Saturday 11th April 2009 When

When was Jesus crucified.
All credit goes to Chosen People Ministry's for this post. How many of us have wondered which exact day it was that Jesus died upon a cross. I know I have had to do some mental gymnastics to reconcile myself to when it all took place. The Bible says Jesus was in the earth for three days and nights.
Well, consider the following.
Quote:
John says that Jesus died on the day of preparation of Passover Week, just before a special Sabbath (John 19:14, 31). The other three gospels seem to say that Jesus was arrested on the first day of Passover and crucified the following day. How can this apparent contradiction be resolved, and on what day of the week was Jesus crucified?
John 19:14 tells us that it was the day of preparation of Passover week, but it is not to be assumed that this was the preparation for the Passover. There were also the weekly Sabbath and the first day of the feast of unleavened bread taking place at that time.
John 19:31 tells us that it was the day of Preparation, and the next day was to be a special Sabbath. The special Sabbath may mean a weekly Sabbath that was special because it was at the time of Passover, or it may refer to the feast of unleavened bread.
A scenario to consider is as follows:
The Passover lamb was slain at twilight Wednesday, just as Thursday was beginning (Jewish days go from sunset to sunset).
Thursday was the preparation for the Passover and that evening (the beginning of Friday) the Passover was eaten-including the Passover meal eaten by Jesus and his disciples (initiating the Lord's Supper).
Later that night was Gethsemane, the arrest, and the trial by Annas and Caiphas, going very late into the night. The rooster crowed, indicating that it was early in the morning (John 19:27) and that was confirmed in John 19:28.
It was now Friday morning, still the day of Passover, and Jesus was taken by the chief priests and elders to Pilate (Matthew 27:1; John 19:28). Jesus was taken to be crucified, and was dead and buried before the weekly Sabbath began.
A guard was placed on the tomb for the Sabbath (Friday evening to Saturday sunset).
Early Sunday morning the tomb was discovered empty, because Jesus was risen.
It is sometimes thought that the day of the week in which Jesus was crucified was Wednesday or perhaps Thursday, but the above approach suggests Friday. It is true that Jesus was to be dead three days and three nights (Matthew 12:40), but we must understand that the Jews of that time considered any part of a day to be considered as a day, and so Jesus spoke of rising from the dead on the third day (Luke 24:46).
We of course know that the important thing is that He arose (1 Cor. 15:3-4)!
End quote.
The above quote is from the FAQ page. I found it very interesting.
I also found this interesting. Yesterday we had Good Friday lunch at our church, St Luke's Anglican in down town Frankston. During the course of lunch a question was raised as to why it is so that we eat fish on Good Friday. Because we must abstain from meat on Good Friday., Oh, but fish is meat I hear you say. Correctly so. But, I was informed, it is not red meat was the answer when I queried that one.
Talking of meat and such. It appears that certain Jews do not eat lamb during passover. Why? Because the temple practise of the sacrificial lamb no longer happens. Turkey, chicken or beef is now served.
There could be another reason. The Lamb that was to be slain, has been slain. It is therefore now no longer necessary to sacrifice a lamb.