Outline
i. Deity
ii. Pre-existence
iii. Theophanies
iv. Immanence
v. Historicity
vi. Virgin birth
vii. Humanity
viii. Incarnation – Hypostatical union: fully human and fully God
1. communion of attributes
2. acts of Christ
3. an object of worship
4. can sympathize with His people
5. the source of life
ix. Humility of
x. Infallibility
xi. Messiahship
xii. Atonement
xiii. Savior
1. Sufficiency of His death
2. For whom did He die
xiv. Miracles – Power over nature
xv. Offices
xvi. Resurrection
xvii. Return
xviii. Exaltation of
xix. Titles
xx. Lordship / Kingship of
xxi. Mediation of
xxii. Intercession of
xxiii. Essential teachings of
xxiv. Parables summarized
xxv. Jesus and the Law
xxvi. Prophecy of
xxvii. Priesthood of
ii. Pre-existence
iii. Theophanies
iv. Immanence
v. Historicity
vi. Virgin birth
vii. Humanity
viii. Incarnation – Hypostatical union: fully human and fully God
1. communion of attributes
2. acts of Christ
3. an object of worship
4. can sympathize with His people
5. the source of life
ix. Humility of
x. Infallibility
xi. Messiahship
xii. Atonement
xiii. Savior
1. Sufficiency of His death
2. For whom did He die
xiv. Miracles – Power over nature
xv. Offices
xvi. Resurrection
xvii. Return
xviii. Exaltation of
xix. Titles
xx. Lordship / Kingship of
xxi. Mediation of
xxii. Intercession of
xxiii. Essential teachings of
xxiv. Parables summarized
xxv. Jesus and the Law
xxvi. Prophecy of
xxvii. Priesthood of
Deity of Jesus
"In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was with God in the beginning" (John 1:1).
To interpret the Bible correctly, we must understand that Christ had two natures -- one human, and one divine. The deity of Jesus Christ is an essential doctrine of the Christian faith. When Jesus used the divine title "I AM," He was claiming to be God in the flesh: "'I tell you the truth,' Jesus answered, 'before Abraham was born, I am!'" (John 8:58).
Jesus proved His claims of deity by His bodily resurrection, which was done through His own power: "Jesus answered them, 'Destroy this temple, and I will raise it again in three days' ... But the temple He had spoken of was His body" (John 2:19, 21). Christ did not give up His divine nature in the Incarnation; He willingly placed Himself under the Father's authority. The incarnate Christ never exercised His deity independent of the will and power of the Father. For that reason Christ could say, "I tell you the truth, the Son can do nothing by Himself; He can do only what He sees His Father doing, because whatever the Father does the Son also does" (John 5:19).
To believe in the atonement -- the finished work of Christ on the cross -- requires a belief in His deity. Only a perfect sacrifice could atone for the sins of humankind. Christ, who was fully God and fully man, was that perfect sacrifice. Practically every cult denies the deity of Jesus Christ. Some teach He was only a created being; others teach He was a man who achieved enlightenment; still others say that Christ was one "god" among many gods. None of these are valid positions in light of what Jesus said and did. Either He was who He claimed to be -- God and Creator who came to redeem us from our sins -- or He was a liar. "I told you that you would die in your sins; if you do not believe that I am the one I claim to be, you will indeed die in your sins" (John 8:24). "The high priest said to Him, 'I charge you under oath by the living God: Tell us if you are the Christ, the Son of God.' 'Yes, it is as you say,' Jesus replied" (Matthew 26:63-
64).
To interpret the Bible correctly, we must understand that Christ had two natures -- one human, and one divine. The deity of Jesus Christ is an essential doctrine of the Christian faith. When Jesus used the divine title "I AM," He was claiming to be God in the flesh: "'I tell you the truth,' Jesus answered, 'before Abraham was born, I am!'" (John 8:58).
Jesus proved His claims of deity by His bodily resurrection, which was done through His own power: "Jesus answered them, 'Destroy this temple, and I will raise it again in three days' ... But the temple He had spoken of was His body" (John 2:19, 21). Christ did not give up His divine nature in the Incarnation; He willingly placed Himself under the Father's authority. The incarnate Christ never exercised His deity independent of the will and power of the Father. For that reason Christ could say, "I tell you the truth, the Son can do nothing by Himself; He can do only what He sees His Father doing, because whatever the Father does the Son also does" (John 5:19).
To believe in the atonement -- the finished work of Christ on the cross -- requires a belief in His deity. Only a perfect sacrifice could atone for the sins of humankind. Christ, who was fully God and fully man, was that perfect sacrifice. Practically every cult denies the deity of Jesus Christ. Some teach He was only a created being; others teach He was a man who achieved enlightenment; still others say that Christ was one "god" among many gods. None of these are valid positions in light of what Jesus said and did. Either He was who He claimed to be -- God and Creator who came to redeem us from our sins -- or He was a liar. "I told you that you would die in your sins; if you do not believe that I am the one I claim to be, you will indeed die in your sins" (John 8:24). "The high priest said to Him, 'I charge you under oath by the living God: Tell us if you are the Christ, the Son of God.' 'Yes, it is as you say,' Jesus replied" (Matthew 26:63-
64).
Virgin birth of Jesus
"You will be with child and give birth to a son ...'How will this be,' Mary asked the angel, 'since I am a virgin?' The angel answered, 'The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you. So the Holy One to be born will be called the Son of God" (Luke 1:34-35). The virgin birth is an essential doctrine of historic Christianity. Christ did not have a sin nature. To be the perfect sacrifice, as Jesus was, required that He be free of sin. Yet, Christ had to be fully man. The virgin birth solved both of these requirements: Christ was born of a woman so as to be fully man; yet was born as result of the miraculous intervention of God, by means of the Holy Spirit -- the result of which was that Adam's sin nature was not passed to Jesus.
The Old Testament prophesied the virgin birth: "Therefore the Lord Himself will give you a sign: The virgin will be with child and will give birth to a son, and will call Him Immanuel" (Isaiah 7:14). Those who deny the virgin birth often claim this text should be rendered "A young woman will be with child." That interpretation would render the passage meaningless since the birth was to be a sign. A virgin bearing a child is a sign; a young woman bearing a child is not a sign.
The Apostles recognized Isaiah's sign as applying to Jesus -- they affirmed the virgin
birth. "All this took place to fulfill what the Lord had said through the prophet: 'The virgin will be with child and will give birth to a son, and they will call Him Immanuel' -- which means, 'God with us'" (Matthew 1:22-23).
Most cults deny the virgin birth. Some claim that Christ's conception and birth was no
different than that of any other person. At least one claims that Jesus' birth was the result of sexual relations between God and Mary. All deny the clear teaching of Scripture that this was a miraculous intervention by God the Holy Spirit. The virgin birth is an essential of the faith and must not be compromised.
The Old Testament prophesied the virgin birth: "Therefore the Lord Himself will give you a sign: The virgin will be with child and will give birth to a son, and will call Him Immanuel" (Isaiah 7:14). Those who deny the virgin birth often claim this text should be rendered "A young woman will be with child." That interpretation would render the passage meaningless since the birth was to be a sign. A virgin bearing a child is a sign; a young woman bearing a child is not a sign.
The Apostles recognized Isaiah's sign as applying to Jesus -- they affirmed the virgin
birth. "All this took place to fulfill what the Lord had said through the prophet: 'The virgin will be with child and will give birth to a son, and they will call Him Immanuel' -- which means, 'God with us'" (Matthew 1:22-23).
Most cults deny the virgin birth. Some claim that Christ's conception and birth was no
different than that of any other person. At least one claims that Jesus' birth was the result of sexual relations between God and Mary. All deny the clear teaching of Scripture that this was a miraculous intervention by God the Holy Spirit. The virgin birth is an essential of the faith and must not be compromised.
Humanity of Jesus
"Who being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be grasped, but made Himself nothing, taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness" (Philippians 2:6-7). At the Incarnation, Christ took on a second nature -- a human nature. The pre-incarnate Christ had one nature (divine); the incarnate Christ had two natures (one fully divine, and one fully human). In His humanity, Christ experienced the temptations and pains that we face -- hunger, thirst, grief, and ultimately, death. It was the man, Christ, who experienced the temptations of this world, yet was without sin: "For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but we have one who has been tempted in
every way, just as we are -- yet was without sin" (Hebrews 4:15).
While on earth Christ did not cease from being fully God, but rather, Christ submitted to the will and power of the Father. On earth Christ never exercised His deity independent of the Father's will. Thus Christ, the God-man, could say in Matthew 24:36 that "No one knows about that day or hour, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father."
God redeemed us by becoming a man, living a sinless life, and then dying on the cross
in our place. Christ's two natures -- one divine and one human -- are forever inseparable. His bodily resurrection demonstrated this inseparability: "'Put your finger here; see My hands. Reach out your hand and put it into My side. Stop doubting and believe.' Thomas said to him, 'My Lord and my God!' Then Jesus told him, 'Because you have seen Me you have believed; blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed'" (John 20:27-29).
All cults deny the true deity of Christ. Many deny His true humanity. They claim that Jesus was not really tempted since, after all, God cannot be tempted. These cults fail to grasp the clear teaching of Scripture -- that Christ, who was fully man and fully God, shared in our humanity so that He might redeem us. Since the children have flesh and blood, He too shared in their humanity so that by His death He might destroy him who holds the power of death -- that is the devil -- and free those who all their lives were held in slavery by their fear of death. (Hebrews 2:14-15)
every way, just as we are -- yet was without sin" (Hebrews 4:15).
While on earth Christ did not cease from being fully God, but rather, Christ submitted to the will and power of the Father. On earth Christ never exercised His deity independent of the Father's will. Thus Christ, the God-man, could say in Matthew 24:36 that "No one knows about that day or hour, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father."
God redeemed us by becoming a man, living a sinless life, and then dying on the cross
in our place. Christ's two natures -- one divine and one human -- are forever inseparable. His bodily resurrection demonstrated this inseparability: "'Put your finger here; see My hands. Reach out your hand and put it into My side. Stop doubting and believe.' Thomas said to him, 'My Lord and my God!' Then Jesus told him, 'Because you have seen Me you have believed; blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed'" (John 20:27-29).
All cults deny the true deity of Christ. Many deny His true humanity. They claim that Jesus was not really tempted since, after all, God cannot be tempted. These cults fail to grasp the clear teaching of Scripture -- that Christ, who was fully man and fully God, shared in our humanity so that He might redeem us. Since the children have flesh and blood, He too shared in their humanity so that by His death He might destroy him who holds the power of death -- that is the devil -- and free those who all their lives were held in slavery by their fear of death. (Hebrews 2:14-15)
Jesus' Childhood
Luke Matthew
Caesar Augustus issued decree of census
This was 1rst census taken while Quirinius governed Syria
Joseph and Mary left Nazareth in Galilee to go to Bethlehem in Judea
Jesus was born in a manger; no room in inn
Jesus born in Bethlehem when Herod was king
Shepherds showed up that night then left telling all Bethlehem
8 days later Jesus was circumcised and named.
40 days after birth he was presented in Jerusalem
Saw Simeon
Saw Anna
Magi came to Jerusalem from east; Herod and all Jerusalem troubled
Herod determined exact time star appeared (2 yrs prior)
Magi followed star to a house in Bethlehem
They saw a paidion (3813) infant, small child
They left for home by another way
Jesus’ family left for Egypt that night where they remained till Herod’s death
Herod ordered slaughter of all boys 2 yrs and under in Bethlehem and
surrounding regions
Herod died and Archelaus took over
Jesus’ family returned from Egypt but when found out Arch was in power in
Judea they went instead to Nazareth in Galilee
They returned to Nazareth of Galilee
Child continued to grow
Luke, having gathered his information from other sources (Luke 1:1-3), and having no information to offer on the intervening actions, simply skipped to the next segment of Jesus’ life that he was led by the Holy Spirit to discuss. We must remember that each author had a different agenda and audience. Matthew did exactly the same thing (Matthew 4:12). In fact, other than the mention of his teaching in the Temple upon one Jerusalem visit, Jesus’ entire childhood was omitted!
Caesar Augustus issued decree of census
This was 1rst census taken while Quirinius governed Syria
Joseph and Mary left Nazareth in Galilee to go to Bethlehem in Judea
Jesus was born in a manger; no room in inn
Jesus born in Bethlehem when Herod was king
Shepherds showed up that night then left telling all Bethlehem
8 days later Jesus was circumcised and named.
40 days after birth he was presented in Jerusalem
Saw Simeon
Saw Anna
Magi came to Jerusalem from east; Herod and all Jerusalem troubled
Herod determined exact time star appeared (2 yrs prior)
Magi followed star to a house in Bethlehem
They saw a paidion (3813) infant, small child
They left for home by another way
Jesus’ family left for Egypt that night where they remained till Herod’s death
Herod ordered slaughter of all boys 2 yrs and under in Bethlehem and
surrounding regions
Herod died and Archelaus took over
Jesus’ family returned from Egypt but when found out Arch was in power in
Judea they went instead to Nazareth in Galilee
They returned to Nazareth of Galilee
Child continued to grow
Luke, having gathered his information from other sources (Luke 1:1-3), and having no information to offer on the intervening actions, simply skipped to the next segment of Jesus’ life that he was led by the Holy Spirit to discuss. We must remember that each author had a different agenda and audience. Matthew did exactly the same thing (Matthew 4:12). In fact, other than the mention of his teaching in the Temple upon one Jerusalem visit, Jesus’ entire childhood was omitted!
How Can Jesus be God and Not Be Omniscient?
The Father and the Spirit have demonstrated omnipotence (all power).
Father
Holy Spirit
The Son, acting as the spokesperson for the Trinity, and claiming the full titles of Elohim, stated:
However, the Son’s incarnated form, though powerful, held limits.
The Father and the Spirit are omnipresent (ever-present).
Father
Holy Spirit
Some people use Ephesians 1:23 to say that the Son is also omnipresent.
However, the word “fills”[2] is used in the sense “fulfill” or “accomplish all things” rather than as in “to fill as water does a cup”. This verse alone is insufficient grounds to say that Jesus set aside His immanence and returned to an omnipresent condition.
Furthermore, I challenge anyone to examine every single instance of a post-resurrection appearance of the Messiah that did not include Him still possessing a singular, immanent, corporeal, present-in-one-spatial-point-at-a-time body. He appeared in such manner to Mary, the women, the disciples on the way to Emmaus, hundreds at a time, to Paul, to Stephen as he was being stoned, even to the Apostle John as he was charged with the writing of the Revelation. He even ascended in a bodily form rather than simply evaporating before the disciples.
As we will see in a moment the Lord Jesus’ sacrifice entailed much more than the cross. Taking on a corporeal form (which He did long before His incarnation inside Mary) must have been a tremendous loss.
He could only be in one place at a time. This explains why God
For more on the issue of theophanies see that study.
The transcendent and omnipresent Father and Holy Spirit are omniscient.
Father
Holy Spirit
The Son knew many things. Apparently He could even read minds.
Simon Peter, who by this time knew that Jesus was God, assumed that Jesus knew everything.
But just because it’s in the Bible doesn’t necessarily make it so.
Whoa, whoa, whoa! Everybody calm down!
I believe that the original text of the Bible is the divinely inspired, inerrant Word of God. I believe that the sacred Scriptures, are able to instruct us for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus; that all Scripture is inspired by God and is profitable for teaching, for rebuking, for correcting, for training in righteousness, so that the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work.”[3]
However, not every individual statement in the Bible is true. For instance:
Was that sound doctrine or was it written to describe what human philosophy leads us to – vanity and uselessness?
This is a fundamental problem in much of the theology we find in today’s Christianity. This is why we have 38,000 flavors of Christianity available.[4] Someone finds some random statement in the Bible (say – baptism for the dead) and builds an entire religion out of it (like the Mormons did). Even the Scriptures must be used with discernment.
Jesus claimed to be “the door.” Does this mean He is literally composed of wood? Similarly He claimed the wine was His “blood” and certain denominations have jumped to the conclusion that they can literally eat and drink God!
Even Peter complained that some of Paul’s teaching was “hard to understand” and that “the untaught and unstable twist them to their own destruction, as they also do with the rest of the Scriptures.”[5]
I’m not questioning the veracity of the account. I’m questioning the omniscience and honesty of the humans IN the account. So just because Peter thought Jesus was omniscient (which compared to us He practically was) doesn’t make it so. He must take note of Jesus’ own words.
Note: Some manuscripts omit “nor the Son” in Matthew’s account.
Why would Jesus set aside omnipresence and omniscience? Paul explains:
Jesus is the personification of the creative word of God that we saw in Genesis 1:1; Psalm 33:6 and 9. He is the “Word made flesh”.[6]
Having said that, we must consider the severe limitations upon one’s omniscience that a curtailing of one’s omnipresence would have! Only a Person who can be everywhere at once can know everything there is to know. Any limitation upon one’s presence would automatically limit one’s knowledge of some point in the universe! Jesus making that sacrifice gives us some insight into:
Jesus’ incarnation even entailed a sacrifice in regards to His ongoing d’vekut with the other two members of the Trinity! And this long before He ever cried out with a loud voice, "Elí, Elí, lemá sabachtháni?" that is, "My God, My God, why have You forsaken Me?"[7]
What a terrible price! But were God to remain transcendent, immaterial and omnipresent, there is no way that we could ever see Him or have a relationship with Him. Indeed consider the many verses that refer to God the Father and God the Spirit as “invisible” or the passages that state that to see God is to be destroyed, or how the Apostle John repeatedly said that no one has ever seen God the Father.[8]
In order for us to be saved, Jesus made this sacrifice for us. He became immanent and corporeal. I believe He was the first corporeal thing, the “first fruits of creation”.[9]
With His taking on a body, time began. He is literally the “Beginning” and the end.[10] With all this in mind, I must ask “Why is it more incredible to believe Jesus could be God without possessing omniscience than it is to believe that Jesus was God without possessing omnipresence?”
Am I less of a human because I suffer some brain loss? Am I less human because I am crippled? Obviously, the nature of divinity is not limited to simply this or that trait, just as the nature of humanity is not limited to simply this or that trait.
Knowing that Jesus voluntarily set aside His rights to these attributes should not cause us to denigrate Him. Far from it! It should cause us to reel under the sheer weight of that eternal sacrifice and respond with a clear confession of His absolute right to be our King.
[1] Cp Mark 10:27; Luke 18:27
[2] πληρόω plēroō; Strong’s #4137
[3] 2 Timothy 3:15-17
[4] Wikipedia, in an attempt to classify and organize the religions that their service has uncovered, carefully defined both the term “Christian” and the term “denomination”. They determined the number of so-called “Christian denominations” that they have classified so far to be 38,000. The vast majority of these denominations are Protestant in nature and thus did not exist before 1517. So basically in the last 500 years, Christianity has exploded into 38,000 conflicting shards.
[5] 2 Peter 3:16
[6] John 1:14
[7] Matthew 27:46
[8] John 1:18; 1 John 4:12
[9] 1 Corinthians 15:20, 23
[10] Hebrews 7:3; Revelation 21:6; 22:13
Father
- Genesis 18:14 HCSB Is anything impossible for the LORD? At the appointed time I will come back to you, and in about a year she will have a son."
- Jeremiah 32:17 HCSB Ah, Lord GOD! You Yourself made the heavens and earth by Your great power and with Your outstretched arm. Nothing is too difficult for You!
- Matthew 19:26 HCSB But Jesus looked at them and said, "With men this is impossible, but with God all things are possible."[1]
Holy Spirit
- Micah 3:8 HCSB But as for me, I am filled with power by the Spirit of the LORD, with justice and courage, to proclaim to Jacob his rebellion and to Israel his sin.
- Luke 1:35 HCSB The angel replied to her: The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you. Therefore the holy One to be born will be called the Son of God.
- Acts 1:8 HCSB But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you will be My witnesses in Jerusalem, in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth."
- Romans 15:19 HCSB by the power of miraculous signs and wonders, and by the power of God's Spirit. As a result, I have fully proclaimed the good news about the Messiah from Jerusalem all the way around to Illyricum.
The Son, acting as the spokesperson for the Trinity, and claiming the full titles of Elohim, stated:
- Revelation 1:8 HCSB "I am the Alpha and the Omega," says the Lord God, "the One who is, who was, and who is coming, the Almighty."
However, the Son’s incarnated form, though powerful, held limits.
- Mark 6:4-5 HCSB Then Jesus said to them, "A prophet is not without honor except in his hometown, among his relatives, and in his household." (5) So He was not able to do any miracles there, except that He laid His hands on a few sick people and healed them.
- Luke 8:46 HCSB "Somebody did touch Me," said Jesus. "I know that power has gone out from Me."
The Father and the Spirit are omnipresent (ever-present).
Father
- Jeremiah 23:24 HCSB Can a man hide himself in secret places where I cannot see him?"--the LORD's declaration. "Do I not fill the heavens and the earth?"--the LORD's declaration.
Holy Spirit
- Psalms 139:7-10 HCSB Where can I go to escape Your Spirit? Where can I flee from Your presence? 8 If I go up to heaven, You are there; if I make my bed in Sheol, You are there. 9 If I live at the eastern horizon or settle at the western limits, 10 even there Your hand will lead me; Your right hand will hold on to me.
Some people use Ephesians 1:23 to say that the Son is also omnipresent.
- Ephesians 1:22-23 HCSB And He put everything under His feet and appointed Him as head over everything for the church, 23 which is His body, the fullness of the One who fills all things in every way.
However, the word “fills”[2] is used in the sense “fulfill” or “accomplish all things” rather than as in “to fill as water does a cup”. This verse alone is insufficient grounds to say that Jesus set aside His immanence and returned to an omnipresent condition.
Furthermore, I challenge anyone to examine every single instance of a post-resurrection appearance of the Messiah that did not include Him still possessing a singular, immanent, corporeal, present-in-one-spatial-point-at-a-time body. He appeared in such manner to Mary, the women, the disciples on the way to Emmaus, hundreds at a time, to Paul, to Stephen as he was being stoned, even to the Apostle John as he was charged with the writing of the Revelation. He even ascended in a bodily form rather than simply evaporating before the disciples.
As we will see in a moment the Lord Jesus’ sacrifice entailed much more than the cross. Taking on a corporeal form (which He did long before His incarnation inside Mary) must have been a tremendous loss.
He could only be in one place at a time. This explains why God
- had to “come down and see” about the Tower at Babel (Genesis 11:5);
- had to “come down and see” if what He had been told about Sodom were true (Genesis 18:22);
- and why He had to send angels all around the world to bring back reports (Zechariah 1:10-11)
For more on the issue of theophanies see that study.
The transcendent and omnipresent Father and Holy Spirit are omniscient.
Father
- Isaiah 46:9-10 HCSB Remember what happened long ago, for I am God, and there is no other; I am God, and no one is like Me. (10) I declare the end from the beginning, and from long ago what is not yet done, saying: My plan will take place, and I will do all My will.
- Job 21:22 HCSB Can anyone teach God knowledge, since He judges the exalted ones?
- Acts 15:17-18 HCSB so that those who are left of mankind may seek the Lord--even all the Gentiles who are called by My name, says the Lord who does these things, 18 which have been known from long ago.
Holy Spirit
- 1 Corinthians 2:10-11 HCSB Now God has revealed them to us by the Spirit, for the Spirit searches everything, even the deep things of God. 11 For who among men knows the concerns of a man except the spirit of the man that is in him? In the same way, no one knows the concerns of God except the Spirit of God.
The Son knew many things. Apparently He could even read minds.
- John 2:24-25 HCSB Jesus, however, would not entrust Himself to them, since He knew them all 25 and because He did not need anyone to testify about man; for He Himself knew what was in man.
Simon Peter, who by this time knew that Jesus was God, assumed that Jesus knew everything.
- John 21:17 HCSB He asked him the third time, "Simon, son of John, do you love Me?" Peter was grieved that He asked him the third time, "Do you love Me?" He said, "Lord, You know everything! You know that I love You." "Feed My sheep," Jesus said.
But just because it’s in the Bible doesn’t necessarily make it so.
Whoa, whoa, whoa! Everybody calm down!
I believe that the original text of the Bible is the divinely inspired, inerrant Word of God. I believe that the sacred Scriptures, are able to instruct us for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus; that all Scripture is inspired by God and is profitable for teaching, for rebuking, for correcting, for training in righteousness, so that the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work.”[3]
However, not every individual statement in the Bible is true. For instance:
- The serpent’s suggestion that the forbidden fruit would turn mankind into gods – was that true?
- Job’s friends telling him that his troubles were all his fault – was that true?
- Peter rebuking the Christ and telling Him that “this mustn’t be” – was he correct?
- How about the Pharisees describing the Master as illegitimate or demon possessed,
- Or Jesus’ family declaring Him to be insane?
- Or how about Quoheleth’s idea that we should just eat, drink and be merry?
Was that sound doctrine or was it written to describe what human philosophy leads us to – vanity and uselessness?
This is a fundamental problem in much of the theology we find in today’s Christianity. This is why we have 38,000 flavors of Christianity available.[4] Someone finds some random statement in the Bible (say – baptism for the dead) and builds an entire religion out of it (like the Mormons did). Even the Scriptures must be used with discernment.
Jesus claimed to be “the door.” Does this mean He is literally composed of wood? Similarly He claimed the wine was His “blood” and certain denominations have jumped to the conclusion that they can literally eat and drink God!
Even Peter complained that some of Paul’s teaching was “hard to understand” and that “the untaught and unstable twist them to their own destruction, as they also do with the rest of the Scriptures.”[5]
I’m not questioning the veracity of the account. I’m questioning the omniscience and honesty of the humans IN the account. So just because Peter thought Jesus was omniscient (which compared to us He practically was) doesn’t make it so. He must take note of Jesus’ own words.
- Matthew 24:36 HCSB "Now concerning that day and hour no one knows--neither the angels in heaven, nor the Son--except the Father only.
Note: Some manuscripts omit “nor the Son” in Matthew’s account.
- Mark 13:32 HCSB "Now concerning that day or hour no one knows--neither the angels in heaven nor the Son--except the Father.
Why would Jesus set aside omnipresence and omniscience? Paul explains:
- Philippians 2:6-8 HCSB who, existing in the form of God, did not consider equality with God as something to be used for His own advantage. (7) Instead He emptied Himself by assuming the form of a slave, taking on the likeness of men. And when He had come as a man in His external form, (8) He humbled Himself by becoming obedient to the point of death--even to death on a cross.
Jesus is the personification of the creative word of God that we saw in Genesis 1:1; Psalm 33:6 and 9. He is the “Word made flesh”.[6]
- Colossians 1:15-17 HCSB He (Christ) is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation; 16 because by Him everything was created, in heaven and on earth, the visible and the invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities--all things have been created through Him and for Him. 17 He is before all things, and by Him all things hold together.
Having said that, we must consider the severe limitations upon one’s omniscience that a curtailing of one’s omnipresence would have! Only a Person who can be everywhere at once can know everything there is to know. Any limitation upon one’s presence would automatically limit one’s knowledge of some point in the universe! Jesus making that sacrifice gives us some insight into:
- 1 Corinthians 2:10-11 HCSB Now God has revealed them to us by the Spirit, for the Spirit searches everything, even the deep things of God. 11 For who among men knows the concerns of a man except the spirit of the man that is in him? In the same way, no one knows the concerns of God except the Spirit of God.
Jesus’ incarnation even entailed a sacrifice in regards to His ongoing d’vekut with the other two members of the Trinity! And this long before He ever cried out with a loud voice, "Elí, Elí, lemá sabachtháni?" that is, "My God, My God, why have You forsaken Me?"[7]
What a terrible price! But were God to remain transcendent, immaterial and omnipresent, there is no way that we could ever see Him or have a relationship with Him. Indeed consider the many verses that refer to God the Father and God the Spirit as “invisible” or the passages that state that to see God is to be destroyed, or how the Apostle John repeatedly said that no one has ever seen God the Father.[8]
In order for us to be saved, Jesus made this sacrifice for us. He became immanent and corporeal. I believe He was the first corporeal thing, the “first fruits of creation”.[9]
With His taking on a body, time began. He is literally the “Beginning” and the end.[10] With all this in mind, I must ask “Why is it more incredible to believe Jesus could be God without possessing omniscience than it is to believe that Jesus was God without possessing omnipresence?”
Am I less of a human because I suffer some brain loss? Am I less human because I am crippled? Obviously, the nature of divinity is not limited to simply this or that trait, just as the nature of humanity is not limited to simply this or that trait.
Knowing that Jesus voluntarily set aside His rights to these attributes should not cause us to denigrate Him. Far from it! It should cause us to reel under the sheer weight of that eternal sacrifice and respond with a clear confession of His absolute right to be our King.
[1] Cp Mark 10:27; Luke 18:27
[2] πληρόω plēroō; Strong’s #4137
[3] 2 Timothy 3:15-17
[4] Wikipedia, in an attempt to classify and organize the religions that their service has uncovered, carefully defined both the term “Christian” and the term “denomination”. They determined the number of so-called “Christian denominations” that they have classified so far to be 38,000. The vast majority of these denominations are Protestant in nature and thus did not exist before 1517. So basically in the last 500 years, Christianity has exploded into 38,000 conflicting shards.
[5] 2 Peter 3:16
[6] John 1:14
[7] Matthew 27:46
[8] John 1:18; 1 John 4:12
[9] 1 Corinthians 15:20, 23
[10] Hebrews 7:3; Revelation 21:6; 22:13
Incarnation of Jesus
"'You are a king, then!' said Pilate. Jesus answered, 'You are right in saying I am a king. In fact, for this reason I was born, and for this I came into the world, to testify to the truth.
Everyone on the side of truth listens to Me" (John 18:37). The "truth" Jesus was referring to in His dialogue with Pilate, is this; that mankind is separated from God due to sin, and that "God so loved the world that He gave His one and only Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life" (John 3:16). The term incarnation refers to the essential Christian doctrine that God himself became a man. This is what John 3:16 refers to when it uses the phrase, "He gave His one and only Son." The incarnation was absolutely necessary for the atonement.
God is both sovereign and holy -- He has established a moral order that is in harmony
with His holiness. Sin is incompatible with God's nature. The penalty for rejecting God's
sovereignty is separation from God -- separation meaning both spiritual death and physical death. Every human being possesses a sin nature; thus each of us is separated from God because of our sins. But God's love for us is so deep that He has provided a means of redemption so that we may be restored to fellowship with our Creator -- He paid the penalty for our sins Himself. He that was perfect gave His life for those that were imperfect -- through the incarnation God became the necessary, perfect sacrifice that was required under the law: "Then He said, 'Here I am, I have come to do your will.' He sets aside the first to establish the second. And by that will, we have been made holy through the sacrifice of the body of Jesus Christ once for all" (Hebrews 10:9-10).
To thoughtfully consider the incarnation is to be brought into the presence of incarnate
love itself. God did not have to ordain the atonement as the means of man's redemption; but He did. He chose to take on human form; He chose to dwell in the midst of a cursed creation; and He chose to die an agonizing death on a cross. Isaiah 53 is a sobering Old Testament prophetic description of what Christ experienced: "He was despised and rejected by men, a man of sorrows, and familiar with suffering. Like one from whom men hide their faces He was despised and we esteemed Him not. Surely He took up our infirmities and carried our sorrows, yet we considered Him stricken by God, smitten by Him, and afflicted" (Isaiah 53:3-4).
Most cults deny the incarnation. Those that claim to accept this doctrine always redefine the nature of God, so as to make God something less than what Scripture clearly indicates He is. That God became flesh, taught and demonstrated to us how we should live, showed us the way to eternal life, and then died on the cross in our place, are essentials of the Christian faith. They cannot be compromised. "He was in the world, and though the world was made through Him, the world did not recognize Him. He came to that which was His own, but His own did not receive Him. Yet to all who received Him, to those who believed in His name, He gave the right to become children of God" (John 1:10-12).
Everyone on the side of truth listens to Me" (John 18:37). The "truth" Jesus was referring to in His dialogue with Pilate, is this; that mankind is separated from God due to sin, and that "God so loved the world that He gave His one and only Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life" (John 3:16). The term incarnation refers to the essential Christian doctrine that God himself became a man. This is what John 3:16 refers to when it uses the phrase, "He gave His one and only Son." The incarnation was absolutely necessary for the atonement.
God is both sovereign and holy -- He has established a moral order that is in harmony
with His holiness. Sin is incompatible with God's nature. The penalty for rejecting God's
sovereignty is separation from God -- separation meaning both spiritual death and physical death. Every human being possesses a sin nature; thus each of us is separated from God because of our sins. But God's love for us is so deep that He has provided a means of redemption so that we may be restored to fellowship with our Creator -- He paid the penalty for our sins Himself. He that was perfect gave His life for those that were imperfect -- through the incarnation God became the necessary, perfect sacrifice that was required under the law: "Then He said, 'Here I am, I have come to do your will.' He sets aside the first to establish the second. And by that will, we have been made holy through the sacrifice of the body of Jesus Christ once for all" (Hebrews 10:9-10).
To thoughtfully consider the incarnation is to be brought into the presence of incarnate
love itself. God did not have to ordain the atonement as the means of man's redemption; but He did. He chose to take on human form; He chose to dwell in the midst of a cursed creation; and He chose to die an agonizing death on a cross. Isaiah 53 is a sobering Old Testament prophetic description of what Christ experienced: "He was despised and rejected by men, a man of sorrows, and familiar with suffering. Like one from whom men hide their faces He was despised and we esteemed Him not. Surely He took up our infirmities and carried our sorrows, yet we considered Him stricken by God, smitten by Him, and afflicted" (Isaiah 53:3-4).
Most cults deny the incarnation. Those that claim to accept this doctrine always redefine the nature of God, so as to make God something less than what Scripture clearly indicates He is. That God became flesh, taught and demonstrated to us how we should live, showed us the way to eternal life, and then died on the cross in our place, are essentials of the Christian faith. They cannot be compromised. "He was in the world, and though the world was made through Him, the world did not recognize Him. He came to that which was His own, but His own did not receive Him. Yet to all who received Him, to those who believed in His name, He gave the right to become children of God" (John 1:10-12).
When Was Jesus Born?
I believe that Jesus was born on the first day of Sukkot. Allow me to explain.
According to Luke 1, the Messiah was born six months after John the Baptist. If we can determine the date of the Baptist’s birth, then establishing the Lord’s is a simple matter.
As usual with our congregation, the Old Covenant lays the groundwork for the New. King David divided the priests into twenty four divisions.[1] Abijah was the eighth division.[2] Each division served for seven days, beginning and ending on a Sabbath.[3] Zechariah served with the Abijah division of priests.
Rabbis teach that the twenty four divisions served twice a year, one week in the first half, and one week in the second half, for a total of forty-eight weeks. They all served for the three Shalosh Regalim, which brings them up to fifty-one weeks. Remember that the Hebrew calendar was lunar, so fifty-one weeks represents a full lunar year.
Service began in the first month of Nisan. Because all the divisions had to report two weeks after the year began for the Feast of Unleavened Bread, and seven weeks later for the Feast of Weeks, the Abijah division would not have served until the tenth week of the year. That would place them in Jerusalem in mid-Sivan, which would be mid-June for the goyim.
During his division’s period of service, Zechariah was granted the opportunity to burn incense. While performing that ministry, the angel Gabriel showed up and said that Elizabeth would become pregnant with a boy who would be the forerunner of the Messiah. Elizabeth became pregnant upon Zechariah returning home[4] which would place John’s conception immediately after the third week of Sivan.
Thus, John was born the following Passover which is yet another demonstration of God’s habit of using the feasts to teach or predict. At Pesach’ we create a place for the prophet Elijah, do we not? Why do we do this? It is because Elijah is to return as a forerunner of the Messiah.
This passage has eschatological import, but apparently it was also applied to John and Jesus’ first advent as a foreshadow of things to come.
Six months after John’s conception,[5] Gabriel again appeared, this time in Nazareth to a young virgin named Mary, predicting the conception of the Messiah. In the process of explaining how a virgin could conceive, he informed Mary that the elderly Elizabeth was already six months pregnant.[6] This means that Gabriel’s visit occurred in mid to late Kislev (goyish December), which means that the Light of the World was conceived as the Festival of Lights (Hanukkah) began. As John later put it,
Therefore, if John was born at Passover in mid Nisan and Jesus was conceived at Hanukkah, then Jesus was born at Sukkot in the middle of Tishri. So, not only did the Roman census[7] cause huge crowds in Bethlehem, but it was also Sukkot when the Jerusalem area’s population swelled to more than sixteen times its usual number! No wonder there was no room for the young couple![8] One thing that I find particularly beautiful is that Sukkot is a feast designed to remind us that the Angel of the Lord came to us in the form of a cloud by day and a pillar of fire by night, caused us to live in tents, and led us through the wilderness to the Promised Land. Jesus’ birth at Sukkot means that once again, God came to dwell among His people.
This is why we still consider ourselves foreigners and temporary residents on the earth, still seeking our homeland that has a capital city whose architect and builder is God.[9]
A supporting point for the idea that Jesus was born on the first day of Sukkot is the fact that there were shepherds watching flocks at night.[10] If the flocks were still outdoors, that would make the season autumn because during the winter they were kept indoors.[11] Luke’s audience, not only acutely aware of the Tanakh but also the Jewish Temple worship of the day, would have immediately understood that when you said Bethlehem, you said "sacrificial lambs". The hills around Bethlehem were home to the thousands of lambs used in ritual worship in the Temple. So the shepherds were likely watching Temple flocks that were destined for sacrifice in nearby Migdal Eder.
Migdal means “fortified tower” or “strong tower”. Eder means “flock”. So Migdal Eder was an ancient tower[12] built as a protection of flocks against robbers. I find it deliciously ironic that later the Messiah would describe himself in the following words.
Truly,
[1] 1 Chronicles 24
[2] 1 Chronicles 24:10
[3] 2 Chronicles 23:4-8
[4] Luke 1:23-24
[5] Luke 1:26
[6] Luke 1:36
[7] Luke 2:1-2
[8] Luke 2:7
[9] Hebrews 11:9-10, 13-14
[10] Luke 2:8
[11] Mishna, Shekelim
[12] Genesis 35:21
According to Luke 1, the Messiah was born six months after John the Baptist. If we can determine the date of the Baptist’s birth, then establishing the Lord’s is a simple matter.
As usual with our congregation, the Old Covenant lays the groundwork for the New. King David divided the priests into twenty four divisions.[1] Abijah was the eighth division.[2] Each division served for seven days, beginning and ending on a Sabbath.[3] Zechariah served with the Abijah division of priests.
Rabbis teach that the twenty four divisions served twice a year, one week in the first half, and one week in the second half, for a total of forty-eight weeks. They all served for the three Shalosh Regalim, which brings them up to fifty-one weeks. Remember that the Hebrew calendar was lunar, so fifty-one weeks represents a full lunar year.
Service began in the first month of Nisan. Because all the divisions had to report two weeks after the year began for the Feast of Unleavened Bread, and seven weeks later for the Feast of Weeks, the Abijah division would not have served until the tenth week of the year. That would place them in Jerusalem in mid-Sivan, which would be mid-June for the goyim.
- Luke 1:5 HCSB In the days of King Herod of Judea, there was a priest of Abijah's division named Zechariah. His wife was from the daughters of Aaron, and her name was Elizabeth.
- Luke 1:8-9 HCSB When his division was on duty and he was serving as priest before God, (9) it happened that he was chosen by lot, according to the custom of the priesthood, to enter the sanctuary of the Lord and burn incense.
During his division’s period of service, Zechariah was granted the opportunity to burn incense. While performing that ministry, the angel Gabriel showed up and said that Elizabeth would become pregnant with a boy who would be the forerunner of the Messiah. Elizabeth became pregnant upon Zechariah returning home[4] which would place John’s conception immediately after the third week of Sivan.
Thus, John was born the following Passover which is yet another demonstration of God’s habit of using the feasts to teach or predict. At Pesach’ we create a place for the prophet Elijah, do we not? Why do we do this? It is because Elijah is to return as a forerunner of the Messiah.
- Malachi 4:5 HCSB Look, I am going to send you Elijah the prophet before the great and awesome Day of the LORD comes.
This passage has eschatological import, but apparently it was also applied to John and Jesus’ first advent as a foreshadow of things to come.
- Luke 1:17 HCSB And he will go before Him in the spirit and power of Elijah, to turn the hearts of fathers to their children, and the disobedient to the understanding of the righteous, to make ready for the Lord a prepared people.
- Matthew 11:13-14 HCSB For all the prophets and the law prophesied until John; (14) if you're willing to accept it, he is the Elijah who is to come.
Six months after John’s conception,[5] Gabriel again appeared, this time in Nazareth to a young virgin named Mary, predicting the conception of the Messiah. In the process of explaining how a virgin could conceive, he informed Mary that the elderly Elizabeth was already six months pregnant.[6] This means that Gabriel’s visit occurred in mid to late Kislev (goyish December), which means that the Light of the World was conceived as the Festival of Lights (Hanukkah) began. As John later put it,
- John 1:9 HCSB The true light, who gives light to everyone, was coming into the world.
Therefore, if John was born at Passover in mid Nisan and Jesus was conceived at Hanukkah, then Jesus was born at Sukkot in the middle of Tishri. So, not only did the Roman census[7] cause huge crowds in Bethlehem, but it was also Sukkot when the Jerusalem area’s population swelled to more than sixteen times its usual number! No wonder there was no room for the young couple![8] One thing that I find particularly beautiful is that Sukkot is a feast designed to remind us that the Angel of the Lord came to us in the form of a cloud by day and a pillar of fire by night, caused us to live in tents, and led us through the wilderness to the Promised Land. Jesus’ birth at Sukkot means that once again, God came to dwell among His people.
- John 1:14 HCSB The Word became flesh and took up residence among us. We observed His glory, the glory as the One and Only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth.
This is why we still consider ourselves foreigners and temporary residents on the earth, still seeking our homeland that has a capital city whose architect and builder is God.[9]
A supporting point for the idea that Jesus was born on the first day of Sukkot is the fact that there were shepherds watching flocks at night.[10] If the flocks were still outdoors, that would make the season autumn because during the winter they were kept indoors.[11] Luke’s audience, not only acutely aware of the Tanakh but also the Jewish Temple worship of the day, would have immediately understood that when you said Bethlehem, you said "sacrificial lambs". The hills around Bethlehem were home to the thousands of lambs used in ritual worship in the Temple. So the shepherds were likely watching Temple flocks that were destined for sacrifice in nearby Migdal Eder.
- Micah 4:8 HCSB And you, watchtower for the flock (Migdal Eder), fortified hill of Daughter Zion, the former rule will come to you, sovereignty will come to Daughter Jerusalem.
Migdal means “fortified tower” or “strong tower”. Eder means “flock”. So Migdal Eder was an ancient tower[12] built as a protection of flocks against robbers. I find it deliciously ironic that later the Messiah would describe himself in the following words.
- John 10:7-10 HCSB So Jesus said again, "I assure you: I am the door of the sheep. (8) All who came before Me are thieves and robbers, but the sheep didn't listen to them. (9) I am the door. If anyone enters by Me, he will be saved and will come in and go out and find pasture. (10) A thief comes only to steal and to kill and to destroy. I have come that they may have life and have it in abundance.
Truly,
- Proverbs 18:10 HCSB The name of the LORD is a strong tower; the righteous run to it and are protected.
[1] 1 Chronicles 24
[2] 1 Chronicles 24:10
[3] 2 Chronicles 23:4-8
[4] Luke 1:23-24
[5] Luke 1:26
[6] Luke 1:36
[7] Luke 2:1-2
[8] Luke 2:7
[9] Hebrews 11:9-10, 13-14
[10] Luke 2:8
[11] Mishna, Shekelim
[12] Genesis 35:21
Atonement
For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and are justified freely by His grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus. God presented Him as a sacrifice of
atonement, through faith in His blood. There would be no Christianity without the Cross. The central theme of Christianity is that God redeemed sinful man. God accomplished this by taking on the nature of a servant (the incarnation), living a sinless life, and then dying on the cross to pay the penalty for our sins. Paul affirmed this ultimate display of God's love when he wrote, "I resolved to know nothing while I was with you except Jesus Christ and Him crucified" (1 Corinthians 2:2).
The atonement is prophesied in the Old Testament: "But He was pierced for our
transgressions, He was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was upon Him, and by His wounds we are healed" (Isaiah 53:5). Not only was the atonement prophesied, but so also was the method of execution. Psalms 22 is a graphic prophecy of Christ's crucifixion. God instituted Israel's sacrificial system to prepare the people for Christ's atonement. The animal sacrifices had to be repeated on an ongoing basis -- they pointed ahead to the perfect and final sacrifice that would come: "The law is only a shadow of the good things that are coming -- not the realities themselves. For this reason it can never, by the same sacrifices repeated endlessly year after year, make perfect those who draw near to worship. If it could, would they not have stopped being offered?" (Hebrews 10:1-2).
Christ's atonement was final and complete: "When He had received the drink, Jesus
said, 'It is finished.' With that, He bowed His head and gave up His spirit" (John 19:30). The word translated "finished" is the Greek word tetelestai -- a word that means paid in full. On the cross Christ paid the full penalty for our sins. Every cult denies salvation through the blood of Christ alone. All add works as a necessary requirement, thus making salvation a product of man's efforts, and not of God's grace. Salvation by grace alone, through faith in the finished work of Jesus Christ on the cross, is an essential of the Christian faith. It cannot be compromised.
Then He said, "Here I am, I have come to do your will." He sets aside the first to
establish the second. And by that will, we have been made holy through the sacrifice of the body of Jesus Christ once for all. (Hebrews 10:9-10)
atonement, through faith in His blood. There would be no Christianity without the Cross. The central theme of Christianity is that God redeemed sinful man. God accomplished this by taking on the nature of a servant (the incarnation), living a sinless life, and then dying on the cross to pay the penalty for our sins. Paul affirmed this ultimate display of God's love when he wrote, "I resolved to know nothing while I was with you except Jesus Christ and Him crucified" (1 Corinthians 2:2).
The atonement is prophesied in the Old Testament: "But He was pierced for our
transgressions, He was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was upon Him, and by His wounds we are healed" (Isaiah 53:5). Not only was the atonement prophesied, but so also was the method of execution. Psalms 22 is a graphic prophecy of Christ's crucifixion. God instituted Israel's sacrificial system to prepare the people for Christ's atonement. The animal sacrifices had to be repeated on an ongoing basis -- they pointed ahead to the perfect and final sacrifice that would come: "The law is only a shadow of the good things that are coming -- not the realities themselves. For this reason it can never, by the same sacrifices repeated endlessly year after year, make perfect those who draw near to worship. If it could, would they not have stopped being offered?" (Hebrews 10:1-2).
Christ's atonement was final and complete: "When He had received the drink, Jesus
said, 'It is finished.' With that, He bowed His head and gave up His spirit" (John 19:30). The word translated "finished" is the Greek word tetelestai -- a word that means paid in full. On the cross Christ paid the full penalty for our sins. Every cult denies salvation through the blood of Christ alone. All add works as a necessary requirement, thus making salvation a product of man's efforts, and not of God's grace. Salvation by grace alone, through faith in the finished work of Jesus Christ on the cross, is an essential of the Christian faith. It cannot be compromised.
Then He said, "Here I am, I have come to do your will." He sets aside the first to
establish the second. And by that will, we have been made holy through the sacrifice of the body of Jesus Christ once for all. (Hebrews 10:9-10)
I believe that Jesus died of asphyxiation. Do you agree?
I would like to express my appreciation for your willingness to approach the subject of the death of the Christ and its importance within the context of world history. Today’s culture has come close to making such topics deplorably taboo. This is unfortunate since Christianity has obviously had a tremendous impact on the world scene.
I’m interested in your comment that Jesus did not likely die of blood loss, but rather probably died of asphyxiation. Setting the doctrinal issues aside, that is a remarkably sweeping statement considering the scourging Jesus underwent (by a cat of nine tails) before He even went to the cross! The blood loss and shock of that event alone should have killed Him. In fact, if you will review the events leading up to the Master’s death, you will find a sorry list of human atrocities. Jesus was:
Please consider the blood and water that exited Jesus’ side when it was pierced by the Roman soldier’s spear.[1] The water was likely serous pleural and pericardial fluid. Perhaps in the setting of hypovolemia and impending acute heart failure, pleural and pericardial effusions may have developed and would have added to the volume of apparent water. The blood, in contrast, may have originated from the right atrium or the right ventricle or perhaps from a hemoperieardium.
The fact that Jesus cried out in a loud voice and then bowed his head and died suggests the possibility of a catastrophic terminal event. It also makes it highly unlikely that He died of asphyxiation. In the setting of the scourging and crucifixions with associated hypovolemia, hyperemia, and perhaps an altered coagulable state, friable non-infective thrombotic vegetations could have formed on the aortic or mitral valve. These then could have dislodged and embolized into the coronary circulation and thereby produced an acute transmural myocardial infarction. This has been reported to develop under similar acute traumatic conditions.
Jesus' death after only three to six hours on the cross surprised even Pontius Pilate who demanded confirmation.[2] His death was sudden and catastrophic. This does not seem to describe death by slow asphyxiation.
[1] John 19:35
[2] Mark 15:44
I’m interested in your comment that Jesus did not likely die of blood loss, but rather probably died of asphyxiation. Setting the doctrinal issues aside, that is a remarkably sweeping statement considering the scourging Jesus underwent (by a cat of nine tails) before He even went to the cross! The blood loss and shock of that event alone should have killed Him. In fact, if you will review the events leading up to the Master’s death, you will find a sorry list of human atrocities. Jesus was:
- beaten by members of the Sanhedrin, the Jewish High Council.
- flogged ("scourged") with a Roman flagrum, similar to a "cat-o-nine tails". It had three "tails", each with a little metal dumbbell-shaped attachment that digs into the flesh. It was considered so cruel that it was illegal to flog a Roman citizen.
- beaten with wooden reeds (like "caning").
- slapped and punched by a group of Roman soldiers.
- crowned by having a cap or thorns pressed onto His head. Middle Eastern crowns of the period were not little circles like a British or French crown. They were like the mitre worn by Roman Catholic bishops.
- tied to the crossbeam that was attached to the vertical post. Crossbeams typically weighed about 40 pounds (20 kg). Jesus had to carry that beam up a hill to the crucifixion site. Jesus was a carpenter when there were no power tools. He had previously demonstrated tremendous strength when overturning heavy desk/safes in the temple. However, on the day of His crucifixion He was already so weakened by blood loss that He fell several times and the soldiers had to force a bypasser, Simon of Cyrene, to carry the beam.
- Untied upon His arrival at Golgotha and was then nailed to the cross. The nails were put through His wrists not His palms, as commonly depicted by artists. The number of veins and arteries running through the wrist are tremendous. One foot was put on top of the other and a nail was driven through both of them.
- left on the Cross for hours before He finally died. Soldiers came to break the legs of the victims, to bring on death but found it unnecessary to administer this last cruelty to Christ as He was already dead.
- stabbed in the side with a Roman lancia.
Please consider the blood and water that exited Jesus’ side when it was pierced by the Roman soldier’s spear.[1] The water was likely serous pleural and pericardial fluid. Perhaps in the setting of hypovolemia and impending acute heart failure, pleural and pericardial effusions may have developed and would have added to the volume of apparent water. The blood, in contrast, may have originated from the right atrium or the right ventricle or perhaps from a hemoperieardium.
The fact that Jesus cried out in a loud voice and then bowed his head and died suggests the possibility of a catastrophic terminal event. It also makes it highly unlikely that He died of asphyxiation. In the setting of the scourging and crucifixions with associated hypovolemia, hyperemia, and perhaps an altered coagulable state, friable non-infective thrombotic vegetations could have formed on the aortic or mitral valve. These then could have dislodged and embolized into the coronary circulation and thereby produced an acute transmural myocardial infarction. This has been reported to develop under similar acute traumatic conditions.
Jesus' death after only three to six hours on the cross surprised even Pontius Pilate who demanded confirmation.[2] His death was sudden and catastrophic. This does not seem to describe death by slow asphyxiation.
[1] John 19:35
[2] Mark 15:44
Did Jesus Really Descend to Hell?
This is what Sheol looked like before Christ’s death and resurrection:
Sheol / the Abode of the Dead / the Grave / Hades
Hades is the Greek version of the Hebrew word “sheol.” It basically means the abode of the dead. Sometimes “sheol” has been translated as “the grave.” That “sheol” and “hades” are synonymous is clear since the terms are used interchangeably. David said in the book of Psalms:
Peter quoted this passage as following:
Sheol / hades was understood by Talmudic scholars as being split into two compartments. One, called “paradise” or “Abraham’s Bosom” was the place of reward for the pious dead. The other, which later became known specifically as “hades” was the place of punishment for the unrighteous dead. So we have a place called Hades in Greek, Sheol in Hebrew that is split into two compartments, one which is called Abraham’s Bosom or Paradise and the other later taking on the name of the who area – hades. This whole concept is clearly depicted in Luke 16:19-26.
Paradise / Abraham’s Bosom
In Luke 23:43 Jesus told the thief on the cross that he would be with Christ in Paradise that day. Paradise was one of two areas contained in sheol / hades.
Paradise was also commonly called “Abraham’s Bosom.” Paradise is used only in Luke 23, in 2 Corinthians 12:4 and in Revelation 2:7. It refers to the place of bliss and rest between death and resurrection.
In Ephesians 4:8 we are told that when Jesus ascended on high, He “led captive a host of captives.” This is a quote and adaptation of Psalm 68:18. In 1 Peter 3:19 we see that Christ is said to have proclaimed the truth of His atonement to the dead, the “spirits now in prison.” If we compare that to Matthew 27:52 where the tombs were opened, and many bodies of the saints who had died were raised we begin to get the following picture: Christ, upon His death, went to the compartment of sheol / hades known as paradise or Abraham’s Bosom. Those people that had been waiting there, the righteous dead, were then delivered – some to be immediately resurrected and others to ascend to heaven.
Gehenna / Hades
“Hades” is the temporary abode of the unrighteous dead where there does not appear to be total darkness as the man in Luke 16 could see.
The Abyss / The Great Gulf / Tartaroo
I’m really going out on a limb here but right now I am considering the possibility that the Great Gulf described by Abraham in the Parable of the rich man and Lazarus is what is described elsewhere as the “Abyss” or “Tartaroo”.
The Greek word “tartaroo’ is also translated “hell” in English but is found only once in the Greek New Testament, that being in 2 Peter 2:4. Here the wicked angels that fell with Satan are chained in darkness until they are cast, at a later time, into the everlasting fire of “geena.”
Concerning these same angels Jude 6 states:
Because of this, we understand that gehenna / sheol / hades (the temporary abode of the lost) does possess light. However, Hell (the permanent abode of the lost, Death, Lucifer and his angels) is a place of complete and utter darkness. Some may question the concept of a place that is simultaneously flaming and in complete darkness, but it is an interesting fact that the hotter the flame the darker the color (to the naked, human eye). Hell must be so hot that it does not even appear in the visible spectrum.
By the way, if you look at Matthew 25:41, you will see that the “eternal fire” was originally created for the devil and his angels. Hell was never meant for us. It was probably created when Lucifer and his peers lifted themselves up in pride and were cast out of heaven. If a human ends up in Hell, it is because he or she has resisted God’s best efforts to keep him or her out. God loved us so much that He was willing to die rather than be separated from us. If we end up in Hell it is literally over God’s dead body.
After Christ (now)
Now the compartment of sheol / hades known as paradise / Abraham’s Bosom no longer exists. Now, when the righteous die, they proceed directly to the presence of the Lord. 2 Corinthians 5:6 tells us that to be absent from the body is to be present with the Lord. Since we believe that the Lord literally, bodily resurrected and ascended we must assume that He is in heaven. This is confirmed by Acts 7:56 where Stephen saw the heavens opened and Christ standing at the right hand of God.
Some take Isaiah’s description in 5:14 as meaning that gehenna / hades would continue to expand with the death of more and more lost.
In the future
In the future, all the unrighteous dead will be resurrected to face the judgment at the Great White Throne of Judgment (Revelation 20:11-15). They will proceed from there to Hell, also known as the Lake of Fire. The Greek word “geenna” translated “hell” in English, is the permanent abode of the Lost. So those not found in the Book of Life will be cast into “outer darkness” as described in Matthew 8:12 and 22:13.
The righteous dead will also face a judgment at the Bema Seat. Their will have been reunited with new “glorified” bodies and they will live from this point on in God’s new heaven and earth. It is from this point on that “all tears will be wiped away and there will be no sorrow and no death.”
Sheol / the Abode of the Dead / the Grave / Hades
Hades is the Greek version of the Hebrew word “sheol.” It basically means the abode of the dead. Sometimes “sheol” has been translated as “the grave.” That “sheol” and “hades” are synonymous is clear since the terms are used interchangeably. David said in the book of Psalms:
- Psalm 16:10 For You will not abandon my soul to Sheol; Nor will You allow Your Holy One to undergo decay.
Peter quoted this passage as following:
- Acts 2:29-31 "Brethren, I may confidently say to you regarding the patriarch David that he both died and was buried, and his tomb is with us to this day. 30 And so, because he was a prophet and knew that GOD HAD SWORN TO HIM WITH AN OATH TO SEAT {one} OF HIS DESCENDANTS ON HIS THRONE, 31 he looked ahead and spoke of the resurrection of the Christ, that HE WAS NEITHER ABANDONED TO HADES, NOR DID His flesh SUFFER DECAY.
Sheol / hades was understood by Talmudic scholars as being split into two compartments. One, called “paradise” or “Abraham’s Bosom” was the place of reward for the pious dead. The other, which later became known specifically as “hades” was the place of punishment for the unrighteous dead. So we have a place called Hades in Greek, Sheol in Hebrew that is split into two compartments, one which is called Abraham’s Bosom or Paradise and the other later taking on the name of the who area – hades. This whole concept is clearly depicted in Luke 16:19-26.
Paradise / Abraham’s Bosom
In Luke 23:43 Jesus told the thief on the cross that he would be with Christ in Paradise that day. Paradise was one of two areas contained in sheol / hades.
Paradise was also commonly called “Abraham’s Bosom.” Paradise is used only in Luke 23, in 2 Corinthians 12:4 and in Revelation 2:7. It refers to the place of bliss and rest between death and resurrection.
In Ephesians 4:8 we are told that when Jesus ascended on high, He “led captive a host of captives.” This is a quote and adaptation of Psalm 68:18. In 1 Peter 3:19 we see that Christ is said to have proclaimed the truth of His atonement to the dead, the “spirits now in prison.” If we compare that to Matthew 27:52 where the tombs were opened, and many bodies of the saints who had died were raised we begin to get the following picture: Christ, upon His death, went to the compartment of sheol / hades known as paradise or Abraham’s Bosom. Those people that had been waiting there, the righteous dead, were then delivered – some to be immediately resurrected and others to ascend to heaven.
Gehenna / Hades
“Hades” is the temporary abode of the unrighteous dead where there does not appear to be total darkness as the man in Luke 16 could see.
- Luke 16:23 "In Hades he lifted up his eyes, being in torment, and *saw Abraham far away and Lazarus in his bosom.
The Abyss / The Great Gulf / Tartaroo
I’m really going out on a limb here but right now I am considering the possibility that the Great Gulf described by Abraham in the Parable of the rich man and Lazarus is what is described elsewhere as the “Abyss” or “Tartaroo”.
The Greek word “tartaroo’ is also translated “hell” in English but is found only once in the Greek New Testament, that being in 2 Peter 2:4. Here the wicked angels that fell with Satan are chained in darkness until they are cast, at a later time, into the everlasting fire of “geena.”
Concerning these same angels Jude 6 states:
- Jude 6 And angels who did not keep their own domain, but abandoned their proper abode, He has kept in eternal bonds under darkness for the judgment of the great day,
Because of this, we understand that gehenna / sheol / hades (the temporary abode of the lost) does possess light. However, Hell (the permanent abode of the lost, Death, Lucifer and his angels) is a place of complete and utter darkness. Some may question the concept of a place that is simultaneously flaming and in complete darkness, but it is an interesting fact that the hotter the flame the darker the color (to the naked, human eye). Hell must be so hot that it does not even appear in the visible spectrum.
By the way, if you look at Matthew 25:41, you will see that the “eternal fire” was originally created for the devil and his angels. Hell was never meant for us. It was probably created when Lucifer and his peers lifted themselves up in pride and were cast out of heaven. If a human ends up in Hell, it is because he or she has resisted God’s best efforts to keep him or her out. God loved us so much that He was willing to die rather than be separated from us. If we end up in Hell it is literally over God’s dead body.
After Christ (now)
Now the compartment of sheol / hades known as paradise / Abraham’s Bosom no longer exists. Now, when the righteous die, they proceed directly to the presence of the Lord. 2 Corinthians 5:6 tells us that to be absent from the body is to be present with the Lord. Since we believe that the Lord literally, bodily resurrected and ascended we must assume that He is in heaven. This is confirmed by Acts 7:56 where Stephen saw the heavens opened and Christ standing at the right hand of God.
Some take Isaiah’s description in 5:14 as meaning that gehenna / hades would continue to expand with the death of more and more lost.
- Isaiah 5:14 Therefore Sheol has enlarged its throat and opened its mouth without measure; And Jerusalem's splendor, her multitude, her din {of revelry} and the jubilant within her, descend {into it.}
In the future
In the future, all the unrighteous dead will be resurrected to face the judgment at the Great White Throne of Judgment (Revelation 20:11-15). They will proceed from there to Hell, also known as the Lake of Fire. The Greek word “geenna” translated “hell” in English, is the permanent abode of the Lost. So those not found in the Book of Life will be cast into “outer darkness” as described in Matthew 8:12 and 22:13.
- Matthew 22:13 "Then the king said to the servants, 'Bind him hand and foot, and throw him into the outer darkness; in that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.'
- Matthew 25:41 "Then He will also say to those on His left, 'Depart from Me, accursed ones, into the eternal fire which has been prepared for the devil and his angels;
- Mark 9:43-48 "If your hand causes you to stumble, cut it off; it is better for you to enter life crippled, than, having your two hands, to go into hell, into the unquenchable fire, 44 [where THEIR WORM DOES NOT DIE, AND THE FIRE IS NOT QUENCHED.] 45 "If your foot causes you to stumble, cut it off; it is better for you to enter life lame, than, having your two feet, to be cast into hell, 46 [where THEIR WORM DOES NOT DIE, AND THE FIRE IS NOT QUENCHED.] 47 "If your eye causes you to stumble, throw it out; it is better for you to enter the kingdom of God with one eye, than, having two eyes, to be cast into hell, 48 where THEIR WORM DOES NOT DIE, AND THE FIRE IS NOT QUENCHED.
The righteous dead will also face a judgment at the Bema Seat. Their will have been reunited with new “glorified” bodies and they will live from this point on in God’s new heaven and earth. It is from this point on that “all tears will be wiped away and there will be no sorrow and no death.”
- Revelation 21:1-4 Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth; for the first heaven and the first earth passed away, and there is no longer {any} sea. 2 And I saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, made ready as a bride adorned for her husband. 3 And I heard a loud voice from the throne, saying, "Behold, the tabernacle of God is among men, and He will dwell among them, and they shall be His people, and God Himself will be among them, 4 and He will wipe away every tear from their eyes; and there will no longer be {any} death; there will no longer be {any} mourning, or crying, or pain; the first things have passed away."
For a very useful chart go here.
Resurrection of Jesus
"And if Christ has not been raised, our preaching is useless and so is your faith. More than that, we are then found to be false witnesses about God, for we have testified about God that He raised Christ from the dead" (1 Corinthians 15:14-15). The validity of the Christian faith stands or falls on the bodily resurrection of Jesus Christ. It is an event that was prophesied in the Old Testament, taught in the New Testament, and proclaimed by the true Church since its inception.
The Old Testament prophesied Christ's bodily resurrection: "Because you will not
abandon me to the grave, nor will you let your Holy One see decay" (Psalms 16:10). Jesus said that he would resurrect His body by His own power. If He did not do so, then He was a liar: "Jesus answered them, 'Destroy this temple, and I will raise it again in three days.' The Jews replied, 'It has taken forty-six years to build this temple, and You are going to raise it in three days?' But the temple he had spoken of was His body" (John 2:19, 21).
Christ's disciples, and others, gave eyewitness testimonies that confirmed Christ's
resurrection: "That He was buried, that He was raised on the third day according to the
Scriptures, and that He appeared to Peter, and then to the Twelve. After that, He appeared to more than five hundred of the brothers at the same time, most of whom are still living ... Then He appeared to James, then to all the apostles, and last of all He appeared to me also" (1 Corinthians 15:4-8).
Following the crucifixion, the Apostles still did not fully understand that Christ's body
would rise from the dead; in fact, the disciples went into hiding for fear of their own lives. Three days later, upon hearing the women's report of the resurrection, the disciples thought "their words seemed to them like nonsense" (Luke 24:10). Shortly thereafter these same Apostles became fanatics for the cause of the risen Christ. Most would eventually be stoned, crucified, or beheaded for proclaiming the resurrection message to the world. Only one thing can logically account for that miraculous transformation -- they saw the risen Christ, just as they proclaimed.
Some cults teach that only Christ's spirit, not his body, was raised, or that the
resurrection did not take place at all. Such teaching clearly contradicts Scripture and history.
The bodily resurrection of Jesus Christ was not only prophesied in the Scriptures, it is verified in the historical record. It is an essential of the faith that cannot be compromised. "Then He said to Thomas, 'Put your finger here; see My hands. Reach out your hand and put it into My side. Stop doubting and believe.' Thomas said to Him, 'My Lord and my God!' Then Jesus told him, 'Because you have seen Me, you have believed; blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed'" (John 20:27-29).
The Old Testament prophesied Christ's bodily resurrection: "Because you will not
abandon me to the grave, nor will you let your Holy One see decay" (Psalms 16:10). Jesus said that he would resurrect His body by His own power. If He did not do so, then He was a liar: "Jesus answered them, 'Destroy this temple, and I will raise it again in three days.' The Jews replied, 'It has taken forty-six years to build this temple, and You are going to raise it in three days?' But the temple he had spoken of was His body" (John 2:19, 21).
Christ's disciples, and others, gave eyewitness testimonies that confirmed Christ's
resurrection: "That He was buried, that He was raised on the third day according to the
Scriptures, and that He appeared to Peter, and then to the Twelve. After that, He appeared to more than five hundred of the brothers at the same time, most of whom are still living ... Then He appeared to James, then to all the apostles, and last of all He appeared to me also" (1 Corinthians 15:4-8).
Following the crucifixion, the Apostles still did not fully understand that Christ's body
would rise from the dead; in fact, the disciples went into hiding for fear of their own lives. Three days later, upon hearing the women's report of the resurrection, the disciples thought "their words seemed to them like nonsense" (Luke 24:10). Shortly thereafter these same Apostles became fanatics for the cause of the risen Christ. Most would eventually be stoned, crucified, or beheaded for proclaiming the resurrection message to the world. Only one thing can logically account for that miraculous transformation -- they saw the risen Christ, just as they proclaimed.
Some cults teach that only Christ's spirit, not his body, was raised, or that the
resurrection did not take place at all. Such teaching clearly contradicts Scripture and history.
The bodily resurrection of Jesus Christ was not only prophesied in the Scriptures, it is verified in the historical record. It is an essential of the faith that cannot be compromised. "Then He said to Thomas, 'Put your finger here; see My hands. Reach out your hand and put it into My side. Stop doubting and believe.' Thomas said to Him, 'My Lord and my God!' Then Jesus told him, 'Because you have seen Me, you have believed; blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed'" (John 20:27-29).
What Does Jesus Look Like Now?
I believe that Jesus has always existed. He is not a created being. However, He did set aside His rights and take on an immanent aspect. This was done long before He came as Jesus of Nazareth. For further explanation, consider looking up my study on Theophanies.
When Jesus was not appearing on earth, walking in the Garden of Eden, checking out the Tower of Babel, making promises to Abraham or wrestling with Jacob, He would return to His glorified but still immanent state in heaven.
Ezekiel gives us a description of Jesus in His throne room.
For obvious reasons, Ezekiel refers to Jesus as “the glory of the God of Israel.” He also gives us an idea of what Jesus’ natural voice sounds like.
Daniel was also given a vision of the Glory of God. His vision was of the remote future; of the Great White Throne of Judgment.
As Ezekiel was driven to fall on his face in the presence of such magnificence, so too Daniel was unnerved.
Isaiah also described Jesus’ glory. His vision of the New Jerusalem during the Millennial reign includes the statement that Jesus’ glowing presence will serve as a primary source of light for the faithful who get to live there.
One of the critical issues that I look for in answering she’eilot is consistency throughout the Scripture. If more than one author answers in the same way, then I am certain that I have the right view of the matter. All the way at the very end of the Bible is another description of the Lord Jesus. John had this vision while in the Spirit on the Island of Patmos on the Lord’s Day.
Note the consistency in the description: the fiery presence, feet like bronze, light colored upper body and the roaring voice. John gives us a powerful description of Jesus’ appearance at the time of the Second Coming when He comes as the leader of the heavenly hosts.[1]
[1] Joshua 5:13-15; Zechariah 1:8-11; Matthew 26:53
When Jesus was not appearing on earth, walking in the Garden of Eden, checking out the Tower of Babel, making promises to Abraham or wrestling with Jacob, He would return to His glorified but still immanent state in heaven.
Ezekiel gives us a description of Jesus in His throne room.
- Ezekiel 1:1 HCSB In the thirtieth year, in the fourth month, on the fifth day of the month, while I was among the exiles by the Chebar Canal, the heavens opened and I saw visions of God.
- Ezekiel 1:26-28 HCSB The shape of a throne with the appearance of sapphire stone was above the expanse. There was a form with the appearance of a human on the throne high above. (27) From what seemed to be His waist up, I saw a gleam like amber, with what looked like fire enclosing it all around. From what seemed to be His waist down, I also saw what looked like fire. There was a brilliant light all around Him. (28) The appearance of the brilliant light all around was like that of a rainbow in a cloud on a rainy day. This was the appearance of the form of the LORD's glory. When I saw it, I fell facedown and heard a voice speaking.
For obvious reasons, Ezekiel refers to Jesus as “the glory of the God of Israel.” He also gives us an idea of what Jesus’ natural voice sounds like.
- Ezekiel 43:1-3 HCSB He led me to the gate, the one that faces east, (2) and I saw the glory of the God of Israel coming from the east. His voice sounded like the roar of mighty waters, and the earth shone with His glory. (3) The vision I saw was like the one I had seen when He came to destroy the city, and like the ones I had seen by the Chebar Canal. I fell facedown.
Daniel was also given a vision of the Glory of God. His vision was of the remote future; of the Great White Throne of Judgment.
- Daniel 7:9-10 HCSB "As I kept watching, thrones were set in place, and the Ancient of Days took His seat. His clothing was white like snow, and the hair of His head like whitest wool. His throne was flaming fire; its wheels were blazing fire. (10) A river of fire was flowing, coming out from His presence. Thousands upon thousands served Him; ten thousand times ten thousand stood before Him. The court was convened, and the books were opened.
As Ezekiel was driven to fall on his face in the presence of such magnificence, so too Daniel was unnerved.
- Daniel 10:5-9 HCSB I looked up, and there was a man dressed in linen, with a belt of gold from Uphaz around his waist. (6) His body was like topaz, his face like the brilliance of lightning, his eyes like flaming torches, his arms and feet like the gleam of polished bronze, and the sound of his words like the sound of a multitude. (7) Only I, Daniel, saw the vision. The men who were with me did not see it, but a great terror fell on them, and they ran and hid. (8) I was left alone, looking at this great vision. No strength was left in me; my face grew deathly pale, and I was powerless. (9) I heard the words he said, and when I heard them I fell into a deep sleep, with my face to the ground.
Isaiah also described Jesus’ glory. His vision of the New Jerusalem during the Millennial reign includes the statement that Jesus’ glowing presence will serve as a primary source of light for the faithful who get to live there.
- Isaiah 24:23 HCSB The moon will be put to shame and the sun disgraced, because the LORD of Hosts will reign as king on Mount Zion in Jerusalem, and He will display His glory in the presence of His elders.
- Isaiah 60:19-20 HCSB The sun will no longer be your light by day, and the brightness of the moon will not shine on you; but the LORD will be your everlasting light, and your God will be your splendor. (20) Your sun will no longer set, and your moon will not fade; for the LORD will be your everlasting light, and the days of your sorrow will be over.
One of the critical issues that I look for in answering she’eilot is consistency throughout the Scripture. If more than one author answers in the same way, then I am certain that I have the right view of the matter. All the way at the very end of the Bible is another description of the Lord Jesus. John had this vision while in the Spirit on the Island of Patmos on the Lord’s Day.
- Revelation 1:12-17 HCSB I turned to see the voice that was speaking to me. When I turned I saw seven gold lampstands, (13) and among the lampstands was One like the Son of Man, dressed in a long robe, and with a gold sash wrapped around His chest. (14) His head and hair were white like wool--white as snow, His eyes like a fiery flame, (15) His feet like fine bronze fired in a furnace, and His voice like the sound of cascading waters. (16) In His right hand He had seven stars; from His mouth came a sharp two-edged sword; and His face was shining like the sun at midday. (17) When I saw Him, I fell at His feet like a dead man. He laid His right hand on me, and said, "Don't be afraid! I am the First and the Last,
- Revelation 2:18 HCSB "To the angel of the church in Thyatira write: "The Son of God, the One whose eyes are like a fiery flame, and whose feet are like fine bronze says:
Note the consistency in the description: the fiery presence, feet like bronze, light colored upper body and the roaring voice. John gives us a powerful description of Jesus’ appearance at the time of the Second Coming when He comes as the leader of the heavenly hosts.[1]
- Revelation 19:11-16 HCSB Then I saw heaven opened, and there was a white horse! Its rider is called Faithful and True, and in righteousness He judges and makes war. (12) His eyes were like a fiery flame, and on His head were many crowns. He had a name written that no one knows except Himself. (13) He wore a robe stained with blood, and His name is called the Word of God. (14) The armies that were in heaven followed Him on white horses, wearing pure white linen. (15) From His mouth came a sharp sword, so that with it He might strike the nations. He will shepherd them with an iron scepter. He will also trample the winepress of the fierce anger of God, the Almighty. (16) And on His robe and on His thigh He has a name written: KING OF KINGS AND LORD OF LORDS
[1] Joshua 5:13-15; Zechariah 1:8-11; Matthew 26:53
Did Jesus Did on Good Friday and Resurrect Sunday Morning?
Why this is important
First, we must take into consideration that the “Good Friday” tradition is not biblical but Roman Catholic in origin. That it is a Roman Catholic tradition does not necessarily make it wrong, but its human origin necessitates that we examine it carefully to see what the Bible actually claims.
Before we go further, let me make clear that I assume that the Bible in its original (not every rendition since) is inerrant. I hold that there is no contradiction in its accounts. I assume that if there seems to be confusion, that that confusion is on my part as a limited fallible human and not inherent within the Scriptures. Having said that, let’s examine the thorny issue of the timing of the death, burial, and resurrection of the Lord Jesus Christ who claimed to be the Messiah, the Anointed One, the holy and only begotten Son of God.
The problem starts with the fact that when the scribes and Pharisees demanded that Jesus prove His Messianic claim, He stated that He would give them the same sign that God had given to the people of Nineveh (which was something of a slam by the way). That sign was called the “sign of Jonah” and in Jesus’ case meant that He prophesied that He would be dead and buried “three days and three nights” before resurrecting.
Once the disciples came to the conclusion that Jesus was the Messiah, the Master tried to make sure they understood what that entailed. He tried to warn them of what was coming. He taught them that He would suffer many things, be rejected, killed, and then rise “after three days.”[1]
The religious leaders took His teaching literally and even tried to use it against Him.[2] As He was dying, the cruel onlookers mocked His prophecy.[3] They did so because it was such an important statement and was central to His claim to Messianic status.
Because the religious leaders understood what He was claiming, they made every effort to block His resurrection. They desperately took measures to thwart any efforts to make it look as if He had resurrected. It is important to note that they wanted to make sure that the guard detail would remain “until the third day.”[4]
After the Lord resurrected in spite of the stone, the seal, and the guard detail, the angel that greeted the women at the tomb in essence said, “See? He did what He said.”[5] Thus, we have angelic confirmation that Jesus’ prediction came true. We must remind ourselves at this point, “What did He say?” He said He would be in the ground “three days and three nights”[6] and that He would rise “after three days”[7] or “on the third day”.[8]
The disciples on the road to Emmaus clearly thought that Jesus was supposed to rise on the third day after His death, but failed to accept the testimony of “mere women” that it had in fact occurred.[9]
When Jesus later appeared again to the same Apostles, He once more laid claim to that famous sign.
The fact that Jesus literally fulfilled His promise was a tremendous source of strength to the Apostles later.[10] Both Peter and Paul later averred that witnesses confirmed this.[11]
The problem with saying that Jesus died on “Good Friday,” was buried about sundown that same day and rose again on Sunday around daybreak is that this represents only two nights and one day. It would imply that Jesus was not in fact the Messiah since He did not adequately fulfill the sign that He had Himself imposed.
Two Wrong Approaches
The “Figurative” Interpretation
Liberal theologians will prevaricate, saying that the Bible’s language is “figurative” or “metaphorical.” However, this places humans in charge of determining the veracity of God’s Word. If we say that “three days and three nights” means “one day and two nights” then we bring into question every prophetic utterance. This approach ends up totally destroying the credibility of the Scriptures.
The “Part of a Day” Interpretation
Some claim that the Jews counted a part of a day as the whole day and at first glance it may seem that they could have some Scriptural backing.[12] However, none of these passages seem to give the leeway that would be required to turn “three days and three nights” into “one day and two nights”. The only passage that even has the phrase “three days and three nights”[13] seems to indicate exactly and literally “three days and three nights” and no less. Though the wording is slightly different in Esther 4:15, there is again no indication that it means anything less than three full days. Because several Middle Eastern religions (Islam for instance on the occasion of Ramadan) demand fasting during the day but allow for feasting at night, Esther simply clarified that they were not to eat anything at night either.
Even if we granted the point that the Jewish people counted part of a day as a whole day, is there any indication at all that this was Jesus’ meaning or the Pharisees’ understanding? I think not. I believe the safest approach is to take Jesus’ meaning and the fulfillment of His Word literally.
Two important principles to keep in mind
This leaves one option. Our understanding of the days is wrong. I believe two defining issues are critical to our understanding of the Biblical account of the days of the Christ’s suffering, death, and resurrection.
The Meaning of “day” in the Bible (24 hours but starting in the evening)
The general Biblical definition of a day, in the sense of the contrast between night and day, is the same as ours.[14]In this sense, meaning the number of daylight hours, Jesus taught that there were roughly twelve hours of daylight. That means Jesus’ understanding of a full day meant twelve hours of day and twelve hours of night,[15] indicating a full twenty four hour day. Not a partial one.
However, when determining when a day begins, the Bible reckons the start and finish of a day differently than Western Goyim do. The Bible reckons a calendar day as starting at sunset, rather than sunrise.[16] Therefore, a full day was measured from sundown to sundown. For the Jewish people (whether genetic or adopted), the new day starts around six in the evening and lasts until six the next evening. This gives twelve hours of night rest followed by twelve hours of daytime work.
The meaning of “Sabbath” in the Bible (not necessarily Saturday)
The Bible says that Jesus was crucified on “the day before the Sabbath.”[17] The difficulty is in the fact that most assume that this “Sabbath” was like any other weekly “Sabbath.” In this, they are wrong. Once again, it is our Western mindsets that get in the way. This is why Adonaic believers hold that an understanding of the Old Covenant is critical to the proper interpretation of the New.
There were more “Sabbaths” than the regular weekly one which fell on what we now call “Saturday”. “Sabbath” was not merely the name for a day in the week as “Saturday” is for us. A “Sabbath” meant a holy day in which work would not take place. This is the origin of our modern word “sabbatical.” For instance:
This is the reason we read about Sabbaths in the plural number in the Old Covenant. It is not just because there are 52 Sabbaths in a year but because there were other types of Holy Days of rest that the Jews were not keeping. The Lord considered it so important that He actually had them deported so that the land could have its Sabbath rests that the humans were not providing.[22]
The principle argument
The Jews kept two calendars, one “secular” and one “sacred” or “ecclesiastical”. This is not as strange as it may seem at first. We moderns generally consider the calendar year to begin January first. However the “school year” generally begins in September and then there is the “fiscal” year that concerns businessmen and tax accountants.
Jesus was buried on the day of preparation before that week’s Sabbath.[23] However, John defines or clarifies this by stating that it was not merely the preparation for the regular Sabbath, but for the Passover.[24] This Sabbath would have been the 14th of Nisan/Abib,[25] the annual Sabbath. Notice that this Sabbath was a special day. It was in fact the annual high holy day, the Sabbath of the Passover Festival.[26] That means there would have been two Sabbaths that week.
The Greek phrase that the HCSB here translates “after the Sabbath” can be transliterated “de oye Sabbatwn.” However “Sabbatwn” is in the genitive case and the plural number. Therefore, in view of the grammar and the historical context (an annual Sabbath starting on Wednesday evening and a regular Sabbath starting on Friday evening) I believe that a better rendering would be “after the Sabbaths…”
If we do not understand that Sabbath to be the annual Sabbath of the Passover, then there is a contradiction between Mark and Luke’s accounts. Mark says the ladies brought spices “when the Sabbath was over.”[27] Luke says they prepared the spices and perfumes and then “rested on the Sabbath.”[28] However, if we understand the Jewish ecclesiastical calendar had brought about two Sabbaths that week with a brief three hour window between 3 and 6 (as will be explained shortly) in which business could be transacted, then Mark and Luke are both perfectly correct.
The Bible states that the two Marys came to the tomb “after the Sabbaths” and, because there had been two that week, qualifies it as the one preceding the “first day of the week.”[29] Had there been only one Sabbath that week, the qualifier would have been completely unnecessary.
Remember, the Sabbath always ended at sunset.[30] However, the Bible further qualifies the time when they arrived. Because they thought Jesus was still dead (they were, after all, on their way to embalm His body) they apparently waited until the morning so that they could have the light to do the job. Had they arrived Saturday evening, the darkness would have overtaken them before they could finish the lengthy and meticulous work.[31]
Therefore, they arrived at the tomb at the crack of dawn on Sunday. However Jesus had already risen from the dead before they arrived. So Jesus rose from the dead sometime around sunset Saturday, not necessarily Sunday morning.
Note that the earthquake occurred “because an angel of the Lord had descended from heaven and approached the tomb” not because the Lord arose as is so often mistakenly portrayed. Though the angel rolled back the stone and was sitting on it, it was not done to “free” the Lord. The angel said specifically “He has been resurrected” in the past tense.[32] In my opinion he rolled back the stone because the ladies had been wondering how they would gain access to the body in order to embalm it.[33]
The Date of the Crucifixion
If that is the case that gives us the following schedule:
13th of Abib; Tuesday morning;
Prepared for the Passover meal; morning in Jerusalem.[34] Jesus said, “Go prepare the Passover meal.” They did.
14th of Abib/Nisan starts; Tuesday evening; first Sabbath begins
That evening they went into the room and had the Passover meal;[35] Preparing for the Last Supper there was an argument among the disciples and the Lord rebuked them. [36] Then He said “I fervently desired to eat this Passover with you before I suffer.” So, the “Last Supper” was clearly the Passover meal.
During that meal, Jesus washed the disciples’ feet; predicted his betrayal and Peter’s denial; spoke of the way to the Father; promised the Holy Spirit; spoke of the world’s hatred, the work of the Holy Spirit and of how their sadness would be turned to joy. Then He prayed, sang a hymn,[37] and left for the Mount of Olives.[38] On the way to the garden of Gethsemane He talked about “abiding” and “going away”.[39]
A part of that night is spent in prayer in the garden.[40] Then He was betrayed and arrested that night in the garden of Gethsemane.[41] (235)[42]
14th of Abib/ Nisan; Wednesday, the Day of Preparation and the Day of Unleavened Bread; Jesus’ trials[43]
Annas questions Jesus (236); Peter’s first denial – entering the gate (237); The High Priest questions Jesus (238); Jesus before the council (239); Peter’s second denial (240); Peter’s third denial (241); High Council leads Jesus to Pilate (242); Judas hangs himself (243); Jesus’ trial before Pilate (244); Jesus before Herod (245); Herod sends Jesus back to Pilate (246); Jesus sentenced to death (247); The soldiers mock Jesus (248); Jesus’ crucifixion (Mark 15) (249); He died (Luke 23:46) (250)
Jesus died at the ninth hour (3:00 P.M. Gentile time).[44]The Passover lamb was to be sacrificed in the temple on Aviv 14 at “twilight” [45] or at the “twain of the evening.” In Hebrew, this is translated, bain ha’arbayim, or “between the evenings.” The last half of the daylight hours (from about noon to 6:00 p.m.) was further divided into two parts: the minor evening oblation (noon to 3:00 p.m.) and the major evening oblation (3:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m.). Thus, “between the evenings” means between these two periods, or about 3:00 p.m. This was the time midway between the beginning of the sun’s descent into the west (about noon) and its setting (about 6:00 p.m.). So, the Passover lamb was killed at about 3:00 p.m. on Aviv 14.
He was taken down before the Sabbath began; Joseph of Arimathea went and begged Pilate for the Lord’s body.[46] Joseph of Arimathea and Nicodemus embalmed and entombed Jesus (251)[47] The Sabbath was close so the women simply noted where He was buried and left, intending to return and finish the job. The Galilean women get spices before the Sabbath arrives. (252) The guards are posted (253)
15th of Abib/ Nisan starts; Wednesday Evening, Passover Sabbath, Feast of Unleavened Bread[48]
15th of Abib/ Nisan; Thursday, High Day of the Passover Sabbath,
16th of Abib/ Nisan starts; Thursday Evening the weekly Sabbath begins FIRST DAY IN TOMB ENDS
17th of Abib/ Nisan; Friday evening; SECOND DAY IN TOMB ENDS
The other women buy burial spices (254) (probably between 3 and 6; enough time to buy but not enough to use)
18th of Abib/ Nisan; Saturday evening; THIRD DAY IN TOMB ENDS
Jesus resurrects
18th of Abib/Nisan; Sunday morning;
Women travel to the tomb early Sunday morning. The guards are bribed to lie. The women see the stone and Mary Magdalene runs to get Peter and John. The women see the angels and leave. Jesus’ first post-resurrection appearance: Mary returns and sees two angels and the Lord.
One Final Objection
Some argue that if Jesus being raised on "the third day" (i.e. Luke 24:21) means three complete days and Wednesday was when Jesus was buried, then Sunday would actually be the fourth day!
However, the Bible clearly states that the Master was buried at sunset Wednesday. That would make Thursday evening the first day, Friday evening the second day, and Saturday evening the third day. Understanding that both the Lord’s death and resurrection took place in the evenings of these days, and that our Sunday (first day of the week) begins Saturday evening at 6:00 deals with the issue. Rather than arguing against this theory, this final objection actually supports it, for if the crucifixion took place on Friday, there is no way to reconcile the Lord resurrecting on Sunday morning with the “sign of Jonah” meaning three full days in the tomb.
Therefore, I contend that “after three days” means the same as “the third day”. In fact, that was exactly how the Pharisees interpreted his prophecy.[49]
Conclusion
There is no Biblical support for the human tradition of a “Good Friday” crucifixion. There were two Sabbaths that week. The Lord died just as the first one was arriving (meeting the criterion as the Paschal Lamb perfectly) and resurrected just as the second one ended, fulfilling His promise literally and fully. According to the “Sign of Jonah”, Jesus of Nazareth was the Messiah.
[1] Matthew 16:20-21; 17:22-23; 20:17-19; Mark 8:29-31; 9:31; 10:34; Luke 9:20-22; Luke 18:31-33
[2] Matthew 26:59-61; Mark 14:56-59
[3] Matthew 27:39-40; Mark 15:29-30
[4] Matthew 27:62-66
[5] Matthew 28:6; Luke 24:5-8
[6] Matthew 12:40
[7] Matthew 27: 63; Mark 8:30; 9:31; 10:34
[8] Matthew 16:21; 17:23; 20:19; 27:64; Luke 9:22; 18:33; 24:46; Acts 10:40; 1 Corinthians 15:4
[9] Luke 24:21-24
[10] John 2:18-22
[11] Acts 10:39-41; 1 Corinthians 15:3-8
[12] Genesis 42:17-18; 1 Samuel 30:12-13; Esther 4:15-16; 1 Kings 20:29; 2 Chronicles 10:5 cp v. 12
[13] 1 Samuel 30:12
[14] Genesis 1:5, 14-18; 8:22
[15] John 11:9-10
[16] Genesis 1:5; Exodus 12:8; Leviticus 23:32
[17] Mark 15:42-43; Luke 23:52-54; John 19:14, 31, 41-42
[18] Leviticus 23:6-7
[19] Leviticus 23:8
[20] Numbers 28:26
[21] Exodus 23:10-11; Leviticus 25:1-8
[22] Leviticus 26:2, 34-35, 43
[23] Matthew 27:61-62; Mark 15:42; Luke 23:53-55
[24] John 13:1, 29; 18:28; 19:14
[25] The Bible also designates Nisan as Aviv (Exodus 13:4 cp Exodus 12:2)
[26] John 19:31
[27] Mark 16:1
[28] Luke 23:55-56
[29] Matthew 28:1
[30] Leviticus 23:32
[31] Matthew 28:1; Mark 16:2; Luke 24:1; John 20:1
[32] Matthew 28:1-6
[33] Mark 16:3-4
[34] Matthew 26:17-20; Mark 14:12-17; Luke 22:7-13
[35] Matthew 26:21-35; Mark 14:18-31; Luke 22:14-38; John 13:1-31
[36] Luke 22:7-15
[37] Matthew 26:30; Mark 14:26
[38] John 14:31
[39] John 15-17
[40] Matthew 26:36-46; Mark 14:26-42; Luke 22:39-46
[41] Matthew 26:47-56; Mark 14:43-52; Luke 22:47-53; John 18:2-12
[42] Each of the numbers (235-250) marked in red and between paragraphs represent a section in “The Life of the Master” and the corresponding parallel passages.
[43] John 19:31
[44] Luke 23:44-46; Mark 15:33-37; Luke 23:53-54; Mark 15:42-43
[45] Exodus 12:6
[46] Matthew 27:58
[47] John 19:39-40; Matthew 27:57-60
[48] Leviticus 23:6-7
[49] Matthew 27:62-64
First, we must take into consideration that the “Good Friday” tradition is not biblical but Roman Catholic in origin. That it is a Roman Catholic tradition does not necessarily make it wrong, but its human origin necessitates that we examine it carefully to see what the Bible actually claims.
- Acts 17:11 HCSB The people here were more open-minded than those in Thessalonica, since they welcomed the message with eagerness and examined the Scriptures daily to see if these things were so.
- 1 John 4:1 HCSB Dear friends, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to determine if they are from God, because many false prophets have gone out into the world.
Before we go further, let me make clear that I assume that the Bible in its original (not every rendition since) is inerrant. I hold that there is no contradiction in its accounts. I assume that if there seems to be confusion, that that confusion is on my part as a limited fallible human and not inherent within the Scriptures. Having said that, let’s examine the thorny issue of the timing of the death, burial, and resurrection of the Lord Jesus Christ who claimed to be the Messiah, the Anointed One, the holy and only begotten Son of God.
The problem starts with the fact that when the scribes and Pharisees demanded that Jesus prove His Messianic claim, He stated that He would give them the same sign that God had given to the people of Nineveh (which was something of a slam by the way). That sign was called the “sign of Jonah” and in Jesus’ case meant that He prophesied that He would be dead and buried “three days and three nights” before resurrecting.
- Matthew 12:38-40 HCSB Then some of the scribes and Pharisees said to Him, "Teacher, we want to see a sign from You." 39 But He answered them, "An evil and adulterous generation demands a sign, but no sign will be given to it except the sign of the prophet Jonah. 40 For as Jonah was in the belly of the great fish three days and three nights, so the Son of Man will be in the heart of the earth three days and three nights.
- Luke 11:30 HCSB For just as Jonah became a sign to the people of Nineveh, so also the Son of Man will be to this generation.
Once the disciples came to the conclusion that Jesus was the Messiah, the Master tried to make sure they understood what that entailed. He tried to warn them of what was coming. He taught them that He would suffer many things, be rejected, killed, and then rise “after three days.”[1]
The religious leaders took His teaching literally and even tried to use it against Him.[2] As He was dying, the cruel onlookers mocked His prophecy.[3] They did so because it was such an important statement and was central to His claim to Messianic status.
Because the religious leaders understood what He was claiming, they made every effort to block His resurrection. They desperately took measures to thwart any efforts to make it look as if He had resurrected. It is important to note that they wanted to make sure that the guard detail would remain “until the third day.”[4]
After the Lord resurrected in spite of the stone, the seal, and the guard detail, the angel that greeted the women at the tomb in essence said, “See? He did what He said.”[5] Thus, we have angelic confirmation that Jesus’ prediction came true. We must remind ourselves at this point, “What did He say?” He said He would be in the ground “three days and three nights”[6] and that He would rise “after three days”[7] or “on the third day”.[8]
The disciples on the road to Emmaus clearly thought that Jesus was supposed to rise on the third day after His death, but failed to accept the testimony of “mere women” that it had in fact occurred.[9]
When Jesus later appeared again to the same Apostles, He once more laid claim to that famous sign.
- Luke 24:45-46 HCSB Then He opened their minds to understand the Scriptures. 46 He also said to them, "This is what is written: the Messiah would suffer and rise from the dead the third day,
The fact that Jesus literally fulfilled His promise was a tremendous source of strength to the Apostles later.[10] Both Peter and Paul later averred that witnesses confirmed this.[11]
The problem with saying that Jesus died on “Good Friday,” was buried about sundown that same day and rose again on Sunday around daybreak is that this represents only two nights and one day. It would imply that Jesus was not in fact the Messiah since He did not adequately fulfill the sign that He had Himself imposed.
Two Wrong Approaches
The “Figurative” Interpretation
Liberal theologians will prevaricate, saying that the Bible’s language is “figurative” or “metaphorical.” However, this places humans in charge of determining the veracity of God’s Word. If we say that “three days and three nights” means “one day and two nights” then we bring into question every prophetic utterance. This approach ends up totally destroying the credibility of the Scriptures.
The “Part of a Day” Interpretation
Some claim that the Jews counted a part of a day as the whole day and at first glance it may seem that they could have some Scriptural backing.[12] However, none of these passages seem to give the leeway that would be required to turn “three days and three nights” into “one day and two nights”. The only passage that even has the phrase “three days and three nights”[13] seems to indicate exactly and literally “three days and three nights” and no less. Though the wording is slightly different in Esther 4:15, there is again no indication that it means anything less than three full days. Because several Middle Eastern religions (Islam for instance on the occasion of Ramadan) demand fasting during the day but allow for feasting at night, Esther simply clarified that they were not to eat anything at night either.
Even if we granted the point that the Jewish people counted part of a day as a whole day, is there any indication at all that this was Jesus’ meaning or the Pharisees’ understanding? I think not. I believe the safest approach is to take Jesus’ meaning and the fulfillment of His Word literally.
Two important principles to keep in mind
This leaves one option. Our understanding of the days is wrong. I believe two defining issues are critical to our understanding of the Biblical account of the days of the Christ’s suffering, death, and resurrection.
The Meaning of “day” in the Bible (24 hours but starting in the evening)
The general Biblical definition of a day, in the sense of the contrast between night and day, is the same as ours.[14]In this sense, meaning the number of daylight hours, Jesus taught that there were roughly twelve hours of daylight. That means Jesus’ understanding of a full day meant twelve hours of day and twelve hours of night,[15] indicating a full twenty four hour day. Not a partial one.
However, when determining when a day begins, the Bible reckons the start and finish of a day differently than Western Goyim do. The Bible reckons a calendar day as starting at sunset, rather than sunrise.[16] Therefore, a full day was measured from sundown to sundown. For the Jewish people (whether genetic or adopted), the new day starts around six in the evening and lasts until six the next evening. This gives twelve hours of night rest followed by twelve hours of daytime work.
The meaning of “Sabbath” in the Bible (not necessarily Saturday)
The Bible says that Jesus was crucified on “the day before the Sabbath.”[17] The difficulty is in the fact that most assume that this “Sabbath” was like any other weekly “Sabbath.” In this, they are wrong. Once again, it is our Western mindsets that get in the way. This is why Adonaic believers hold that an understanding of the Old Covenant is critical to the proper interpretation of the New.
There were more “Sabbaths” than the regular weekly one which fell on what we now call “Saturday”. “Sabbath” was not merely the name for a day in the week as “Saturday” is for us. A “Sabbath” meant a holy day in which work would not take place. This is the origin of our modern word “sabbatical.” For instance:
- The first day of the Passover week, regardless of when it occurred, was an annual Sabbath.[18]
- On the seventh day of this feast, the 21st of Nisan, was another annual Sabbath.[19]
- The day of Pentecost was an annual Sabbath.[20]
- There were even Sabbath years![21]
This is the reason we read about Sabbaths in the plural number in the Old Covenant. It is not just because there are 52 Sabbaths in a year but because there were other types of Holy Days of rest that the Jews were not keeping. The Lord considered it so important that He actually had them deported so that the land could have its Sabbath rests that the humans were not providing.[22]
The principle argument
The Jews kept two calendars, one “secular” and one “sacred” or “ecclesiastical”. This is not as strange as it may seem at first. We moderns generally consider the calendar year to begin January first. However the “school year” generally begins in September and then there is the “fiscal” year that concerns businessmen and tax accountants.
Jesus was buried on the day of preparation before that week’s Sabbath.[23] However, John defines or clarifies this by stating that it was not merely the preparation for the regular Sabbath, but for the Passover.[24] This Sabbath would have been the 14th of Nisan/Abib,[25] the annual Sabbath. Notice that this Sabbath was a special day. It was in fact the annual high holy day, the Sabbath of the Passover Festival.[26] That means there would have been two Sabbaths that week.
- Matthew 28:1 HCSB After the Sabbath, as the first day of the week was dawning, Mary Magdalene and the other Mary went to view the tomb.
The Greek phrase that the HCSB here translates “after the Sabbath” can be transliterated “de oye Sabbatwn.” However “Sabbatwn” is in the genitive case and the plural number. Therefore, in view of the grammar and the historical context (an annual Sabbath starting on Wednesday evening and a regular Sabbath starting on Friday evening) I believe that a better rendering would be “after the Sabbaths…”
If we do not understand that Sabbath to be the annual Sabbath of the Passover, then there is a contradiction between Mark and Luke’s accounts. Mark says the ladies brought spices “when the Sabbath was over.”[27] Luke says they prepared the spices and perfumes and then “rested on the Sabbath.”[28] However, if we understand the Jewish ecclesiastical calendar had brought about two Sabbaths that week with a brief three hour window between 3 and 6 (as will be explained shortly) in which business could be transacted, then Mark and Luke are both perfectly correct.
The Bible states that the two Marys came to the tomb “after the Sabbaths” and, because there had been two that week, qualifies it as the one preceding the “first day of the week.”[29] Had there been only one Sabbath that week, the qualifier would have been completely unnecessary.
Remember, the Sabbath always ended at sunset.[30] However, the Bible further qualifies the time when they arrived. Because they thought Jesus was still dead (they were, after all, on their way to embalm His body) they apparently waited until the morning so that they could have the light to do the job. Had they arrived Saturday evening, the darkness would have overtaken them before they could finish the lengthy and meticulous work.[31]
Therefore, they arrived at the tomb at the crack of dawn on Sunday. However Jesus had already risen from the dead before they arrived. So Jesus rose from the dead sometime around sunset Saturday, not necessarily Sunday morning.
Note that the earthquake occurred “because an angel of the Lord had descended from heaven and approached the tomb” not because the Lord arose as is so often mistakenly portrayed. Though the angel rolled back the stone and was sitting on it, it was not done to “free” the Lord. The angel said specifically “He has been resurrected” in the past tense.[32] In my opinion he rolled back the stone because the ladies had been wondering how they would gain access to the body in order to embalm it.[33]
The Date of the Crucifixion
If that is the case that gives us the following schedule:
13th of Abib; Tuesday morning;
Prepared for the Passover meal; morning in Jerusalem.[34] Jesus said, “Go prepare the Passover meal.” They did.
14th of Abib/Nisan starts; Tuesday evening; first Sabbath begins
That evening they went into the room and had the Passover meal;[35] Preparing for the Last Supper there was an argument among the disciples and the Lord rebuked them. [36] Then He said “I fervently desired to eat this Passover with you before I suffer.” So, the “Last Supper” was clearly the Passover meal.
During that meal, Jesus washed the disciples’ feet; predicted his betrayal and Peter’s denial; spoke of the way to the Father; promised the Holy Spirit; spoke of the world’s hatred, the work of the Holy Spirit and of how their sadness would be turned to joy. Then He prayed, sang a hymn,[37] and left for the Mount of Olives.[38] On the way to the garden of Gethsemane He talked about “abiding” and “going away”.[39]
A part of that night is spent in prayer in the garden.[40] Then He was betrayed and arrested that night in the garden of Gethsemane.[41] (235)[42]
14th of Abib/ Nisan; Wednesday, the Day of Preparation and the Day of Unleavened Bread; Jesus’ trials[43]
Annas questions Jesus (236); Peter’s first denial – entering the gate (237); The High Priest questions Jesus (238); Jesus before the council (239); Peter’s second denial (240); Peter’s third denial (241); High Council leads Jesus to Pilate (242); Judas hangs himself (243); Jesus’ trial before Pilate (244); Jesus before Herod (245); Herod sends Jesus back to Pilate (246); Jesus sentenced to death (247); The soldiers mock Jesus (248); Jesus’ crucifixion (Mark 15) (249); He died (Luke 23:46) (250)
Jesus died at the ninth hour (3:00 P.M. Gentile time).[44]The Passover lamb was to be sacrificed in the temple on Aviv 14 at “twilight” [45] or at the “twain of the evening.” In Hebrew, this is translated, bain ha’arbayim, or “between the evenings.” The last half of the daylight hours (from about noon to 6:00 p.m.) was further divided into two parts: the minor evening oblation (noon to 3:00 p.m.) and the major evening oblation (3:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m.). Thus, “between the evenings” means between these two periods, or about 3:00 p.m. This was the time midway between the beginning of the sun’s descent into the west (about noon) and its setting (about 6:00 p.m.). So, the Passover lamb was killed at about 3:00 p.m. on Aviv 14.
He was taken down before the Sabbath began; Joseph of Arimathea went and begged Pilate for the Lord’s body.[46] Joseph of Arimathea and Nicodemus embalmed and entombed Jesus (251)[47] The Sabbath was close so the women simply noted where He was buried and left, intending to return and finish the job. The Galilean women get spices before the Sabbath arrives. (252) The guards are posted (253)
15th of Abib/ Nisan starts; Wednesday Evening, Passover Sabbath, Feast of Unleavened Bread[48]
15th of Abib/ Nisan; Thursday, High Day of the Passover Sabbath,
16th of Abib/ Nisan starts; Thursday Evening the weekly Sabbath begins FIRST DAY IN TOMB ENDS
17th of Abib/ Nisan; Friday evening; SECOND DAY IN TOMB ENDS
The other women buy burial spices (254) (probably between 3 and 6; enough time to buy but not enough to use)
18th of Abib/ Nisan; Saturday evening; THIRD DAY IN TOMB ENDS
Jesus resurrects
18th of Abib/Nisan; Sunday morning;
Women travel to the tomb early Sunday morning. The guards are bribed to lie. The women see the stone and Mary Magdalene runs to get Peter and John. The women see the angels and leave. Jesus’ first post-resurrection appearance: Mary returns and sees two angels and the Lord.
One Final Objection
Some argue that if Jesus being raised on "the third day" (i.e. Luke 24:21) means three complete days and Wednesday was when Jesus was buried, then Sunday would actually be the fourth day!
However, the Bible clearly states that the Master was buried at sunset Wednesday. That would make Thursday evening the first day, Friday evening the second day, and Saturday evening the third day. Understanding that both the Lord’s death and resurrection took place in the evenings of these days, and that our Sunday (first day of the week) begins Saturday evening at 6:00 deals with the issue. Rather than arguing against this theory, this final objection actually supports it, for if the crucifixion took place on Friday, there is no way to reconcile the Lord resurrecting on Sunday morning with the “sign of Jonah” meaning three full days in the tomb.
Therefore, I contend that “after three days” means the same as “the third day”. In fact, that was exactly how the Pharisees interpreted his prophecy.[49]
Conclusion
There is no Biblical support for the human tradition of a “Good Friday” crucifixion. There were two Sabbaths that week. The Lord died just as the first one was arriving (meeting the criterion as the Paschal Lamb perfectly) and resurrected just as the second one ended, fulfilling His promise literally and fully. According to the “Sign of Jonah”, Jesus of Nazareth was the Messiah.
[1] Matthew 16:20-21; 17:22-23; 20:17-19; Mark 8:29-31; 9:31; 10:34; Luke 9:20-22; Luke 18:31-33
[2] Matthew 26:59-61; Mark 14:56-59
[3] Matthew 27:39-40; Mark 15:29-30
[4] Matthew 27:62-66
[5] Matthew 28:6; Luke 24:5-8
[6] Matthew 12:40
[7] Matthew 27: 63; Mark 8:30; 9:31; 10:34
[8] Matthew 16:21; 17:23; 20:19; 27:64; Luke 9:22; 18:33; 24:46; Acts 10:40; 1 Corinthians 15:4
[9] Luke 24:21-24
[10] John 2:18-22
[11] Acts 10:39-41; 1 Corinthians 15:3-8
[12] Genesis 42:17-18; 1 Samuel 30:12-13; Esther 4:15-16; 1 Kings 20:29; 2 Chronicles 10:5 cp v. 12
[13] 1 Samuel 30:12
[14] Genesis 1:5, 14-18; 8:22
[15] John 11:9-10
[16] Genesis 1:5; Exodus 12:8; Leviticus 23:32
[17] Mark 15:42-43; Luke 23:52-54; John 19:14, 31, 41-42
[18] Leviticus 23:6-7
[19] Leviticus 23:8
[20] Numbers 28:26
[21] Exodus 23:10-11; Leviticus 25:1-8
[22] Leviticus 26:2, 34-35, 43
[23] Matthew 27:61-62; Mark 15:42; Luke 23:53-55
[24] John 13:1, 29; 18:28; 19:14
[25] The Bible also designates Nisan as Aviv (Exodus 13:4 cp Exodus 12:2)
[26] John 19:31
[27] Mark 16:1
[28] Luke 23:55-56
[29] Matthew 28:1
[30] Leviticus 23:32
[31] Matthew 28:1; Mark 16:2; Luke 24:1; John 20:1
[32] Matthew 28:1-6
[33] Mark 16:3-4
[34] Matthew 26:17-20; Mark 14:12-17; Luke 22:7-13
[35] Matthew 26:21-35; Mark 14:18-31; Luke 22:14-38; John 13:1-31
[36] Luke 22:7-15
[37] Matthew 26:30; Mark 14:26
[38] John 14:31
[39] John 15-17
[40] Matthew 26:36-46; Mark 14:26-42; Luke 22:39-46
[41] Matthew 26:47-56; Mark 14:43-52; Luke 22:47-53; John 18:2-12
[42] Each of the numbers (235-250) marked in red and between paragraphs represent a section in “The Life of the Master” and the corresponding parallel passages.
[43] John 19:31
[44] Luke 23:44-46; Mark 15:33-37; Luke 23:53-54; Mark 15:42-43
[45] Exodus 12:6
[46] Matthew 27:58
[47] John 19:39-40; Matthew 27:57-60
[48] Leviticus 23:6-7
[49] Matthew 27:62-64
When LORD is used is it most often referring to Jesus?
I was once asked, "I know that the Hebrew word Jehovah, has been rendered in the English Bible “LORD”, printed in small capitals. This is the proper name of the God of the Hebrews. The form "Jehovah" is retained only in Exodus 6:3; Psalm. 83:18; Isaiah 12:2; 26:4, both in the Authorized and the Revised Version. However, as I read I seem to see that it often indicates Jesus. i.e. Genesis 2:7; 3:8-9; Psalm 23:1; 89:8. These are only a few of the 5860 instances of “LORD” I’ve found."
Meforshim:
There is unfortunately significant variation in the way the names of God are generally rendered in English. For example, considering the passages you mentioned we find.
In each of these cases the Hebrew is Yahweh Elohim.
In this case the name is “Yahweh Ra’ah”. We read it in English as a phrase “The Lord is my shepherd” and imply “therefore I will not want.” However, the Hebrew is actually a proper name. The habit of rendering Yahweh as a title rather than a personal name is a way of showing reverence for Him. This is an ancient tradition that predates Christianity. It can be seen in:
Jewish readers, out of a superstitious fear of desecrating the name and violating the Law, developed a habit of substituting the name “Adonai” every time they came across the name Yahweh. The Masoretic scribes inserted the vowels for “Adonai” into the word “YHWH” as a reminder to the reader. That is why many of the older translations render the name “Jehovah” – they combined the vowels of Adonai and the consonants of Yahweh.
Here the Psalmist addresses Hashem as “Yahweh Elohim Tsaba” (Lord God of Hosts).
Yahweh is the incommunicable name of the God of Israel. It could be understood as meaning “the Existing One” or “He Who Is” or “He Who Causes to Be”. This would add credence to your idea that it specifically implies the Lord Jesus due to:
The Hebrew words translated “I AM” and “the Lord” are two forms derived from the same Hebrew verb. “I AM” was never used again in the Old Covenant, allowing that particular form to be associated very specifically with the deliverance of our people from Egypt. Thus, when Jesus claimed that title, He was claiming to be the ancient Deliverer come once again with the Trinity’s message “Let my people go.”
In my mind it carries the same type of ethos as another name we Adonaic Christians typically use: “Hashem” which simply means “the Name”.
If one were to emphasize the meaning “He Who Causes to Be” then we would have once again a reason for associating the name with the immanent aspect of God for:
Due to these and other theological issues (the necessity of the immanent aspect of God to interact with humans) I would generally agree that most of these instances would refer to pre-incarnate Christ. However, I think that it is important that we take each instance on its own, determining which other names are connected to it (e.g. Tsaba, Yireh, Nissi, Shalom etc) and determine which aspect of God we are dealing with.
In the end, we have to keep in mind that all three aspects of the Trinity operate simultaneously, all the time. One does not move, speak or act, without the others (see Trinity in the Quick Reference).
Meforshim:
There is unfortunately significant variation in the way the names of God are generally rendered in English. For example, considering the passages you mentioned we find.
- Genesis 2:7-9 HCSB Then the LORD God formed the man out of the dust from the ground and breathed the breath of life into his nostrils, and the man became a living being. (8) The LORD God planted a garden in Eden, in the east, and there He placed the man He had formed. (9) The LORD God caused to grow out of the ground every tree pleasing in appearance and good for food, including the tree of life in the midst of the garden, as well as the tree of the knowledge of good and evil.
- Genesis 3:8-9 HCSB Then the man and his wife heard the sound of the LORD God walking in the garden at the time of the evening breeze, and they hid themselves from the LORD God among the trees of the garden. (9) So the LORD God called out to the man and said to him, "Where are you?"
In each of these cases the Hebrew is Yahweh Elohim.
- Psalms 23:1 HCSB A Davidic psalm. The LORD is my shepherd; there is nothing I lack.
In this case the name is “Yahweh Ra’ah”. We read it in English as a phrase “The Lord is my shepherd” and imply “therefore I will not want.” However, the Hebrew is actually a proper name. The habit of rendering Yahweh as a title rather than a personal name is a way of showing reverence for Him. This is an ancient tradition that predates Christianity. It can be seen in:
- Acts 2:21 HCSB then whoever calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.
Jewish readers, out of a superstitious fear of desecrating the name and violating the Law, developed a habit of substituting the name “Adonai” every time they came across the name Yahweh. The Masoretic scribes inserted the vowels for “Adonai” into the word “YHWH” as a reminder to the reader. That is why many of the older translations render the name “Jehovah” – they combined the vowels of Adonai and the consonants of Yahweh.
- Psalms 89:8 HCSB LORD God of Hosts, who is strong like You, LORD? Your faithfulness surrounds You.
Here the Psalmist addresses Hashem as “Yahweh Elohim Tsaba” (Lord God of Hosts).
Yahweh is the incommunicable name of the God of Israel. It could be understood as meaning “the Existing One” or “He Who Is” or “He Who Causes to Be”. This would add credence to your idea that it specifically implies the Lord Jesus due to:
- Exodus 3:13-15 HCSB Then Moses asked God, "If I go to the Israelites and say to them: The God of your fathers has sent me to you, and they ask me, 'What is His name?' what should I tell them?" (14) God replied to Moses, "I AM WHO I AM. This is what you are to say to the Israelites: I AM has sent me to you." (15) God also said to Moses, "Say this to the Israelites: Yahweh, the God of your fathers, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob, has sent me to you. This is My name forever; this is how I am to be remembered in every generation.
The Hebrew words translated “I AM” and “the Lord” are two forms derived from the same Hebrew verb. “I AM” was never used again in the Old Covenant, allowing that particular form to be associated very specifically with the deliverance of our people from Egypt. Thus, when Jesus claimed that title, He was claiming to be the ancient Deliverer come once again with the Trinity’s message “Let my people go.”
- John 8:56-59 HCSB Your father Abraham was overjoyed that he would see My day; he saw it and rejoiced." (57) The Jews replied, "You aren't 50 years old yet, and You've seen Abraham?" (58) Jesus said to them, "I assure you: Before Abraham was, I am." (59) At that, they picked up stones to throw at Him. But Jesus was hidden and went out of the temple complex.
In my mind it carries the same type of ethos as another name we Adonaic Christians typically use: “Hashem” which simply means “the Name”.
- Acts 5:40-41 HCSB After they called in the apostles and had them flogged, they ordered them not to speak in the name of Jesus and released them. (41) Then they went out from the presence of the Sanhedrin, rejoicing that they were counted worthy to be dishonored on behalf of the name.
- 3 John 1:5-7 HCSB Dear friend, you are showing your faith by whatever you do for the brothers, and this you are doing for strangers; (6) they have testified to your love before the church. You will do well to send them on their journey in a manner worthy of God, (7) since they set out for the sake of the name, accepting nothing from pagans.
If one were to emphasize the meaning “He Who Causes to Be” then we would have once again a reason for associating the name with the immanent aspect of God for:
- John 1:1-3 HCSB In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. (2) He was with God in the beginning. (3) All things were created through Him, and apart from Him not one thing was created that has been created.
Due to these and other theological issues (the necessity of the immanent aspect of God to interact with humans) I would generally agree that most of these instances would refer to pre-incarnate Christ. However, I think that it is important that we take each instance on its own, determining which other names are connected to it (e.g. Tsaba, Yireh, Nissi, Shalom etc) and determine which aspect of God we are dealing with.
In the end, we have to keep in mind that all three aspects of the Trinity operate simultaneously, all the time. One does not move, speak or act, without the others (see Trinity in the Quick Reference).
