The Timing of Christ's Sacrifice

Sequence of Events From Christ's Resurrection to His Ascension

1. A mighty angel calls Jesus to life. The Roman soldiers are terrified. They go to report what they have seen. (Matthew 28:2-4)
2. Mary Magdalene arrives at the tomb. She sees the stone rolled away, then runs to tell the disciples. (John 20:1)
3. The other women arrive at the empty tomb and meet two angels. They also go to find the disciples. (Luke 24:1-9)
4. Mary finds Peter and John. They come and find the tomb empty. (John 20:2-10)
5. Mary, who had followed them, remains at the tomb after Peter and John leave. She sees the two angels. Then Jesus appears to her. (John 20:11-16)
6. Jesus goes to heaven to receive His Father’s approval. (John 20:17)
7. Jesus returns and appears to Peter. (Luke 24:34; 1 Corinthians 15:5)
8. Jesus appears to the two disciples on the walk to Emmaus. (Mark 16:12; Luke 24:13-32)
9. The two disciples return to Jerusalem to tell the disciples in the upper room. There Jesus appears to all of them, Thomas missing. (Mark 16:13; Luke 24:33-49; John 20:19-23)
10. Jesus appears one week later, Thomas being there. (Mark 16:14; John 20:24-29)
11. Jesus meets seven of the disciples by the Sea of Galilee. (John 21:1-23)
12. In the presence of about five hundred believers assembled on a mountain in Galilee, Jesus delivers the Great Commission. (Matthew 28:16-20; 1 Corinthians 15:6)
13. Jesus appears to James (1 Corinthians 15:7)
14. Jesus takes the disciples to the Mount of Olives, and from there ascends to heaven. (Luke 24:50, 51; Acts 1:9-11)

Countdown to the Cross

Events in the week leading up to the crucifixion.

Sabbath

• Simon's Feast (John 12:1-11)

Sunday

• Triumphal Entry (John 12:12-19)

Monday

• Fig Tree Cursed (Mark 11:12-14)
• Temple Cleansed (Mark 11:15-19)

Tuesday

• Withered Fig Tree Noticed (Mark 11:20-26)
• Confrontation in the Temple (Matthew 21:23–22:46)
• Woes on the Scribes and Pharisees (Matthew 23)
• Widow's Mites (Mark 12:41-44)
• Visit of the Greeks (John 12:20-50)
• On the Mount of Olives (Matthew 24, 25)

Wednesday

• No Public Appearance

Thursday

• The Last Supper (Luke 22:7-38; John 13, 14)
• Instruction and Prayer for His Disciples (John 15–17)
• Gethsemane (Mark 14:26-42)
• Arrest (John 18:2-12)

Friday

• Trial (Matthew 26:57–27:31; Mark 14:53–15:20; Luke 22:54–23:25; John 18:13–19:16)
• Crucifixion (Matthew 27:32-56; Mark 15:21-41; Luke 23:26-49; John 19:17-37)
• Burial (Matthew 27:57-61; Mark 15:42-47; Luke 23:50-56; John 19:38-42)

Sabbath

• Soldiers Stationed at the Tomb (Matthew 27:62-66)

Sunday

• Resurrection (Matthew 28:1-15; Mark 16:1-11; Luke 24:1-12; John 20:1-18)
• Walk to Emmaus (Luke 24:13-32)
• Appearance in the Upper Room (Luke 24:33-49)

Date of the Crucifixion

To determine the date of Christ's crucifixion, we need to find a Passover Day that fell on a Friday, and we'd like it to be in the year AD 31 because that is the year indicated by the seventy-week prophecy of Daniel 9. (For information on the seventy-week prophecy, see on the 2300 days.)

Passover was always on the 14th day of Nisan, also known as Abib, the first month of the Jewish religious calendar. The months always began with the first sighting of a crescent moon following the new moon. (I'm using the term "new moon" to refer to when the moon was first unable to be seen.) According to astronomical records, there was a new moon on March 12 (our calendar) in the year AD 31, and the full moon came on March 27. Depending on when the crescent was first observed, the 14th day of the Jewish month would have landed sometime around March 28. I don't think we could stretch it to Friday the 30th. So this month doesn't seem to fit what we're looking for. Furthermore, it is doubtful that Passover in those days was ever observed that early in the year. They needed ripe barley for the wave sheaf offering, and according to the Israeli Ministry of Agriculture, barley is not usually ripe in Israel until later in April. So it looks like this month wouldn't qualify as the first month of the year anyway. They often had to add a thirteenth month to keep the calendar lined up correctly with the seasons.

The next new moon fell on April 10 of that year. If the new crescent was first observed in the evening of what we call April 13, the first day of Nisan would have been counted from sunset on April 13 until sunset on April 14 of our Gregorian calendar. The fourteenth day of that first month, Passover Day, would have been celebrated from sundown on Thursday, April 26, until sundown on Friday, April 27. That makes Friday, April 27, AD 31, the most likely date for Jesus' crucifixion. And Sunday, April 29, would have been the day of His resurrection.