justify
them in arresting Him. Both mark and Matthew record His activities on those
two days and the plot to take Him and have Him killed. John indicates that
the plot included the killing of Lazarus, but all three writers make it clear
that the priests did not want it to happen on the feast day “lest
there be an uproar of the people.” (Matthew. Chapters 21-25; Mark, Chapters 11-13;
John 12:10, 11) |
|
Wednesday |
Mark (14:1-3) says it is still two days until the Passover when
the chief priests and the scribes were still discussing how they could
arrange for this Jesus to be killed. This is apparently the day when Judas
went to them with the offer to betray Him. Obviously it was the intention
that it should be done before the feast day—” in the absence of the
multitude” as Luke writes (Luke 22:6).
If Christ was to die on the 14th, then this was the day He sent
the two disciples to arrange for a place where He could have supper with the
Twelve. Matthew, Mark, and Luke imply this was the Passover feast. John
simply refers to it as “supper” and indicates it was before the feast
of Passover (John 13:1-2) |
|
Thursday
|
The meal was eaten after sunset, so this was the beginning of
the 14th of Nisan. John’s description of that evening is much more complete
than the other Gospels. Almost immediately be records Christ’s statement made
when He gave the sop to Judas:
And after the stop Satan entered into him. Then said Jesus unto
him, that thou doest, do quickly. Now no man at the table knew for what
intent he spake this unto him. For
some of them thought, because Judas had the beg, that Jesus had said unto
him, Buy those things that we have need of again the feast; or that he
should give something to the poor.—John 13:27-29
If they thought he was being sent to buy necessary things for
the feat, then they had not just eaten the Passover meal. There is no mention
of the paschal lamb, the bitter herbs, or any of the ceremony observed during
that meal. A blessing of bread and wine had no part in a “seder” meal.
Jesus ate the supper with the Twelve, sent Judas away, instructed
the others following Judas’s departure, then went to the garden where Judas
found Him and betrayed Him to the soldiers. From there He was taken to Annas,
who had Him bound and sent to his son-in-law, Caiaphas, the high priest. From
the Temple mount He was taken across the city to Herod’s palace, where Pilate
met Him in the hall of judgment. Today we know that Herod’s palace was
located against the present west call of the Old City.
It was now well into Thursday morning as the cock had crowed
announcing the dawn while they were still at the court of Caiaphas. Mark says
it was “in the morning” when they took Him to Pilate. John’s account confirms
that it was not Nisan 15, the day of the Passover.
Then led they Jesus 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.—John 18:28.
These were the chief priests, scribes, and the elders of the
council who were His accusers—good Jews. They dared not defile themselves by
entering the Roman tribunal, or they couldn’t neat the Passover Pilate had to
go outside to find out what the charges were against this man.
Here in the hall of judgment when Christ was sentenced,
scourged, crowned with thorns, mocked and then turned over to the Jews for
crucifixion—Mark’s account says at about the third hour (9:00 a.m.). By the
sixth hour (12:00 noon) He was on the cross and at the ninth hour (3:00 p.m.),
He was dead (mark 15:25-34).
Christ has fulfilled all the symbolism of the paschal lamb, even
dying at the hour set for the killing of the paschal lamb. |
Again John assures us that the hasty burial by Joseph and
Nicodemus was on the “day of preparation” (John 19:14, 38-42). Mark and Luke
agree that it was on the “day of preparation” but they add an extra phrase, “the
day before the sabbath” (Mark 15:22-27; Luke 23:50-56). From this came the idea
that the death had to be on Friday, just before the weekly sabbath. However,
the holy feat days were called sabbaths, as we have noted, and John tells us
that this sabbath was such a “high day”:
The Jews therefore, because it was the preparation, that the
bodies would not remain upon the cross on the sabbath day was an high day)
besought Pilate that their legs might be broken, and that they might be taken away.—John
19:31.
The regular Saturday sabbath would not have been termed a “high
day” and the phrase, “day of preparation,” applies only to the celebration of
the Passover. It is not used in connection with the regular weekly sabbath. So
the question is: On what day of the week was Nisan 14—“the day of preparation?”
Matthew is helpful on this point:
Now the next day [Passover], that followed the day of 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. Command therefore that the sepulchre be made sure until the
third ay . . . –Matthew 27:62-64.
Obviously the Jewish leaders met with Pilate on the morning of the
Passover. They wanted the tomb guarded for three days. Pilate tells them to
take care of it themselves, so they go to the tomb, seal it and set a watch.
This raises the question whether this would have been possible on the weekly sabbath
when no work was to be done, activities were restricted, and they were to spend
the day in worship. Too, a Friday crucifixion would mean this was a Saturday
morning and yet they asked for a three day watch over the tomb. A Thursday
burial would mean that they wanted the tomb watched from Friday morning through
Sunday, to cover the three days of prophecy.
One more reference to the three days—we know that the Lord rose on
the first day of the week, early in the morning—our Sunday. Luke records an
event that happened later on that same day. He tells of the two disciples who
walked to Emmaus and met the Lod on the way, but knew Him not. When asked, they
told of the recent events and supplied a time—“today is the third day since these
things were done” (Luke 24:21). This was Sunday. Three days had passed since
the action taken against Jesus of Nazareth. He had to have died on Thursday—the
14th of Nisan, the “day of preparation,” not the Passover. This fulfills all of
the requirements for the paschal lamb and makes Paul’s statement have real
meaning when he says that Christ was the sacrifice for us. It confirms Christ’s
own prophecy about the three days and nights He would be in the tomb. And our
Book of Mormon is vindicated.
If the crucifixion took place on Thursday, then it had to occur in
a year when the Passover celebration was back-to-back with the weekly sabbath—two
holy days in a row. Recent computer studies have given us tables of the exact
times of all the new and full moons for centuries before and following the
birth of Christ. In 1974 an article was published in Christianity Today
by Roger Rusk, emeritus professor of physics at the University of Tennessee, in
which he demonstrated that the moon tables indicate that such an event did
occur in the year 30 A.D. He also proposed that the crucifixion took place on Thursday—without
the extra knowledge given in our Book of Mormon. His charge gives this date:
April 6, 30 A.D. if this year is accurate, then the Catholic church’s traditional
date of April 7, 30 A.D. is only off the one day, due to their insistence on a
Friday crucifixion. Also, if this year is correct, then we should place the
beginning of the Christian era at 3 B.C. to accommodate the thirty-three years
of his life which had been completed.
The date of April 6 has special meaning for the Restoration
church. Joseph Smith was given a commandment to affect the organization of the
new church on April 6, 1830 (Doctrine and Covenants 17:1). (Verneil W. Simmons,
Peoples, Places and Prophecies: A Study of the Book of Mormon [rev ed.;
Independence, Miss.: Zarahemla Research Foundation, Inc., 1986], 205-10; Book
of Mormon and D&C references in the above follow the RLDS versification
system)
Further Reading:
David Butler Cumming, "Three Days and Three
Nights: Reassessing Jesus's Entombment," Journal of Book of Mormon
Studies 16, no. 1 (2007): 56-63, 86