Matthew 12:40 For as Jonah was three days and three nights in the belly of a huge fish, the Son of Man will be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth.

Matthew 16:21 From that time on Jesus began to explain to his disciples that he must go to Jerusalem and suffer many things at the hands of the elders, the chief priests and the teachers of the law, and that he must be killed and on the third day be raised to life.

Matthew 17:23 They will kill him, and on the third day he will be raised to life.’ And the disciples were filled with grief.

Matthew 20:19 and will hand him over to the Gentiles to be mocked and flogged and crucified. On the third day he will be raised to life!’

Matthew 27:63-64 ‘Sir,’ they said, ‘we remember that while he was still alive that deceiver said, “After three days I will rise again.” 64 So give the order for the tomb to be made secure until the third day. Otherwise, his disciples may come and steal the body and tell the people that he has been raised from the dead. This last deception will be worse than the first.’

Mark 8:31 He then began to teach them that the Son of Man must suffer many things and be rejected by the elders, the chief priests and the teachers of the law, and that he must be killed and after three days rise again.

Mark 9:31 because he was teaching his disciples. He said to them, ‘The Son of Man is going to be delivered into the hands of men. They will kill him, and after three days he will rise.’

Mark 10:34 who will mock him and spit on him, flog him and kill him. Three days later he will rise.’

Luke 9:22 And he said, ‘The Son of Man must suffer many things and be rejected by the elders, the chief priests and the teachers of the law, and he must be killed and on the third day be raised to life.’

Luke 18:33 they will flog him and kill him. On the third day he will rise again.’

Luke 24:7 “The Son of Man must be delivered over to the hands of sinners, be crucified and on the third day be raised again.”

Luke 24:21 but we had hoped that he was the one who was going to redeem Israel. And what is more, it is the third day since all this took place.

Luke 24:46 He told them, ‘This is what is written: the Messiah will suffer and rise from the dead on the third day,

John 2:19 Jesus answered them, ‘Destroy this temple, and I will raise it again in three days.’

Acts 10:40 but God raised him from the dead on the third day and caused him to be seen.

1 Corinthians 15:4 that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures

COMMENT: Most of Jesus’ ministry had taken place in and around Galilee, although he occasionally visited Jerusalem to attend festivals.

Eventually Luke 9:51 tells us that ‘As the time approached for him to be taken up to heaven, Jesus resolutely set out for Jerusalem.'

This could have been weeks or months before; but it does seem that he was determined to be in Jerusalem in the week leading up to Passover.

Matthew chapters 19, 20 and 21 are an unbroken narrative. Here he explains that large crowds were with Jesus in Galilee. In chapter 20 he was teaching them, and they were still with him as he left Jericho and headed for Jerusalem.

It was quite normal for large crowds of people to converge on Jerusalem for each of the three major festivals – many sources estimate hundreds of thousands of worshippers converging from every direction.

Mark chapter 10 starts with Jesus going into Judea, across the Jordan, again mentioning crowds of people. Here the teaching of Jesus is similar to Matthew’s account.

Luke is not so clear as to where and when events occurred, but chapter 10 verses 38-42 introduce us to the home of Martha and Mary; 11:29 tells us the crowds increased; and 12:1 tells us ‘a crowd of many thousands had gathered, so that they were trampling on one another’.

In chapter 13 he tells us ‘Jesus went through the towns and villages, teaching as he made his way to Jerusalem’ and in chapter 14: ‘Large crowds were travelling with Jesus’.

In Luke chapters 17 and 18 Jesus was still on his way to Jerusalem, arriving in Jericho in 18:35. Luke too includes much material relating to Jesus’ teaching, parables and miracles during this time.

John’s timing is more vague but we read in chapter 10 ‘Jesus went back across the Jordan to the place where John had been baptising in the early days’ and in Chapter 11 we are told of his trip to Bethany to raise Lazarus from the dead. This caused ‘The Jews’ to actively seek to kill Jesus so he briefly went to stay in Ephraim.

Matthew 19:1-2 When Jesus had finished saying these things, he left Galilee and went into the region of Judea to the other side of the Jordan. 2 Large crowds followed him, and he healed them there

John 10:22-23 Then came the Festival of Dedication (Hanukkah) at Jerusalem. It was winter, 23 and Jesus was in the temple courts walking in Solomon’s Colonnade.

John 10:31 Again his Jewish opponents picked up stones to stone him,

John 10:39-42 Again they tried to seize him, but he escaped their grasp. 40 Then Jesus went back across the Jordan to the place where John had been baptising in the early days. There he stayed, 41 and many people came to him. They said, ‘Though John never performed a sign, all that John said about this man was true.’ 42 And in that place many believed in Jesus

Mark 10:1 Jesus then left that place and went into the region of Judea and across the Jordan. Again crowds of people came to him, and as was his custom, he taught them.

Luke 19:1 Jesus entered Jericho and was passing through

Mark 10:46-47 Then they came to Jericho. As Jesus and his disciples, together with a large crowd, were leaving the city, a blind man, Bartimaeus (which means ‘son of Timaeus’), was sitting by the roadside begging.

47 When he heard that it was Jesus of Nazareth, he began to shout, ‘Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!

John 11:1-3 Now a man named Lazarus was ill. He was from Bethany, the village of Mary and her sister Martha. 2 (This Mary, whose brother Lazarus now lay ill, was the same one who poured perfume on the Lord and wiped his feet with her hair.) 3 So the sisters sent word to Jesus, ‘Lord, the one you love is ill.’

John 11:6-7 So when he heard that Lazarus was ill, he stayed where he was two more days, 7 and then he said to his disciples, ‘Let us go back to Judea.’

John 11:39 ‘Take away the stone,’ he said. ‘But, Lord,’ said Martha, the sister of the dead man, ‘by this time there is a bad odour, for he has been there four days.’

John 11:45-47 Therefore many of the Jews who had come to visit Mary, and had seen what Jesus did, believed in him. 46 But some of them went to the Pharisees and told them what Jesus had done. 47 Then the chief priests and the Pharisees called a meeting of the Sanhedrin.

John 11:54 Therefore Jesus no longer moved about publicly among the people of Judea. Instead he withdrew to a region near the wilderness, to a village called Ephraim, where he stayed with his disciples.

Matthew 20:17-19 Now Jesus was going up to Jerusalem. On the way, he took the Twelve aside and said to them, 18 ‘We are going up to Jerusalem, and the Son of Man will be delivered over to the chief priests and the teachers of the law. They will condemn him to death 19 and will hand him over to the Gentiles to be mocked and flogged and crucified. On the third day he will be raised to life!’.

COMMENT: It is Saturday the 9th Nisan – the Sabbath. Sabbath restrictions end at twilight when Sunday the 10th starts, so this is a good time for social events before the working week resumes.

John has Jesus arriving in Bethany on Saturday. I guess Jesus aimed to arrive at Simon’s house for the meal which probably took place later that evening. There was still a large crowd following him.

Luke chapter 7 has the meal occurring much earlier in Jesus’ ministry while Matthew 26 and Mark 14 might suggest it was on Wednesday.

It is actually what happened on the next day, and the crowd dynamics, that seems to require the meal to take place on Saturday night.

The crowd had been following Jesus ever since he left Judea, with their numbers swelled following the raising of Lazarus. Jesus had become a celebrity and it was an obvious thing for those people making their way to Jerusalem for the Passover to travel with the group that made up his disciples.

Now there was a sense of excitement as surely Jesus was about to enter Jerusalem.

John 12:1 Six days before the Passover, Jesus came to Bethany, where Lazarus lived, whom Jesus had raised from the dead.

COMMENT: It is now Sunday 10th Nisan – the first day of the week.

Once the new day had dawned we can expect that the crowds gathered again round Simon’s house waiting for a glimpse of Jesus. John 12:13 tells of crowds that also came out of Jerusalem looking for Jesus.

John 12:12-13 The next day the great crowd that had come for the festival heard that Jesus was on his way to Jerusalem. 13 They took palm branches and went out to meet him, shouting,

Possibly they had almost reached Bethany before they found him. I imagine a leisurely start to the day – by the time the colt had been obtained and the crowds eventually moving out of Bethany for the relatively short walk down the Mount of Olives, it may well have been after lunch. Mark 11.11 tells us that they actually arrived quite late!

Mark 11:1-3 As they approached Jerusalem and came to Bethphage and Bethany at the Mount of Olives, Jesus sent two of his disciples, 2 saying to them, ‘Go to the village ahead of you, and just as you enter it, you will find a colt tied there, which no one has ever ridden. Untie it and bring it here. 3 If anyone asks you, “Why are you doing this?” say, “The Lord needs it and will send it back here shortly.”’

Matthew 21:1-3 As they approached Jerusalem and came to Bethphage on the Mount of Olives, Jesus sent two disciples, 2 saying to them, ‘Go to the village ahead of you, and at once you will find a donkey tied there, with her colt by her. Untie them and bring them to me. 3 If anyone says anything to you, say that the Lord needs them, and he will send them right away.’

Luke 19:28-31 After Jesus had said this, he went on ahead, going up to Jerusalem. 29 As he approached Bethphage and Bethany at the hill called the Mount of Olives, he sent two of his disciples, saying to them, 30 ‘Go to the village ahead of you, and as you enter it, you will find a colt tied there, which no one has ever ridden. Untie it and bring it here. 31 If anyone asks you, “Why are you untying it?” say, “The Lord needs it.”’

Matthew 21:6 The disciples went and did as Jesus had instructed them.

Matthew 21:9 suggests that those from Jerusalem led the way, while the rest continued to follow Jesus as they had done so far.

Matthew 21:7-11 They brought the donkey and the colt and placed their cloaks on them for Jesus to sit on. 8 A very large crowd spread their cloaks on the road, while others cut branches from the trees and spread them on the road. 9 The crowds that went ahead of him and those that followed shouted, ‘Hosanna to the Son of David!’ ‘Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord!’ ‘Hosanna in the highest heaven!’ 10 When Jesus entered Jerusalem, the whole city was stirred and asked, ‘Who is this?’ 11 The crowds answered, ‘This is Jesus, the prophet from Nazareth in Galilee.’

Mark 11:4-10 They went and found a colt outside in the street, tied at a doorway. As they untied it, 5 some people standing there asked, ‘What are you doing, untying that colt?’ 6 They answered as Jesus had told them to, and the people let them go. 7 When they brought the colt to Jesus and threw their cloaks over it, he sat on it. 8 Many people spread their cloaks on the road, while others spread branches they had cut in the fields. 9 Those who went ahead and those who followed shouted, ‘Hosanna!’ ‘Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord!’ 10 ‘Blessed is the coming kingdom of our father David!’ ‘Hosanna in the highest heaven!’

John 12:17-19 Now the crowd that was with him when he called Lazarus from the tomb and raised him from the dead continued to spread the word. 18 Many people, because they had heard that he had performed this sign, went out to meet him. 19 So the Pharisees said to one another, ‘See, this is getting us nowhere. Look how the whole world has gone after him!’

Mark 11:11 Jesus entered Jerusalem and went into the temple courts. He looked around at everything, but since it was already late, he went out to Bethany with the Twelve.

COMMENT: It is now the following day: Monday 11th Nisan.

John chapter 2 verses 12-25 have the cleansing of the Temple a lot earlier in Jesus’ ministry. (The online study on John2b explains what was going on in the Temple Courts.)

Jesus spent the next three days teaching the crowds (and Pharisees) that were in the Temple. This is recorded in Matthew chapters 21-25, Mark chapters 11-13, Luke chapters 20-21 and John chapter 12.

It seems that he continued to teach his disciples in the evenings too.

Matthew 21:18-19 Early in the morning, as Jesus was on his way back to the city, he was hungry. 19 Seeing a fig-tree by the road, he went up to it but found nothing on it except leaves. Then he said to it, ‘May you never bear fruit again!’ Immediately the tree withered.

Mark 11:12-14 The next day as they were leaving Bethany, Jesus was hungry. 13 Seeing in the distance a fig-tree in leaf, he went to find out if it had any fruit. When he reached it, he found nothing but leaves, because it was not the season for figs. 14 Then he said to the tree, ‘May no one ever eat fruit from you again.’ And his disciples heard him say it.

Mark 11:15-16 On reaching Jerusalem, Jesus entered the temple courts and began driving out those who were buying and selling there. He overturned
the tables of the money-changers and the benches of those selling doves, 16 and would not allow anyone to carry merchandise through the Temple courts.

Matthew 21:12-13 Jesus entered the temple courts and drove out all who were buying and selling there. He overturned the tables of the money-changers and the benches of those selling doves. 13 ‘It is written,’ he said to them, ‘“My house will be called a house of prayer,” but you are making it “a den of robbers.”

Matthew 21:17 And he left them and went out of the city to Bethany, where he spent the night.

Mark 11:19 When evening came, Jesus and his disciples went out of the city.

COMMENT: It is now Tuesday 12th Nisan

Mark 11:20-21 In the morning, as they went along, they saw the fig-tree withered from the roots. 21 Peter remembered and said to Jesus, ‘Rabbi look! The fig-tree you cursed has withered!’

Mark 11:27-28 They arrived again in Jerusalem, and while Jesus was walking in the temple courts, the chief priests, the teachers of the law and the elders came to him. 28 ‘By what authority are you doing these things?’ they asked. ‘And who gave you authority to do this?’

Matthew 21: 23 Jesus entered the temple courts, and, while he was teaching, the chief priests and the elders of the people came to him. ‘By what authority are you doing these things?’ they asked. ‘And who gave you this authority?’

Mark 13:1 As Jesus was leaving the temple, one of his disciples said to him, ‘Look, Teacher! What massive stones! What magnificent buildings!’

Matthew 24:1-2 Jesus left the temple and was walking away when his disciples came up to him to call his attention to its buildings. 2 ‘Do you see all these things?’ he asked. ‘Truly I tell you, not one stone here will be left on another; every one will be thrown down.’

Matthew 24:3 As Jesus was sitting on the Mount of Olives, the disciples came to him privately. ‘Tell us,’ they said, ‘when will this happen, and what will be the sign of your coming and of the end of the age?’

Matthew 26:1-2 When Jesus had finished saying all these things, he said to his disciples, 2 ‘As you know, the Passover is two days away – and the Son of Man will be handed over to be crucified.’

Mark 14:1-2 Now the Passover and the Festival of Unleavened Bread were only two days away, and the chief priests and the teachers of the law were scheming to arrest Jesus secretly and kill him. 2 ‘But not during the festival,’ they said, ‘or the people may riot.’

Matthew 26: 14-16 Then one of the Twelve – the one called Judas Iscariot – went to the chief priests 15 and asked, ‘What are you willing to give me if I deliver him over to you?’ So they counted out for him thirty pieces of silver. 16 From then on Judas watched for an opportunity to hand him over.

COMMENT: It is now Wednesday 13th Nisan

Luke 21:37 Each day Jesus was teaching at the temple, and each evening he went out to spend the night on the hill called the Mount of Olives, 38 and all the people came early in the morning to hear him at the temple.

Deuteronomy 16:6-8 you must sacrifice the Passover in the evening, when the sun goes down, on the anniversary of your departure from Egypt. 7 Roast it and eat it at the place the Lord your God will choose. Then in the morning return to your tents. 8 For six days eat unleavened bread and on the seventh day hold an assembly to the Lord your God and do no work.

Leviticus 23:5-8 The Lord’s Passover begins at twilight on the fourteenth day of the first month. 6 On the fifteenth day of that month the Lord’s Festival of Unleavened Bread begins; for seven days you must eat bread made without yeast. 7 On the first day hold a sacred assembly and do not do any of your ordinary work. 8 For seven days present a food offering to the Lord. And on the seventh day hold a sacred assembly and do not do any of your ordinary work.

COMMENT: It is now late on Wednesday afternoon, the 13th.

Matthew, Mark and Luke all state that the next passages took place on the first day of the ‘Festival of Unleavened Bread’ but Mark 15:42 also states that Jesus was crucified on ‘Preparation Day (that is, the day before the Sabbath)’ and John makes a point of the fact that the trial, execution and removal of the bodies must take place before Passover itself, to avoid ceremonial uncleanness.

Matthew 26:17-19 On the first day of the Festival of Unleavened Bread, the disciples came to Jesus and asked, ‘Where do you want us to make preparations for you to eat the Passover?’18 He replied, ‘Go into the city to a certain man and tell him, “The Teacher says: my appointed time is near. I am going to celebrate the Passover with my disciples at your house.”’ 19 So the disciples did as Jesus had directed them and prepared the Passover.

Luke 22:7-13 Then came the day of Unleavened Bread on which the Passover lamb had to be sacrificed. 8 Jesus sent Peter and John, saying, ‘Go and make preparations for us to eat the Passover.’ 9 ‘Where do you want us to prepare for it?’ they asked. 10 He replied, ‘As you enter the city, a man carrying a jar of water will meet you. Follow him to the house that he enters, 11 and say to the owner of the house, “The Teacher asks: where is the guest room, where I may eat the Passover with my disciples?” 12 He will show you a large room upstairs, all furnished. Make preparations there.’
13 They left and found things just as Jesus had told them. So they prepared the Passover.

Mark 14:12-16 On the first day of the Festival of Unleavened Bread, when it was customary to sacrifice the Passover lamb, Jesus’ disciples asked him, ‘Where do you want us to go and make preparations for you to eat the Passover?’ 13 So he sent two of his disciples, telling them, ‘Go into the city, and a man carrying a jar of water will meet you. Follow him. 14 Say to the owner of the house he enters, “The Teacher asks: where is my guest room, where I may eat the Passover with my disciples?” 15 He will show you a large room upstairs, furnished and ready. Make preparations for us there.’ 16 The disciples left, went into the city and found things just as Jesus had told them. So they prepared the Passover.

COMMENT: Passages in John 13:1-2, 18-28 and 19:31 make it clear that the ‘Last Supper’ was not actually the Passover meal itself, but simply supper on the evening of the day before, once all the preparations had been made. Jesus himself would be slain towards evening on the next day as our Passover lamb (1 Corinthians 5:7).

Now, following sunset, it is the start of Thursday 14th.

Luke 22:14-16 When the hour came, Jesus and his apostles reclined at the table. 15 And he said to them, ‘I have eagerly desired to eat this Passover with you before I suffer. 16 For I tell you, I will not eat it again until it finds fulfilment in the kingdom of God.’

Matthew 26: 20-21 When evening came, Jesus was reclining at the table with the Twelve. 21 And while they were eating, he said, ‘Truly I tell you, one of you will betray me.’

John 13:1-2 It was just before the Passover Festival. Jesus knew that the hour had come for him to leave this world and go to the Father. Having loved his own who were in the world, he loved them to the end. 2 The evening meal was in progress, and the devil had already prompted Judas, the son of Simon Iscariot, to betray Jesus

Mark 14:17-25 When evening came, Jesus arrived with the Twelve. 18 While they were reclining at the table eating, he said, ‘Truly I tell you, one of you will betray me – one who is eating with me.’ 19 They were saddened, and one by one they said to him, ‘Surely you don’t mean me?’ 20 ‘It is one of the Twelve,’ he replied, ‘one who dips bread into the bowl with me. 21 The Son of Man will go just as it is written about him. But woe to that man who betrays the Son of Man! It would be better for him if he had not been born.’ 22 While they were eating, Jesus took bread, and when he had given thanks, he broke it and gave it to his disciples, saying, ‘Take it; this is my body.’ 23 Then he took a cup, and when he had given thanks, he gave it to them, and they all drank from it. 24 ‘This is my blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many,’ he said to them. 25 ‘Truly I tell you, I will not drink again from the fruit of the vine until that day when I drink it new in the kingdom of God.’

John 13:26-30 Jesus answered, ‘It is the one to whom I will give this piece of bread when I have dipped it in the dish.’ Then, dipping the piece of bread, he gave it to Judas, the son of Simon Iscariot. 27 As soon as Judas took the bread, Satan entered into him. So Jesus told him, ‘What you are about to do, do quickly.’ 28 But no one at the meal understood why Jesus said this to him. 29 Since Judas had charge of the money, some thought Jesus was telling him to buy what was needed for the festival, or to give something to the poor. 30 As soon as Judas had taken the bread, he went out. And it was night.

COMMENT: Only John records the details of the teaching that Jesus gave his disciples during the meal and the hours leading up to his arrest. These are recorded in John chapters 14 – 17.

John 14:28-31 ‘You heard me say, “I am going away and I am coming back to you.” If you loved me, you would be glad that I am going to the Father, for the Father is greater than I. 29 I have told you now before it happens, so that when it does happen you will believe. 30 I will not say much more to you, for the prince of this world is coming. He has no hold over me, 31 but he comes so that the world may learn that I love the Father and do exactly what my Father has commanded me. Come now; let us leave’.

COMMENT: We don’t know what time this was, but probably late evening.

Mark 14:26 When they had sung a hymn, they went out to the Mount of Olives

John 18:1-2 When he had finished praying, Jesus left with his disciples and crossed the Kidron Valley. On the other side there was a garden, and he and his disciples went into it. 2 Now Judas, who betrayed him, knew the place, because Jesus had often met there with his disciples.

Matthew 26: 36-38 Then Jesus went with his disciples to a place called Gethsemane, and he said to them, ‘Sit here while I go over there and pray’. 37 He took Peter and the two sons of Zebedee along with him, and he began to be sorrowful and troubled. 38 Then he said to them, ‘My soul is overwhelmed with sorrow to the point of death. Stay here and keep watch with me.’

John 18:3 So Judas came to the garden, guiding a detachment of soldiers and some officials from the chief priests and the Pharisees. They were carrying torches, lanterns and weapons.

Matthew 26: 47-49 While he was still speaking, Judas, one of the Twelve, arrived. With him was a large crowd armed with swords and clubs, sent from the chief priests and the elders of the people. 48 Now the betrayer had arranged a signal with them: ‘The one I kiss is the man; arrest him.’ 49 Going at once to Jesus, Judas said, ‘Greetings, Rabbi!’ and kissed him.

COMMENT: The Sanhedrin had met and authorised the arrest of Jesus but when he was brought to them they were unsure of what to do with him. Their first action was to send him to Annas – he had been appointed ‘High Priest for life’ by the Jews – although the Romans had replaced him with his son-in-law Caiaphas in AD 15.

It is quite confusing to follow the events of this final day of Jesus’ life. Probably it was like this:

• The Disciples met in the evening as Thursday began.
• During the evening Judas left and reported to the authorities
• Later that night the Sanhedrin met to arrange for the arrest of Jesus.
• Jesus was captured and brought to them.
• They sent Jesus to Annas (and possibly most of the Sanhedrin went home).
• Annas sent Jesus to Caiaphas.
• There may now be a few hours of rest
• At dawn the Sanhedrin met again and held a trial.
• They took Jesus to Pilate.
• Pilate sent him to Herod (with ‘The Jews’).
• Herod returned him to Pilate.
• Pilate again investigated and declared Jesus to be innocent.
• ‘The Jews’ (Matthew 27:20) ‘persuaded’ the crowd.
• Pilate had Jesus flogged, and handed him over to be crucified.
• Jesus was crucified and hung on the cross during the afternoon.
• Before sunset the bodies were removed and buried.

John 18:12-14 Then the detachment of soldiers with its commander and the Jewish officials arrested Jesus. They bound him 13 and brought him first to Annas, who was the father-in-law of Caiaphas, the high priest that year. 14 Caiaphas was the one who had advised the Jewish leaders that it would be good if one man died for the people.

COMMENT: This was early morning on Thursday 14th – Preparation Day.

Mark 15:1 Very early in the morning, the chief priests, with the elders, the teachers of the law and the whole Sanhedrin, made their plans. So they bound Jesus, led him away and handed him over to Pilate.

John 18:23-24 ‘If I said something wrong,’ Jesus replied, ‘testify as to what is wrong. But if I spoke the truth, why did you strike me?’ 24 Then Annas sent him bound to Caiaphas the high priest

Matthew 26: 57-60 Those who had arrested Jesus took him to Caiaphas the high priest, where the teachers of the law and the elders had assembled. 58 But Peter followed him at a distance, right up to the courtyard of the high priest. He entered and sat down with the guards to see the outcome. 59 The chief priests and the whole Sanhedrin were looking for false evidence against Jesus so that they could put him to death. 60 But they did not find any, though many false witnesses came forward.

Matthew 26:74-75 Then he began to call down curses, and he swore to them, ‘I don’t know the man!’ Immediately a cock crowed. 75 Then Peter remembered the word Jesus had sppoken: ‘Before the cock crows, you will disown me three times.’ And he went outside and wept bitterly.

Luke 22:66-67 At daybreak the council of the elders of the people, both the chief priests and the teachers of the law, met together, and Jesus was led before them. 67 ‘If you are the Messiah,’ they said, ‘tell us.’

Luke 23:1-2 Then the whole assembly rose and led him off to Pilate. 2 And they began to accuse him, saying, ‘We have found this man subverting our nation. He opposes payment of taxes to Caesar and claims to be Messiah, a king.’

Luke 23:6-11 On hearing this, Pilate asked if the man was a Galilean. 7 When he learned that Jesus was under Herod’s jurisdiction, he sent him to Herod, who was also in Jerusalem at that time. 8 When Herod saw Jesus, he was greatly pleased, because for a long time he had been wanting to see him. From what he had heard about him, he hoped to see him perform a sign of some sort. 9 He plied him with many questions, but Jesus gave him no answer. 10 The chief priests and the teachers of the law were standing there, vehemently accusing him. 11 Then Herod and his soldiers ridiculed and mocked him. Dressing him in an elegant robe, they sent him back to Pilate.

John 18:28-29 Then the Jewish leaders took Jesus from Caiaphas to the palace of the Roman governor. By now it was early morning, and to avoid ceremonial uncleanness they did not enter the palace, because they wanted to be able to eat the Passover. 29 So Pilate came out to them and asked, ‘What charges are you bringing against this man?’

Matthew 27:1-2 Early in the morning, all the chief priests and the elders of the people made their plans how to have Jesus executed. 2 So they bound him, led him away and handed him over to Pilate the governor.

Matthew 27:3-7 When Judas, who had betrayed him, saw that Jesus was condemned, he was seized with remorse and returned the thirty pieces of silver to the chief priests and the elders. 4 ‘I have sinned,’ he said, ‘For I have betrayed innocent blood.’ ‘What is that to us?’ they replied. ‘That’s your responsibility.’ 5 So Judas threw the money into the temple and left. Then he went away and hanged himself. 6 The chief priests picked up the coins and said, ‘It is against the law to put this into the treasury, since it is blood money.’ 7 So they decided to use the money to buy the potter’s field as a burial place for foreigners.

Matthew 27:11-26 Meanwhile Jesus stood before the governor, and the governor asked him, ‘Are you the king of the Jews?’ ‘You have said so,’ Jesus replied. 12 When he was accused by the chief priests and the elders, he gave no answer. 13 Then Pilate asked him, ‘Don’t you hear the testimony they are bringing against you?’ 14 But Jesus made no reply, not even to a single charge – to the great amazement of the governor.

15 Now it was the governor’s custom at the festival to release a prisoner chosen by the crowd. 16 At that time they had a well-known prisoner whose name was Jesus Barabbas. 17 So when the crowd had gathered, Pilate asked them, ‘Which one do you want me to release to you: Jesus Barabbas, or Jesus who is called the Messiah?’ 18 For he knew it was out of self-interest that they had handed Jesus over to him.

19 While Pilate was sitting on the judge’s seat, his wife sent him this message: ‘Don’t have anything to do with that innocent man, for I have suffered a great deal today in a dream because of him.’
20 But the chief priests and the elders persuaded the crowd to ask for Barabbas and to have Jesus executed. 21 ‘Which of the two do you want me to release to you?’ asked the governor. ‘Barabbas,’ they answered. 22 ‘What shall I do, then, with Jesus who is called the Messiah?’ Pilate asked. They all answered, ‘Crucify him!’ 23 ‘Why? What crime has he committed?’ asked Pilate. But they shouted all the louder, ‘Crucify him!’

24 When Pilate saw that he was getting nowhere, but that instead an uproar was starting, he took water and washed his hands in front of the crowd. ‘I am innocent of this man’s blood,’ he said. ‘It is your responsibility!’ 25 All the people answered, ‘His blood is on us and on our children!’ 26 Then he released Barabbas to them. But he had Jesus flogged, and handed him over to be crucified.

John 19:13-14 When Pilate heard this, he brought Jesus out and sat down on the judge’s seat at a place known as the Stone Pavement (which in Aramaic is Gabbatha). 14 It was the day of Preparation of the Passover; it was about noon.

Matthew 27: 27-31 Then the governor’s soldiers took Jesus into the Praetorium and gathered the whole company of soldiers round him. 28 They stripped him and put a scarlet robe on him, 29 and then twisted together a crown of thorns and set it on his head. They put a staff in his right hand. Then they knelt in front of him and mocked him. ‘Hail, king of the Jews!’ they said. 30 They spat on him, and took the staff and struck him on the head again and again. 31 After they had mocked him, they took off the robe and put his own clothes on him. Then they led him away to crucify him.

Mark 15:16-20 The soldiers led Jesus away into the palace (that is, the Praetorium) and called together the whole company of soldiers. 17 They put a purple robe on him, then twisted together a crown of thorns and set it on him. 18 And they began to call out to him, ‘Hail, king of the Jews!’ 19 Again and again they struck him on the head with a staff and spat on him. Falling on their knees, they paid homage to him. 20 And when they had mocked him, they took off the purple robe and put his own clothes on him. Then they led him out to crucify him.

COMMENT: Mark says Jesus was crucified at 09.00 but it seems unlikely that the Roman Governor, Pilate, would be prepared to receive the Jews and start official proceedings before 9 o’clock. He then had Jesus sent to Herod for interview, Herod then sent him back. Pilate then held a ‘trial’, and by then large crowds had gathered.

Matthew 27:33-45 suggests that Jesus was crucified some time before noon. But John 19:13 says Jesus was still before Pilate at noon.

Reading the whole narrative in Luke 22:66-23:46 I came to the conclusion that the events of the morning were fast-moving and confusing and that those with only the sun for a clock (and who themselves had been up all night) would find it hard to be accurate.

Also we read that all the Disciples had fled; with only Peter and John following Jesus. Peter too having denied his Lord, went outside. Maybe only John was eye-witness to the whole events of that day.

Mark 15:25 It was nine in the morning when they crucified him. 26 The written notice of the charge against him read: the king of the Jews.

Luke 23:44-46 It was now about noon, and darkness came over the whole land until three in the afternoon, 45 for the sun stopped shining. And the curtain of the temple was torn in two. 46 Jesus called out with a loud voice, ‘Father, into your hands I commit my spirit.’ When he had said this,
he breathed his last.

Matthew 27: 45-46 From noon until three in the afternoon darkness came over all the land. 46 About three in the afternoon Jesus cried out in a loud voice, ‘Eli, Eli, lema sabachthani?’ (which means ‘My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?’).

Mark 15:38-39 The curtain of the temple was torn in two from top to bottom. 39 And when the centurion, who stood there in front of Jesus, saw how he died, he said, ‘Surely this man was the Son of God!’

John 19:31-33 Now it was the day of Preparation, and the next day was to be a special Sabbath. Because the Jewish leaders did not want the bodies left on the crosses during the Sabbath, they asked Pilate to have the legs broken and the bodies taken down. 32 The soldiers therefore came and broke the legs of the first man who had been crucified with Jesus, and then those of the other. 33 But when they came to Jesus and found that he was already dead, they did not break his legs.

Mark 15:40-47 Some women were watching from a distance. Among them were Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of James the younger and of Joseph and Salome. 41 In Galilee these women had followed him and cared for his needs. Many other women who had come up with him to Jerusalem were also there. 42 It was Preparation Day (that is, the day before the Sabbath). So as evening approached, 43 Joseph of Arimathea, a prominent member of the Council, who was himself waiting for the kingdom of God, went boldly to Pilate and asked for Jesus’ body. 44 Pilate was surprised to hear that he was already dead. Summoning the centurion, he asked him if Jesus had already died. 45 When he learned from the centurion that it was so, he gave the body to Joseph. 46 So Joseph bought some linen cloth, took down the body, wrapped it in the linen, and placed it in a tomb cut out of rock. Then he rolled a stone against the entrance of the tomb. 47 Mary Magdalene and Mary the mother of Joseph saw where he was laid.

John 19:38-42 Later, Joseph of Arimathea asked Pilate for the body of Jesus. Now Joseph was a disciple of Jesus, but secretly because he feared the Jewish leaders. With Pilate’s permission, he came and took the body away. 39 He was accompanied by Nicodemus, the man who earlier had visited Jesus at night. Nicodemus brought a mixture of myrrh and aloes, about thirty-five kilograms. 40 Taking Jesus’ body, the two of them wrapped it, with the spices, in strips of linen. This was in accordance with Jewish burial customs. 41 At the place where Jesus was crucified, there was a garden, and in the garden a new tomb, in which no one had ever been laid. 42 Because it was the Jewish day of Preparation and since the tomb was near by, they laid Jesus there.

Matthew 27: 57-61 As evening approached, there came a rich man from Arimathea, named Joseph, who had himself become a disciple of Jesus. 58 Going to Pilate, he asked for Jesus’ body, and Pilate ordered that it be given to him. 59 Joseph took the body, wrapped it in a clean linen cloth, 60 and placed it in his own new tomb that he had cut out of the rock. He rolled a big stone in front of the entrance to the tomb and went away. 61 Mary Magdalene and the other Mary were sitting there opposite the tomb.

COMMENT: To avoid confusion with other ‘Marys’ Luke points out that these two had come from Galilee. They had seen where the body had been placed but obviously could not see the body being embalmed by the men within the tomb

It was now sunset on 14th and the next day 15th began. As this was a special Sabbath, all work now stopped.

Luke 23:50-54 Now there was a man named Joseph, a member of the Council, a good and upright man, 51 who had not consented to their decision and action. He came from the Judean town of Arimathea, and he himself was waiting for the kingdom of God. 52 Going to Pilate, he asked for Jesus’ body. 53 Then he took it down, wrapped it in linen cloth and placed it in a tomb cut in the rock, one in which no one had yet been laid. 54 It was Preparation Day, and the Sabbath was about to begin.

Luke 23:55-56 The women who had come with Jesus from Galilee followed Joseph and saw the tomb and how his body was laid in it. 56 Then they went home and prepared spices and perfumes. But they rested on the Sabbath in obedience to the commandment.

COMMENT: This is after daybreak on Friday 15th – the ‘First day of Unleavened Bread’. It was a Sabbath in addition to the normal weekly Sabbath. Even so, the Jewish authorities considered that sealing the tomb was more important than keeping the ‘no work, no travel’ rules.

Matthew 27:62-66 The next day, the one after Preparation Day, the chief priests and the Pharisees went to Pilate. 63 ‘Sir,’ they said, ‘we remember that while he was still alive that deceiver said, “After three days I will rise again.” 64 So give the order for the tomb to be made secure until the third day. Otherwise, his disciples may come and steal the body and tell the people that he has been raised from the dead. This last deception will be worse than the first’ 65 ‘Take a guard,’ Pilate answered. ‘Go, make the tomb as secure as you know how.’ 66 So they went and made the tomb secure by putting a seal on the stone and posting the guard.

COMMENT: We now move on to early morning on Sunday 17th

Mark 16:1 When the Sabbath was over, Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of James, and Salome bought spices so that they might go to anoint Jesus’ body.

Luke 24:1 On the first day of the week, very early in the morning, the women took the spices they had prepared and went to the tomb.

Matthew 28:1 After the Sabbath, at dawn on the first day of the week, Mary Magdalene and the other Mary went to look at the tomb.

Mark 16:2-4 Very early on the first day of the week, just after sunrise, they were on their way to the tomb 3 and they asked each other, ‘Who will roll the stone away from the entrance of the tomb?’ 4 But when they looked up, they saw that the stone, which was very large, had been rolled away.

Matthew 28:2-4 There was a violent earthquake, for an angel of the Lord came down from heaven and, going to the tomb, rolled back the stone and sat on it. 3 His appearance was like lightning, and his clothes were white as snow. 4 The guards were so afraid of him that they shook and became like dead men.

COMMENT: Jesus had already risen, and the angel rolled back the stone to prove it!

Matthew 28:5-7 The angel said to the women, ‘Do not be afraid, for I know that you are looking for Jesus, who was crucified. 6 He is not here he has risen, just as he said. Come and see the place where he lay. 7 Then go quickly and tell his disciples: “He has risen from the dead and is going ahead of you into Galilee. There you will see him.” Now I have told you.’

Matthew 28:11-13 While the women were on their way, some of the guards went into the city and reported to the chief priests everything that had happened. 12 When the chief priests had met with the elders and devised a plan, they gave the soldiers a large sum of money, 13 telling them, ‘You are to say, “His disciples came during the night and stole him away while we were asleep.”

Hallelujah - Christ is risen!