WAS JESUS CRUCIFIED ON A WEDNESDAY?

badboy

According to an article in the GOOD NEWS(published by the United church of God,formerly the WCG),Jesus was crucified on an Wednesday,what do jws believe?

Narkissos

Watchtower 1968 8/15

Certain astronomical facts also give confirmation that it was 33 C.E. when Jesus was put to death. This event occurred during the twenty-four-hour day of Nisan 14, which began with 6 p.m. on Thursday and ended at 6 p.m. on Friday. This means that Jesus died Friday afternoon about 3 p.m., "the ninth hour." (Mark 15:34-37) The day after Passover, Nisan 15, was always a sabbath day regardless of what day of the week it came on. (Lev. 23:6, 7) If it fell on a scheduled weekly sabbath, then Nisan 15 was known as ‘a great sabbath,’ as was the case at the time of Jesus’ death. (John 19:31) Now astronomical tables show there was just such a Passover full moon on Thursday night, March 31, 33 C.E., Gregorian calendar. The only other occurrence of a full moon on Thursday night in the month of Nisan during Jesus’ ministry was in the year 30 C.E., but this is ruled out as the likely year of his death, since it would allow Messiah only a six-month ministry. It is, therefore, beyond a reasonable doubt that Jesus died Friday afternoon, April 1, 33 C.E.

No April fool.

Narkissos

Watchtower 1991, 11/15:

·
Why is 29 C.E. considered to be a pivotal date in Bible history rather than 14 C.E., the start of the reign of Tiberius Caesar, who is mentioned at Luke 3:1?
The start of Tiberius’ reign is not mentioned in the Bible, but an event occurring in the latter part of his 15th year is. This enables Bible students to fix the event as occurring in 29 C.E., which can be viewed as a pivotal date from the Biblical standpoint.
The reign of the second emperor of Rome, Tiberius Caesar, is well accepted in history. The New Encyclopædia Britannica says: "In AD 14, on August 19, Augustus [the first emperor] died. Tiberius, now supreme, played politics with the Senate and did not allow it to name him emperor for almost a month, but on September 17 he succeeded to the principate."
This fixed point for the start of Tiberius’ reign is Biblically relevant because Luke 3:1-3 says about the ministry of John the Baptizer: "In the fifteenth year of the reign of Tiberius Caesar, when Pontius Pilate was governor of Judea, . . . God’s declaration came to John the son of Zechariah in the wilderness. So he came into all the country around the Jordan, preaching baptism in symbol of repentance for forgiveness of sins."
John did not commence preaching and baptizing when Tiberius became emperor but did so "in the fifteenth year of the reign of Tiberius Caesar." That 15th year ran from autumn 28 C.E. to the autumn of 29 C.E. Knowing this, however, does not enable one to determine with any precision when John’s ministry began during that year or how to calculate related events.
But the Bible gives us vital supplemental information. For example, Daniel’s prophecy of the "seventy weeks" pointed to 29 C.E. for the Messiah’s appearance. It also indicated that Jesus’ ministry would be three and a half years long. (Daniel 9:24-27) Add to this these Biblical details: Jesus was born six months after John; when Jesus was baptized, he "was about thirty years old"; and Jesus died in the spring of 33 C.E. (Passover time), when he was 33 1/2 years old.—Luke 1:24-38; 3:23; 22:14-16, 54.
With such precise Biblical information, combined with the secular dating of Tiberius’ reign, Bible students can calculate that John’s ministry began in the spring of 29 C.E. and that six months later, in the autumn of 29 C.E., John baptized Jesus. Hence, it is not 14 C.E. but 29 C.E. that is viewed as the pivotal date from the standpoint of the Bible.

badboy

So Jesus was born in the Autumn,not according to the UCG,who think he was born in March,if I remember correctly.

The point is that the NT and other early tradition is not consistant when describing the birth and death of Jesus. This has been discussed in detail here before. This is just what is to be expected for an evolving mythic character but hard to explain for an historical Jesus.

NeonMadman

UCG is an offshoot of theold Worldwide Church of God started by Herbert W. Armstrong, and still holds to many of his teachings. I think that the Wednesday crucifixion/Saturday resurrection appeals to this and similar groups, because they are legalistic sabbatarians (teaching that observing the Sabbath on Saturday is required for salvation. If the resurrection occured on Saturday, then the usual argument for most Christians' observance of Sunday (as a memorial of Christ's resurrection on that day) disappears.

Personally, I don't think it really matters on what day Christ died or whether we observe a Sabbath. Romans 14 speaks pretty well to that point.

Leolaia

But the Bible gives us vital supplemental information. For example, Daniel’s prophecy of the "seventy weeks" pointed to 29 C.E. for the Messiah’s appearance. It also indicated that Jesus’ ministry would be three and a half years long. (Daniel 9:24-27)

And little does the Society know that this particular "exegesis" of Daniel 9 is heir to a long history of interpretation, and their explanation of the 3 1/2 years (the "half week") is based especially on a flawed text in one of the Greek versions that conflates the two "anointed ones" and lumps together the two initial time periods.

peacefulpete

Leolaia if you posted on that morsel before in detail do you recall the thread?

badboy

Their argument is based on `special sabbaths'

WAS JESUS CRUCIFIED ON A WEDNESDAY?

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