When Jesus Christ was crucified, what day of the week? What day of the week was Jesus crucified?
Was Jesus crucified on a Friday? If so, then how did He spend three days in the tomb, rising from the dead on Sunday?
The Bible does not specifically state which day of the week Jesus was crucified. There are two most common opinions that this happened on Friday or Wednesday. Some, combining the arguments of Friday and Wednesday, call this day Thursday.
In Matthew 12:40, Jesus says, "For as Jonah was in the belly of the whale three days and three nights, so the Son of Man will be in the heart of the earth three days and three nights." Those who call Friday the day of the crucifixion argue that it is quite reasonable to believe that Jesus was in the grave for three days, because the Jews of the first century sometimes considered part of the day as a whole day. And since Jesus was in the grave part of Friday, all of Saturday and part of Sunday, this can be considered as a three-day stay in the grave. One of the main arguments for Friday is recorded in Mark 15:42, which notes that Jesus was crucified on "the day before the Sabbath." If it was a regular, "weekly" Sabbath, then this indicates a crucifixion on Friday. Another argument for Friday refers to verses such as Matthew 16:21 and Luke 9:22 that Jesus will be resurrected on the third day. Thus, it was not necessary for Him to remain in the grave for three whole days and three nights. However, while some translations use the phrase "on the third day" in these verses, not everyone agrees that this is the best translation of these texts. In addition, Mark 8:31 says that Jesus will be resurrected “in” three days.
The argument in favor of Thursday follows from the previous one and basically proves that between the burial of Christ and Sunday morning there were too many events (some number up to twenty of them) to occur since Friday evening. They point out that this is especially important since the only full day between Friday and Sunday was Saturday, the Jewish Sabbath. An extra day or two eliminates this problem. As proof, Thursday's advocates cite the following example: “Imagine you haven't seen your friend since Monday night. The next time you met him was Thursday morning, and then you can say: “I haven’t seen you for three days,” even though technically 60 hours (2.5 days) have passed.” If Jesus was crucified on a Thursday, then this example helps to understand why this period could be perceived as three days.
Supporters of the Wednesday crucifixion view argue that there were two Sabbaths that week. After the first (the one that came on the evening of the crucifixion - Mark 15:42; Luke 23:52-54) the women wandered incense - note that they made their purchase after the Sabbath (Mark 16:1). According to this view, this Sabbath was Passover (see Leviticus 16:29-31; 23:24-32, 39, where holy days that do not necessarily fall on the seventh day of the week, Sabbath, are called Sabbaths). The second Saturday of that week was the regular, "weekly" Saturday. Note that in Luke 23:56, the women who bought perfumes after the first Sabbath returned and prepared them, and then "they were left alone on the Sabbath." This shows that they could not acquire incense after the Sabbath, or prepare it before the Sabbath—unless there were two Sabbaths at that time. From the point of view of two Sabbaths, if Christ was crucified on Thursday, then Easter should have begun on Thursday after sunset and ended on Friday evening - at the beginning of the usual Sabbath. Buying incense after the first Sabbath (Passover) would then mean that they bought it on the second Sabbath and broke the commandment.
Thus, this view notes that the only explanation that does not refute the reports of women and incense, and also supports a literal understanding of the text in Matthew 12:40, is that Christ was crucified on Wednesday. Saturday - the holy day (Easter) - came on Thursday, after that on Friday the women bought incense, returned and prepared them on the same day, rested on a regular Saturday, and on Sunday morning they brought these incense to the tomb. Jesus was buried around sunset on Wednesday, which according to the Jewish calendar was considered the beginning of Thursday. Using this method, we have Thursday night (night 1), Thursday day (day 1), Friday night (night 2), Friday day (day 2), Saturday night (night 3), and Saturday day (day 3). It is not known for sure when Christ was resurrected, but we do know that it happened before sunrise on Sunday (John 20:1 says that Mary Magdalene came “early to the tomb, while it was still dark,” and the stone had already been rolled away from the tomb, then she found Peter and informed him that “they took the Lord out of the tomb”), so He could rise even immediately after sunset on Saturday evening, which, according to Jewish calculation, was considered the beginning of the first day of the week.
A possible problem with this view is that the disciples who walked with Jesus on the road to Emmaus did so "on the same day" as His resurrection (Luke 24:13). The disciples, who did not recognize Him, reported the crucifixion (24:20) and said that “it is already the third day since this happened” (24:21). From Wednesday to Sunday - four days. A possible explanation is that they could record from the burial of Christ on Wednesday evening, when the Jewish Thursday began, and from Thursday to Sunday, therefore, three days are obtained.
In principle, it is not so important to know on what day of the week Christ was crucified. If it were really necessary, then God's Word would clearly state it. The important thing is that He died, and physically, bodily rose from the dead. Equally important is the reason why He died—to bear the punishment that all sinners deserve. And John 3:16 and 3:36 proclaim that faith in Him leads to eternal life!
When Jesus Christ was crucified, what day of the week?
According to historical data, in biblical times, the Jews did not have the names of the days of the week, with the exception of Saturday. The Sabbath was a special day that God had ordained for rest. Work six days, and do no work on the seventh day, so that your ox and donkey may rest (Exodus 23:12).
The remaining days of the week were designated, simply, by serial numbers. For example, Matthew 28 begins like this: After Saturday, at dawn on the first day of the week, Mary Magdalene and the other Mary came to see the grave According to the modern calendar, it was Sunday.
We know from the Bible that he was resurrected on the third day. Considering the fact that the Jews used the expression day and night, referring to only part of the solar day, Jesus died on Friday the same day he was crucified.
They crucified Jesus Christ on such a day of the week as Friday. On Friday, he died. But three days later (including Friday itself - as it should be) Jesus Christ was resurrected. The Bible says that he was resurrected on the third day.
They crucified him on Friday, not for nothing that the Friday before Easter itself is called passionate. On this day, you can’t bake Easter cakes and paint eggs, since it is believed that on this day Jesus Christ died for our sins, and it’s better to refrain from work, but accept fasting and pray for all the dead. There should not be any quarrels on this day.
Some suggest that they crucified him on Thursday or even Wednesday, stubbornly relying on the repeated mention in the Bible that three days and three nights elapsed between Christ's crucifixion and his resurrection.
And they say, at least the Evangelists, that Jesus died on the cross on Friday. Then it turns out with a stretch of three days (although, it seems like, Christ gave up his spirit in the evening), but three nights definitely does not come out.
On the other hand, Thursday was the Last Supper, at which Jesus met his disciples for the last time and ate on Passover. It is more logical to assume that the trial and the crucifixion itself took place the next day, that is, after all, on Friday.
It is considered to be Friday. But then there is some inconsistency. After all, he lay in a coffin for three days and three nights. This is explained by the fact that the difference between the Julian and the Jewish calendar is one day. And for some reason they consider the day when he was crucified according to the Jewish calendar, and the day he rose again - according to the Julian.
The Bible does not specify the exact day of the week.
According to the Bible, they write that on Friday, but this is a moot point. Since it is said that he lay in the tomb for three days and three nights, from this the conclusion is that he was rather crucified on Wednesday evening and not on Friday!
From several facts, you can add up the big picture. The Feast of the Resurrection of the Lord is celebrated on Sunday. It is also known that Jesus lay in the tomb for 3 days, and then resurrected, so he died on Friday, the same day he was crucified.
According to the scriptures, it is said that on Thursday Jesus entered Jerusalem, ill-wishers were already waiting for him there, since the news about him spread quickly - long before his arrival in the city or other settlement.
The local authorities and their henchmen received Jesus very unkindly (read the details in the Bible), and on Friday (the day after his arrival) he was crucified.
He died the same day, Friday.
According to church laws, the day on which a person died is also considered.
Therefore, as the Bible says, on the third day (Friday, Saturday, Sunday) - on Sunday Jesus resurrected.
Therefore, only on Sunday we celebrate Easter.
The fact that the most mournful event in the history of mankind, when the creature crucified its Creator on the cross, happened on Friday, is described by all four evangelists in their Gospels. For example, in the Gospel of Mark in chapter 15 (in a slightly different chronological order) it is described that
It was the third hour, and they crucified Him, and at the sixth hour darkness fell over all the earth and continued until the ninth hour. At the ninth hour, Jesus cried out with a loud voice...Jesus, having cried out loudly, gave up his spirit.
In the same chapter, in verse 42, we read > And as the evening came- because it was Friday, that is, the day before the Sabbath, - Joseph came from Arimathea ... he dared to enter Pilate, and asked for the body of Jesus.
It is generally accepted that this day of the week is Friday. Although from that time not a single witness remained on earth, it is impossible to believe different writings. History has always been redrawn for those who benefit. Whether there was such a thing at all is another question.
There is no single answer to this question. The New Testament says that the day of the week Jesus was crucified is Friday. But there is some inconsistency.
The resurrection happened on Sunday and it doesn't work that three nights have passed. Therefore, it is very difficult to talk about the exact day.
May 15, 2017
There is an inextricable connection with the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. If we find out on what day of the week Jesus Christ was executed, then we can know on what day of the week he was resurrected. But you can say: “What an absurdity! The whole world knows on what day Christ was executed and on what day he was resurrected. Why reinvent the wheel?!
The whole world lives on the deceit written by European Christianity. And today we have a lot of evidence that the New Testament, or rather its individual fragments, are distorted to disgrace (in the direct and semantic sense).
On what day was Jesus executed as the Passover Lamb?
Christians celebrate Easter for three days because God loves the Trinity. The Law says that Easter is celebrated for seven days. The holiday consists of three parts - Pesach (the first day of unleavened bread), when in the first minutes of the day, or rather the evening (the day according to the Bible begins in the evening), the people ate the Paschal lamb with bitter herbs.
5 in the first month, on the fourteenth [day] of the month, in the evening of the Passover of the Lord;
On this day, it was impossible to work and do one's own business. This day was equivalent to Saturday.
6 and on the fifteenth day of the same month the feast of unleavened bread to the Lord; eat unleavened bread for seven days;
7 on the first day you shall have a sacred assembly; do no work;
8 and within seven days offer sacrifices to the Lord; on the seventh day also the sacred assembly; do no work.
The last day was also a holy day, like the Sabbath, and it was impossible to work and do one's own business on it.
And another fragment of the holiday:
12 And on the day of the sheaf offering, offer as a burnt offering to the Lord a lamb of one year old, without blemish,
13 and with it a grain offering, two-tenths [ephas] of wheat flour, mixed with oil, as an offering to the Lord, for a sweet savor, and a drink offering to him of a quarter of a hin of wine;
14 You shall not eat any [new] bread, nor dried grains, nor raw grains, until the day on which you bring offerings to your God: this is an eternal ordinance throughout your generations in all your dwellings.
15 Count to yourselves from the first day after the feast, from the day on which you bring the sheaf of shock, seven full weeks,
(Lev.23:10-15)
This part of the holiday was the starting point in order to calculate the next holiday in seven weeks - Pentecost.
From all this data, we can see that the holiday is not tied to any day of the week. Everything is tied to the 14th of the first month. In what month do Christians have a holiday? - Around the third and fourth month, depending on when the vernal equinox is.
Starting from the day of the spring equinox, they determine the day of the holiday on the seventh day of the week - Sunday. In general ... nothing to do with the rule about the Passover, which was established by God. However, Christians, in the same sequence as in the Law, calculate the day of Pentecost, which also falls on Sunday. From here we see the difference that the biblical Easter and the subsequent feast of Pentecost are calculated from the 14th day of the first month, regardless of the day of the week, and the Christian system of the Easter holiday is calculated from the day of the spring equinox on the nearest seventh day of the week, i.e. Sunday.
Neither God, nor Jesus Christ, nor the Apostle Paul established such a system for calculating the holiday. By the way, Paul himself always celebrated the feasts of God in accordance with the Law. This is found in the New Testament in its descriptions.
But now let's move on to the question on what day Christ was executed, like the Passover lamb. He was to be executed on the same day on which they slaughtered the prototypes of Christ - immaculate one-year-old lambs - on the 14th day, in the afternoon before evening, and in the evening, when the beginning of the 15th day came, they were eaten. This suggests that the death of Christ is not tied to the day of the week, and, accordingly, his resurrection is not tied to the day of the week. In addition, in the Easter holiday itself, the time of the resurrection of Jesus Christ is indicated.
10 Declare to the children of Israel and say to them, When you come to the land that I am giving you, and reap your harvest there, bring the first sheaf of your harvest to the priest.
11 he will offer this sheaf before the Lord, that you may be favored; on the next day of the feast the priest will lift him up;
It is written in the Torah that it was not a sheaf, but a bowl with a certain amount of weight of barley grains - an omer.
10 Speak to the children of Israel and say to them, When you come to the land that I am giving you and reap your harvest, bring an omer from the firstfruits of your harvest to the priest.
11 And he will offer up an omer before Jehovah to win you favor; on the second day of the feast the priest will exalt him.
The date is indicated on which the omer of barley grains was to be brought in order to receive favor for the harvest of a new crop of barley and its use. This is the second day of the holiday - the 16th day of the first month. Jesus Christ, as the first man to rise from the dead, is represented in the law in the form of the Omer, who acquired favor for the harvest. Therefore, he is called the firstborn of the dead, who came to life for eternal life. His death and resurrection bring to the world the message of immortality, which is restored by faith in the revived Jesus Christ.
Considering this sequence, we see that Jesus Christ had to die on the 14th day in the afternoon (in the evening), before the onset of Easter, on the day of the slaughter of the lambs. With the onset of darkness, he should have already been buried so that the Torah, the law of those hung on a tree, would not be violated. The hanged were to be buried before sunset, especially since Easter was approaching.
On the third day of the holiday, Christ was supposed to rise - this is after the night of the 17th early in the morning. On this day, everyone was allowed to harvest new crops. And as the evangelists write - on this day in the morning, he was not found in the grave, and in the evening of the same day, he appeared to the disciples in the house, where they hid from angry enemies.
Let's take a quick look at how events unfolded at that time.
Day of Christ's execution
1 In two days [it was] to be [the feast] of the Passover and of unleavened bread. And the chief priests and scribes were looking for ways to take him by cunning and kill him;
2 but they said: [only] not on a holiday, so that there would be no revolt among the people.
Killing on Easter was not part of their plans. Therefore, Christ was executed before the holiday, as we have already seen.
14 Then it was the Friday before the Passover, and the sixth hour. And [Pilate] said to the Jews: Behold, your King!
15 But they cried out, Take, take, crucify him! Pilate says to them: Shall I crucify your king? The chief priests answered: We have no king but Caesar.
16 Then at last he handed him over to them to be crucified. And they took Jesus and led him away.
(John 19:14-16)
There is a serious error in the text of the gospel of John - Then it was Friday . To put it bluntly, the Jews of that time did not have such a day. They had the fifth day of the week, the sixth day of the week. Friday is a name that comes from a Roman deity:
Among the ancient Romans, Friday was dedicated to Venus (tracing paper from the Greek name - Aphrodites Hemera). This tradition of the Romans, in turn, was adopted by the ancient Germanic tribes, associating Venus with their goddess Freya.
In most Romance languages, the name comes from the Latin dies Veneris, "Venus' day": vendredi in French, venerdì in Italian, viernes in Spanish, divendres in Catalan, vennari in Corsican, vineri in Romanian. It is also reflected in P-Celtic Welsh as dydd Gwener.
(Wikipedia)
Why do evangelists label some days with pagan names and some days with biblical names. When it comes to preparing for the feast, it says that it was Friday, and where it says about the resurrection of Christ, it is the first day of the week. But if we talk about Friday as the fifth day, then the first day of the week is Monday.
And if we start from this text:
42 And when evening had already come, because it was Friday, that is, [the day] before the Sabbath,
In general, you need to write in plain text that Christ was resurrected not on the first day of the week (Monday), but on Sunday - the seventh day of the week, because in this passage there is both Friday and Saturday, it remains only to write Sunday.
The juggling of events under the days of the week is obvious in order to bring the resurrection of Jesus Christ to the Roman holiday - the Day of God the Sun, which they have on the seventh day of the week. In such a miraculous way, the greatest deception of world significance took place - Saturday disappeared as a seal of the completion of the creation of the World by the Creator, created by the Creators on the seventh day. Having abolished the power of this day and its meaning, Christians shifted it back - from the seventh day to the sixth, and instead of it they put Sunday, which became the seventh day of the week - a day of rest and rest. In fact, this is the day of the Roman Sun God. Those who worship God on this day, as on a special day of God, also worship the Roman deity - the Sun. We can observe a similar picture in the life of the wicked king, who committed an abomination in the Temple, for the sake of his whim, imitating the pagans:
10 And king Ahaz went to meet Feglaffellaser king of Assyria at Damascus, and saw the altar that was in Damascus, and king Ahaz sent to Uriah the priest the image of the altar and the drawing of all its construction.
11 And Uriah the priest built an altar after the pattern which king Ahaz had sent from Damascus; and the priest Uriah did so before the arrival of King Ahaz from Damascus.
12 And the king came from Damascus, and the king saw the altar, and the king came near to the altar, and offered sacrifice on it;
13 And he burned his burnt offering and his meat offering, and offered his drink offering, and sprinkled the blood of the peace offering on his altar.
14 And the brazen altar, which is before the face of the Lord, he moved from the front side of the temple, from [the place] between the [new] altar and the house of the Lord, and placed it on the side of [this] altar to the north.
15 And king Ahaz gave command to Uriah the priest, saying, On the great altar burn the morning burnt offering, and the evening meal offering, and the king's burnt offering, and his meal offering, and the burnt offering of all the people of the earth, and their meal offering, and their drink offering, and Sprinkle it with all the blood of burnt offerings and all the blood of sacrifices, and the bronze altar will remain until my discretion.
16 And the priest Uriah did everything as King Ahaz commanded.
(2 Kings 16:10-16)
The analogy of this is that the true altar was abolished, and a pagan one was put in its place, but the true altar was moved, as the Sabbath of the Creator was moved, and people were commanded to honor God on the day of the Roman deity. It was forbidden to offer sacrifices on the true altar. It wasn't removed, but it wasn't used either. In the same way - Saturday was moved, but not excluded, however, it was forbidden to honor God on this day and ordered to honor him on Sunday, i.e. on the day of the Roman deity Sun. Absolutely identical situation.
There is no direct evidence that the Gospel Friday was actually the fifth day of the week. This is a juggling of events for the days of the week, as mentioned above.
The theory, or even the doctrine, that it was Friday, and then Saturday, and that Christ allegedly rose on Sunday, should be excluded, for lack of direct evidence. This is a hoax. And do not rely on the fact that the Sabbath, which fell on the feast of the Passover at that time, made this Sabbath a great day.
As already at the beginning of the article it was said that the first day and the last day of the Easter holiday were equated to Saturday. And the proof of this, the words of God to Moses, is in the law of the feasts.
32 is for you saturday of rest, and humble your souls, from the evening of the ninth [day] of the month; from evening to evening celebrate your Saturday.
37 These are the feasts of the Lord, on which sacred assemblies are to be held, to offer burnt offerings, grain offerings, slaughter offerings, and drink offerings to the Lord, each on its own day,
38 Except the Sabbaths of the Lord, and apart from your gifts, and apart from all your vows, and apart from everything [offered] according to your diligence, that you give to the Lord.
(Lev.23:37,38)
So, we see that in addition to the Sabbath of God, there were Sabbaths of the people, on which they were also forbidden to work, as well as on Saturday, because these dates were holidays, and not because they fell on Saturday. You need to understand that it is impossible to create such a calendar so that all Saturdays fall on all the indicated holidays and, moreover, annually.
Supporters of the New World Order who uphold the day of resurrection, as New Testament Sabbath, cite a text from the gospel, in which they argue that for that year, Saturday fell on Easter and therefore it was called the Great Day, the Evangelist John.
31 But since [then] it was Friday, the Jews, in order not to leave the bodies on the cross on the Sabbath, for that Sabbath was a great day, they asked Pilate to break their legs and remove them.
(John 19:31)
But as we have already said, it is not Saturday that is called great, but the day that was called Easter - your Saturday.
John also calls the last day of the Feast of Tabernacles, which was the Sabbath of the people, and on which it was impossible to work, a great day.
2 The feast of the Jews, the setting up of tabernacles, was approaching.
3 Then his brothers said to him, Get out of here and go to Judea, so that your disciples may also see the works that you do.
10 But when his brothers came, then he also came to the feast not openly, but as it were secretly.
11 And the Jews were looking for him at the feast, and they said, Where is he?
14 But about halfway through the feast, Jesus went into the temple and taught.
37 On the last great day of the holiday Jesus stood and called out, saying, Whoever is thirsty, come to Me and drink.
The first and last day of the Feast of Tabernacles was equal to the Sabbath day, it was impossible to work on these days, and therefore the first day and the last day of the Feast of Tabernacles are called - Great. For the same reason, the first day of Easter is named - the great day (your Saturday), and the last day of the Easter holiday should be called in the same way - the seventh, which Christians do not celebrate, for obvious reasons.
The law gives no importance to the days of the week in any of God's feasts. Everything focuses only around dates. Dates in holidays remain the same in both ordinary years and leap years. Consequently, the days of the week in these holidays are completely different for each year. And therefore, it makes no sense from the point of view of the Bible, or more precisely, the Law, to give an important meaning to the day of the execution of Jesus Christ and the day of his resurrection in terms of the days of the week.
Who can tell what day of the week was 300 years ago? This is difficult to do, based on the fact that the landmark will be kept according to one calendar - Pope Gregory. And before Pope Gregory, there was still the calendar of Julius Caesar. And in Judea there was a completely different calendar. The Jewish and Christian calendars are different. In Christian it is now 6017 from the creation of the World, and in Hebrew it is now 5777 from the creation of the world. The difference is 240 years!!! What days of the week are we talking about?
The cult of the Day of the Sun has penetrated the consciousness of people and therefore, they see the New Testament (not without the help of Roman editors), in the light in which Jesus rose on Sunday, canceled the Law of God and established the Christian Law, in which Sunday is the day resurrection of Christ.
Jesus Christ came to fulfill the Law and the Prophets. Therefore, he died on the 14th day of the first month, and not earlier than the 16th day, he rose again. After the 16th, a new crop was allowed to be harvested, which symbolizes the beginning of the era of the Messiah of Israel coming back from the dead.
So we see that rulers of the new world order distorted the teachings of God in their political interests, juggling the day of the execution of Jesus Christ on Friday in order to legitimize through the authority of the Jewish apostles, the day of God the Sun. It is no coincidence that subsequently Christ began to be called the Christ-Sun. This image is perceived by Christians today.
Why was Jesus Christ crucified? This question may arise in a person who either refers to this event only as a historical fact, or takes the very first steps towards faith in the Savior. In the first case, the most correct decision is to try not to satisfy your idle interest, but to wait until a sincere desire appears in the mind and heart to understand this. In the second case, you need to start looking for an answer to this question, of course, from reading the Bible.
In the process of reading, various personal considerations in this regard will inevitably arise. This is where the division begins. Some believe that each person has the right to his own reading of the Holy Scriptures and remain with their opinion, even if it is fundamentally different from the opinion of other people. This is the Protestant position. Orthodoxy, which is still the main Christian denomination in Russia, is based on the reading of the Bible by the Holy Fathers. This also applies to the question: why was Jesus crucified? Therefore, the next sure step in trying to understand this topic is to turn to the works of the Holy Fathers.
Don't search the internet for answers.
Why does the Orthodox Church recommend this particular approach? The fact is that any person who tries to live a spiritual life necessarily reflects on the meaning of the events connected with the earthly life of Christ, on the meaning of His sermons, and if a person moves in the right direction, then the meaning, the hidden subtext of Scripture, is gradually revealed to him. But attempts to combine into one the knowledge and understanding accumulated by all spiritual people and those who try to be them gave the usual result: how many people - so many opinions. For each, even the most insignificant issue, so many understandings and assessments were found that, as an inevitability, there was a need to analyze and summarize all this information. The result was the following picture: several people necessarily covered the same topic absolutely, almost verbatim, in the same way. Having traced the pattern, it was easy to notice that opinions exactly coincided with a certain kind of people. Usually these were saints, theologians, who chose monasticism or simply led a particularly strict life, were more attentive than other people to their thoughts and actions. The purity of thoughts and feelings made them open to communion with the Holy Spirit. That is, they all received information from the same source.
The discrepancies arose from the fact that yet no man is perfect. No one can escape the influence of evil, which will surely seduce, try to mislead a person. Therefore, in Orthodoxy it is customary to consider the opinion confirmed by the majority of the Holy Fathers to be the truth. Single assessments that do not coincide with the vision of the majority can be safely attributed to personal conjectures and delusions.
For everything related to religion, it is better to ask the priest
For a person who has just begun to be interested in such issues, the best solution would be to seek help from a priest. He will be able to advise literature that is suitable for a beginner. You can apply for such help to the nearest temple or spiritual and educational center. In such institutions, priests have the opportunity to devote sufficient time and attention to the issue. It is more correct to look for an answer to the question "Why was Jesus Christ crucified?" in exactly this way. There is simply no unequivocal answer to it, and independent attempts to seek clarification from the Fathers are dangerous, since they wrote mainly for monks.
Christ was not crucified
Any Gospel event has two meanings: explicit and hidden (spiritual). If you look from the point of view of the Savior and Christians, then the answer could be this: Christ was not crucified, He voluntarily allowed himself to be crucified for the sins of all mankind - past, present and future. The obvious reason is simple: Christ called into question all the usual views of the Jews on piety, undermined the authority of their priesthood.
The Jews, before the coming of the Messiah, consisted in excellent knowledge and exact execution of all laws and regulations. The sermons of the Savior made many people think about the falsity of this view of the relationship with the Creator. In addition, the Jews expected the King promised in the prophecies of the Old Testament. He was to free them from Roman slavery and stand at the head of a new earthly kingdom. The high priests were probably afraid of an open armed uprising of the people against their power and the power of the Roman emperor. Therefore, it was decided that "it is better for us that one man should die for the people than that the whole nation should perish" (see chapter 11, verses 47-53). This is why they crucified Jesus Christ.
Good Friday
On what day was Jesus Christ crucified? All four gospels unanimously state that Jesus was arrested on the night from Thursday to Friday of the week before Easter. He spent the whole night in interrogation. The priests betrayed Jesus into the hands of the governor of the Roman emperor, the procurator Pontius Pilate. Wanting to avoid responsibility, he sent the captive to King Herod. But he, not finding anything dangerous for himself in the person of Christ, wanted to see some kind of miracle from a prophet known to the people. Because Jesus refused to entertain Herod and his guests, He was brought back to Pilate. On the same day, that is, on Friday, Christ was brutally beaten and, having put on His shoulders the instrument of execution - the Cross, they took him outside the city and crucified him.
Good Friday, which happens in the week leading up to Easter, is a day of especially deep sorrow for Christians. In order not to forget on what day Jesus Christ was crucified, the Orthodox keep fast every Friday throughout the year. As a sign of compassion for the Savior, they limit themselves in food, try to carefully monitor their mood, not swear, and avoid entertainment.
Calvary
Where was Jesus Christ crucified? Turning again to the Gospel, one can be convinced that all four "biographers" of the Savior unanimously point to one place - Golgotha, or This is a hill outside the city walls of Jerusalem.
Another difficult question: who crucified Christ? Would it be correct to answer this way: the centurion Longinus and his colleagues are Roman soldiers. They drove nails into the hands and feet of Christ, Longinus pierced the already cooling Body of the Lord with a spear. But he gave the order So he crucified the Savior? But Pilate tried in every possible way to persuade the Jewish people to let Jesus go, since he had already been punished, having been beaten, and there was “no guilt” in Him worthy of a terrible execution.
The procurator gave the order under pain of losing not only his place, but, perhaps, life itself. After all, the accusers argued that Christ threatened the power of the Roman emperor. It turns out that the Jewish people crucified their Savior? But the Jews were deceived by the high priests and their false witnesses. So after all, who crucified Christ? The answer would be honest: all these people together executed an innocent person.
Hell, where is your victory?!
It would seem that the high priests won. Christ accepted a shameful execution, regiments of angels did not descend from Heaven to take Him down from the cross, the disciples fled. Only his mother, best friend and a few devoted women stayed with Him to the end. But this was not the end. The imaginary victory of evil was destroyed by the resurrection of Jesus.
At least see
Trying to erase any memory of Christ, the pagans covered Golgotha and the Holy Sepulcher with earth. But at the beginning of the 4th century, Equal-to-the-Apostles Empress Elena arrived in Jerusalem to find the Cross of the Lord. For a long time she unsuccessfully tried to find out where Jesus Christ was crucified. She was helped by an old Jew named Judas, who informed her that the temple of Venus was now located on the site of Golgotha.
After excavations, three similar crosses were discovered. To find out on which of them Christ was crucified, the crosses were alternately attached to the body of the deceased person. From the touch of the Life-Giving Cross, this man came to life. A huge number of Christians wished to bow to the shrine, so they had to raise the Cross up (erect) so that people could at least see it from afar. This event took place in 326. In memory of him, Orthodox Christians celebrate on September 27 a holiday called the Exaltation of the Cross of the Lord.
Jesus Christ, born of the immaculate Mary, died for all mankind so that sinners would have the right to forgiveness. He taught people how to live correctly, gathered followers around him. But he was betrayed by the vile Judas Iscariot right after the celebration of Holy Pascha, when Jesus gathered everyone for the "Last Supper".
The student betrayed his Rabbi out of envy and selfish motives, for only 30 pieces of silver, kissing him - which was a conventional sign for the guards lurking at the entrance. From this began the story of the crucifixion of Christ. Jesus foresaw everything, so he offered no resistance to the guards. He knew that this was his fate and that he had to go through all the trials in order to eventually die, and then rise again, for the sake of reuniting with his father. In what year Jesus Christ was crucified is not known for certain, there are only a few theories put forward by the best minds of mankind.
Jefferson theory
An unprecedented earthquake and eclipse, described in the Holy Scriptures, helped American and German scientists to establish when Jesus Christ was crucified. This study, published in the International Geology Review, is based on the bottom of the Dead Sea, which is located 13 miles from Jerusalem.
The Gospel of Matthew (chapter 27) says: “Jesus, again crying out with a loud voice, died. And the curtain in the temple was torn exactly in the middle, from top to bottom; the earth shook; and the stones settled...” - which, of course, can be interpreted as an earthquake, from the point of view of science. Geologists Markus Schwab, Jefferson Williams, and Achim Broer traveled to the Dead Sea to analyze the effects of long-standing geological activity coinciding with the execution of the son of God.
Foundations of the theory
Near the beach of Ein Jedi Spa, they studied 3 layers of land, on the basis of which geologists recognized that the seismic activity that coincided with the execution of Christ was most likely involved in "an earthquake that happened before or somewhat after the crucifixion." This event was actually taken by the author of the Gospel of Matthew in order to point out the whole epic nature of the dramatic moment. According to the researchers, the described earthquake happened around 26-36 years from the birth of Christ, and, apparently, was sufficient to change the layers near Ein Jedi, but clearly not so large-scale to prove that the Bible is talking about German
“The day Jesus Christ was crucified on the cross (Good Friday) is known with high accuracy, but things get more complicated with the year,” Williams said in an interview.
At the moment, the geologist is engaged in an in-depth study of sandstorm deposits in layers of the earth that coincide in time with the beginning of the century of historical earthquakes near Jerusalem.
Date in the Bible
Based on the Gospel, during the terrible torment and death of Jesus on the cross, an earthquake happened, and the sky turned black. In Matthew, Mark and Luke it is written that the Son of God was executed on the 14th of the month of Nisan, but in John it is indicated on the 15th.
After studying the annual stratifications near the Dead Sea and comparing these data with the Gospel, scientists came to the conclusion that April 3, 1033 AD can be considered a more accurate date when Jesus Christ was crucified. e. And the darkness that epic coincided with the death sigh of the Son of God, they explained the sandstorm caused by the activity of the lithospheric plates.
Was there an eclipse?
According to the Bible version, during the crucifixion of Christ, there was a total eclipse, but was it? Since ancient times, scientists have not been able to determine whether it could have been on the day, month and year when Jesus Christ was crucified.
Such a scene is reflected in various artistic creations of the great masters - "the crucified Son of God hangs on the cross, his wounds bleed, and darkness surrounds him - as if an eclipse hid the sun."
Guy Consolmagno, director of the Vatican Observatory, said in a letter to RNS: "Despite the fact that it seems incredibly difficult to recreate the exact date of historical phenomena, it is absolutely not so."
There are several answers to the question in what year Jesus Christ was crucified, but is there the only true one among them?
In three of the four gospels, there are references to the fact that at the time of the death of the only son of God, the sky darkened. One of them says: “It was about noon, and darkness hung over the earth and lasted about three hours, because the light of the sun was extinguished” - from Luke 23:44. And in the new Bible of the American edition, this part is translated as: "because of the solar eclipse." From which the meaning seems to have not changed, but according to the Reverend James Kurzinski, priest of the Roman Catholic Diocese of La Crosse, Wisconsin, attempts to explain everything with the help of science are nothing more than "a side effect of life in the era of modernity."
Even Newton tried to find out at what time Jesus Christ was crucified and whether there was an eclipse, but the question is still relevant.
The Holy Scriptures explain that the execution of the Son of God on the cross fell on the day of the Jewish holiday of Passover, which is celebrated during the full moon in spring. But for a solar eclipse, it is the phase of the new moon that is needed! And this is one of the inconsistencies of this theory. Moreover, the darkness that fell on the earth during the crucifixion of Jesus of Nazareth was too long to be a simple eclipse of the sun, which lasts a couple of minutes. But if it was not complete, then it could well last up to three hours.
Moreover, the people of that time had good knowledge about the movements of the moon and the sun, and they could accurately predict such a phenomenon as an eclipse. Therefore, the darkness that appeared at the time of the crucifixion cannot be him.
What if there was a lunar eclipse?
John Dvorak wrote in his book that Easter was just the right phase of the moon for her eclipse, and at that moment it could well have happened.
In search of an answer to the question of what year Jesus Christ was crucified, the date seems to be clear - it is 33, the 3rd day of April, but modern scientists do not agree with this theory, putting forward their own. And this is the problem of the lunar theory, because if an eclipse took place, then it should have been noticed in Jerusalem, but there is no mention of this anywhere. Which is strange to say the least. Dvorak, on the other hand, suggested that people simply knew about the upcoming eclipse, which for some reason did not happen. In any case, there is no evidence for this theory yet.
Christian theory
The Holy Father Kurzinsky suggests that darkness could come due to unusually dense clouds, although he does not leave the thought that this is just "a beautiful metaphor used to express the epic nature of the moment."
Believers see this as a manifestation of a miracle, revealed by the Lord God himself, so that people understand what they have done.
"Darkness is a sure sign of God's judgment!" says evangelist Ann Graham Lotz. Christians firmly believe that Jesus died for all people, taking upon himself what was due to cursed sinners.
Ann Lotz also noted other references to extraordinary darkness in the Bible, referring to the darkness that hung over Egypt as described in Exodus. This was one of the 10 disasters that God brought down on the Egyptians to convince the pharaoh to give freedom to the Jewish slaves. He also predicted that the day would turn into night, and the moon would bleed at the hour of the Lord.
She also said: "This is a sign of the absence of God and complete condemnation, and until we get to heaven, we will not know the truth."
Fomenko's theory
Quite popular today is the theory proposed by several scientists of Moscow State University, based on which the history of mankind was completely different, and not the same as we used to know it, it was more compressed in time. According to it, many historical events and characters were only phantoms (doubles) of others that were earlier. G. Nosovsky, A. T. Fomenko and their colleagues established completely different dates for such events as the compilation of the Algamest star catalog by Claudius Ptolemy, the construction of the Nicene Cathedral, and the year in which Jesus Christ was crucified. And if you believe their theory, you can see a completely different picture of the existence of the world. Needless to say, the assumptions of Moscow scientists require analysis and clarification, however, like all the others.
Fomenko's innovative calculations
To establish the newest date for the crucifixion of Jesus Christ, scientists have invented two ways to find out:
- Using the "calendar conditions of Sunday";
- According to astronomical data.
If you believe the first method, then the date of the crucifixion falls on the year 1095 from the birth of Christ, but the second indicates the date - 1086.
How was the first date derived? It was obtained in accordance with the "calendar conditions" borrowed from the manuscript of Matthew Blastar, a Byzantine chronicler of the 14th century. Here is a fragment of the entry: “The Lord suffered for the salvation of our souls in the year 5539, when the circle of the sun was 23, the moon was 10, and the Jewish Passover was celebrated on Saturday, March 24th. And on the following Sunday (March 25), Christ was resurrected. The feast of the Jews took place during the equinox on the 14th lunar day (that is, the full moon) from March 21 to April 18, but the current Paschal is celebrated on the Sunday following it.
Based on this text, scholars have applied the following "Sunday conditions":
- Circle of the sun 23.
- Circle of the moon 10.
- celebrated March 24th.
- Christ resurrected on the 25th, Sunday.
The necessary data was entered into a computer, which, using a specially designed program, gave out the date 1095 AD. e. Moreover, the year corresponding to the Sunday that happened on March 25 was calculated according to the Orthodox Paschalia.
Why is this theory questionable?
And yet, the year 1095, derived by the calculations of scientists as the year of the resurrection of Christ, is not precisely determined. Mainly because it does not coincide with the Gospel "condition of the Resurrection".
As a result of the foregoing, it is obvious that the year 1095, as the date of the crucifixion and resurrection, was determined incorrectly by the researchers. Probably because it does not correspond to the most important "condition of the Resurrection", according to which the full moon fell on the night from Thursday to Friday, when the disciples and Christ ate Easter at the Last Supper, and not at all on Saturday, as the "3rd condition" was determined "" innovators". And other "calendar conditions" are not that wrong, but rather unreliable and easily disputed.
The "astronomical" version, put forward by the scientists of Moscow State University, seems to supplement the newest date of the crucifixion of Christ, but for some reason, according to it, the execution of Jesus falls on the year 1086.
How was the second date derived? The Holy Scriptures describe that after the birth of Christ, a new star shone in the sky, showing the Magi, who were coming from the East, the path to the “Wonderful Baby”. And the time of Jesus' death is described as follows: "...From the sixth hour, darkness enveloped the whole earth until the ninth" (Matthew 27:45).
It is logical that the disciples meant by "darkness" an eclipse, and given that in 1054 AD. e. a new star lit up, and in 1086 (32 years later), a complete "hiding of the sun" happened, then it happened on February 16 on Monday.
But any hypotheses can be erroneous, because the chronicles throughout history could easily be faked. And why do we need this knowledge? You just need to believe in God and not question the biblical data.
