Passover Old Testament Timeline  (21 April 2016)

"Today, Passover begins on day 15 of the Hebrew month of Nissan, which falls in March or April and continues for 8 days. In Biblical times, Passover began at twilight on the fourteenth day of Nissan, and then the next day, day 15, the Feast of Unleavened Bread would begin and continue for seven days..."

What is Passover?  (12 November 2008)

"Passover is the religious festival that celebrates the deliverance of Israel from the bondage of the Egyptians. The term is derived from the Hebrew pasach which means 'to pass over'. When the Jews were in slavery to the Egyptians, the Lord raised up Moses to to be their deliverer ... the Passover is typological of Christ. The shed blood of the lamb, of course, represents the shed blood of Christ..."

Passover - Pesach: History & Overview  (No Date) "Passover begins on the 15th day of the Jewish month of Nissan. It is the first of the three major festivals with both historical and agricultural significance (the other two are Shavu'ot and Sukkot). Agriculturally, it represents the beginning of the harvest season in Israel. The primary observances of Passover are related to the Exodus from Egypt after 400 years of slavery as told in the biblical Book of Exodus from chapters 1-15..." What is Passover?  (No Date) "Passover (Pesach in Hebrew) is a Jewish festival celebrating the exodus from Egypt and the Israelites' freedom from slavery to the Egyptians. The Feast of Passover, along with the Feast of Unleavened Bread, was the first of the festivals to be commanded by God for Israel to observe (see Exodus 12). Commemorations today involve a special meal called the Seder, featuring unleavened bread and other food items symbolic of various aspects of the exodus..."

Passover  (No Date)

"P'ASSOVER, n. pass and over.  A feast of the Jews, instituted to commemorate the providential escape of the Hebrews, in Egypt, when God smiting the first-born of the Egyptians, passed over the houses of the Israelites, which were marked with the blood of the paschal lamb.  1. The sacrifice offered at the feast of the passover."

Christ Our Passover

Christ - Our Passover Lamb  (No Date) "Introduction...  The Lamb Itself...  Without Spot or Blemish...  Chosen, The Lamb was Chosen By the Family...  No Bones Broken in Either...  Redemption Involved in Each...  Comparison of the Sacrificial Lamb with Christ Our Passover Lamb...  The Passover Was To Be Fully Explained...  Conclusion..." Christ Our Passover  (No Date) "Because the passion of Christ took place [at] the week of Passover (Matthew 26:1-2), the early church quickly understood that Jesus fulfilled the symbolism in the Passover meal as 'the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world' (John 1:29). The marking of blood in the doorposts (Exodus 12:7-13) has a clear tie to the shedding of Jesus' blood on the cross (Revelation 1:1-8)..."

What is the Passover Lamb?  (No Date)

"Question: 'What is the Passover Lamb? How is Jesus our Passover Lamb?' ... The New Testament establishes a relationship between [the] prototypical Passover Lamb and the consummate Passover Lamb, Jesus Christ (1 Corinthians 5:7). The prophet John the Baptist recognised Jesus as 'the Lamb of God' (John 1:29), and the apostle Peter links the lamb without defect (Exodus 12:5) with Christ, whom he calls a 'lamb without blemish or defect' (1 Peter 1:19)..."

The Lord's Death on the Cross

John Chapter 19:1-42

"Then Pilate therefore took Jesus, and scourged him.  And the soldiers platted a crown of thorns, and put it on his head, and they put him in a purple robe,  And said, Hail, King of the Jews! and they smote him with their hands..."

The Narrative and the Reasons Why...

The Crucifixion of Jesus Christ  (Updated 24 January 2019) "Christian theology teaches that the death of Jesus Christ provided the perfect atoning sacrifice for the sins of mankind ... When the religious leaders came to the decision to put Jesus to death, they wouldn't even consider that he might be telling the truth - that he was, indeed, their Messiah..."

Holy Week and Good Friday*  (October 2013)

"A few days before the Lord's crucifixion, on what has since become known as 'Palm Sunday', the crowds to whom He has been ministering for the past three years were shouting to Him, 'HOSANNA! HOSANNA!' ('O save now!') and crying out for Him to become their King. Yet just [a few] days later their shout had become, 'Crucify Him! Crucify Him!'  How fickle people - we - can be!..."  [*Please note we are aware it is very likely that the Lord's death took place on the Wednesday, not Friday.  Please see the relevant section/sub-section below.]

Some of the Victories Won For Us at Calvary and the Power of Sacrifice  (October 2013)

"The blessings we receive from the shed blood of Jesus on the cross are many if we accept them by faith and continue to hold them fast (Colossians 1:23): ... The thoughts in the poem below further remind us that Jesus' death and shed blood resulted in many blessings for all those who will accept by faith what He did for us:..."

Why Did Jesus Die For Our Sins?  (28 September 2013)

"This is such a crucial question for us all ... why did Jesus die for our sins? He died as the perfect sacrifice for our sins because nothing else could ever take our sins away. He died because we are powerless to take our own sins away. He died because He loves us so much ... and wants to give [us] the free gift of eternal life..."

The Crucifixion of Jesus (John 19:16-30)  (08 July 2001) "Please turn with me to John 19:16 this morning. We are going to be examining the crucifixion of Jesus, but before we do, I need to remind you of what has occurred to this point ... I have pointed out in earlier sermons that the cross was the necessary way for Jesus to die..." Crucifixion of Jesus Christ  (No Date) "The crucifixion of Jesus Christ and His resurrection are the two most important events in human history. Why is this so? Because of Jesus' death, the human race has the opportunity for eternal salvation ... What does the crucifixion of Jesus Christ have to do with you?..." The Crucifixion: John 19:16-30  (No Date) "Crucifixion...   Golgotha...   The Title...   His Garments...   Taking Care of His Mother...   I Thirst...   It Is Finished..."

Hymns and Music

YOUTUBE:  When I Survey  (22 March 2019)

"When I Survey is one of my favourite hymns. I hope you enjoy my rendition!"  /  Viewer's comment:  "Wonderful! Thanks Sarah!"

Stricken, Smitten, and Afflicted  (March 2019)

"Whilst on YouTube recently I happened across a hauntingly beautiful version of this hymn ... it is my choice of hymn for April as this month we meditate on the Lord's death and resurrection..."

YOUTUBE:  Stricken, Smitten, and Afflicted

"A hauntingly beautiful version of this hymn, sung by Fernando Ortega, and played on piano and viola"  /  Viewers' comments:  "Such a beautiful song with lyrics that are so true and based on the Scriptures. Powerful, beautiful"

YOUTUBE:  Stricken, Smitten, and Afflicted

"Fernando Ortega has also recorded another exquisite version of this hymn accompanied on this occasion by harp and viola"  /   Viewers' comments:  "Beautiful hymn beautifully performed. Christ be praised!"  /  "What a blessing! Thank you for posting"  /  "We cannot take sin lightly. Sin causes the death of our Savior"  /  "This is the hymn I go to when I feel too confident, too complacent. It humbles me ... Thank you Lord for loving the unloveable, like me"  /  "Praise and thanksgiving to the Lord Jesus Christ for His sacrifice for my sins! What a wonderful Savior"  /  "Washed clean of sin by his blood and then wonder of wonders given his royal righteousness as our eternal clothing"  /  "Thank you Lord Jesus for paying our debt in full"

YOUTUBE:  Stricken, Smitten, and Afflicted

"If you prefer traditional congregational singing, this rendition by Capitol Hill Baptist Church in Washington D.C. is quite splendid"  /  Viewers' comments:  "It's truly beautiful!"

Medical Facts About Crucifixion

Ten Excruciating Medical Facts About the Crucifixion of Christ  (03 September 2017)

"Torture has been part of society for centuries. People use it to punish, to extract information, and to deter others from doing certain things. Different cultures have tried and perfected the vast array of tortures known to mankind. One of those ways - perfected for excruciating pain by the Romans - is crucifixion. It is how the Romans killed Jesus..."

The Crucifixion - Medical Account  (March 1965)

"In this paper, I shall discuss some of the physical aspects of the passion, or suffering, of Jesus Christ.  We shall follow Him from Gethsemane, through His trial, His scourging, His path along the Via Dolorosa; to His last dying hours on the cross ... Thus we [see] a glimpse of the epitome of evil which man can exhibit toward man - and toward God..."

The Crucifixion of Jesus  (No Date)

"Crucifixion is the process where a person is nailed or bound to a cross or a stake. It was first used by the Persians and later by the Egyptians, Carthaginians, and Romans as a form of capital punishment. Alexander the Great introduced it to the Mediterranean area and the Romans perfected it ... Jesus' agony began in Gethsemane with the sweating of blood..."

The Lord's Burial

Three Days and Three Nights?

BOOK REVIEW:  Three Days and Three Nights  (05 April 2019)

This book "is a robust defence of the reliability of the Gospel accounts and their agreement concerning the timing of Jesus' crucifixion, contrasted with Christianity's traditional 'Good Friday' narrative. Jesus stated that he would be buried for 'three days and three nights' which, counting back from his resurrection appearance early Sunday morning, either places his crucifixion on Thursday or possibly Wednesday..."

QUESTION:  In the Tomb for Three Days and Three Nights  (16 November 2014)

"QUESTION:  'If Jesus died on Friday and was raised on Sunday, why does the Bible speak of His being in the tomb for three days and three nights before His resurrection?'  RESPONSE:  'The inquirer is referring to Matthew 12:40 which says, 'For as Jonas was three days and three nights in the whale's belly; so shall the the Son of man be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth'.  This is a very good question..."

Three Days and Three Nights  (No Date)

"The choice of a Sunday date for [the Lord's Resurrection] is based on the assumption that Christ rose from the grave early on a Sunday morning. The popular belief is that Christ was crucified on a Friday and rose on a Sunday. But neither of these suppositions is true. A close reading of the Bible makes that quite clear. What does the Bible really say about the timeline of events for Jesus' death?..."

The Lord's Resurrection

A Sure and Certain Hope

He Rose Again the Third Day According to the Scriptures - Hallelujah!  (01 April 2018)

He rose on the third day. It wasn't just another day in history, but an eternity in eschatology. The cross was death; the resurrection is eternal life. No matter how many other days of the year we weep, grow angry, get irritated, lie, lash out, threaten, bluff or boast, on this day we can rejoice in that seismic third day, when the Son of God was raised from the dead, and our sin was dealt with once and for all..."

The Gospel Says There is Truth - That is the Message of [the Resurrection]  (01 April 2018)

"Pilate was a man who was very uncertain about truth. 'What is truth?' he said to Jesus when Jesus told him that 'everyone who is of the truth hears my voice' ... Like many people in his own day and like many people in ours, [Pilate] was deeply uncertain about the truth, about whether there are universal, God-given principles to guide us in our beliefs and actions as men and women ... There may be my truth, there may be your truth, little t, but there is no 'capital T' truth for everyone everywhere. The Christian Gospel says different. The Gospel says there is Truth..."

Happy [Resurrection Day]!  (01 April 2018)

"No one can name a year that changed man and his world for ever, a century or an age. But it's easy to say which day did just that. [Resurrection] Sunday, 2,000-odd years old today. Hellenic man had always struggled with death its finality, its cruelty, its nothingness. Death seemed to render life meaningless, deprive it of any sense of purpose. Life itself had to be regarded as the purpose of life, and the Hellenes, weaned as they were on logic, couldn't fail to see a self-refuting paradox there ... And then ... people weren't just told but shown that, just as there is death in life, so there is life in death..."

Resurrection: A Sure and Certain Hope  (2013) "The resurrection of Jesus Christ is the central theme in the message of the New Testament, and is a basic belief in order to be saved. It is simply this: Jesus died on the cross and rose again on the third day bearing the marks of His crucifixion. On the cross Jesus completely reversed the results of the fall in the Garden of Eden. He took the judgement that should have been ours and paid the price for every one of our sins. Our sins were washed away; His blood shed at Calvary cleanses us from ALL sin. And because His sacrifice was perfect and complete God the Father accepted His sacrifice, death was defeated, and the Lord rose from the grave victorious to live ever more. Praise God! But if Jesus had not risen from the dead, there would be no means of salvation..."

Why is the Resurrection of Jesus Christ Important?  (No Date)

"The resurrection of Jesus is important for several reasons. First, the resurrection witnesses to the immense power of God Himself. To believe in the resurrection is to believe in God. If God exists, and if He created the universe and has power over it, then He has power to raise the dead..."

Evidence for the Resurrection

CSI Calvary - the Compelling Case for the Resurrection  (01 April 2018)

"What happens when an atheist detective takes the skills he uses to solve cold-case murders and applies them to the resurrection of Jesus of Nazareth?  J Warner Wallace is a police and media sensation known for solving homicides when the trail has gone cold. It may have been decades since the crime was committed. There is little or not forensic evidence. There might be no surviving witnesses..."

Evidence for the Resurrection  (1977)

"Professor Thomas Arnold, for fourteen years the headmaster of Rugby, author of a famous three-volume History of Rome, and pointed to the chair of modern history at Oxford, was well acquainted with the value of evidence in determining historical facts. He said:..."

Historical Evidence for the Resurrection of Christ  (No Date)

"In order to examine the evidence for the resurrection we must place ourselves in the historical situation. The events surrounding the life and death of Christ didn't occur at a place where we can gain no knowledge of them. Rather, they occurred in history, on earth, and were recorded by men who witnessed the events..."

The Resurrection of Jesus Christ: Fact or Fiction?  (No Date)

"Dr. Greenleaf, the Royal Professor of Law at Harvard University, was one of the greatest legal minds that ever lived. He wrote the famous volume entitled, A Treatise on the Law of Evidence, considered by many the greatest legal volume ever written. Dr. Simon Greenleaf believed the Resurrection of Jesus Christ was a hoax..."

Jesus' Resurrection  (No Date)

"Jesus' resurrection from the dead is as essential to the Christian faith as His death upon the cross ... is Jesus' resurrection from the dead an historical event? It is proclaimed throughout the four Gospels as well as ancient correspondence. If these works are the historical documents they claim to be, then they bear witness to an historical event. According to Aristotle's Dictum, these pieces meet the criteria for legitimate historical documents..."

Two Men and Two Faiths

A Tale of Two Men - and Two Faiths  (01 April 2018)

"Today is [Resurrection] Sunday. Christians the world over celebrate the most important event in human history: the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. At the heart of this event is one person giving His life for others, so that they might live. This is self-sacrificing love at its greatest. ... Another religious leader is also still recognised and celebrated centuries later. He did not lay down his life for others, but instead killed others..."

Why Did Arnaud Beltrame Give His Life to Save Others? Christianity  (01 April 2018)

"I believe very deeply that Christian societies are different from non-Christian ones, precisely because all of us know that such selfless courage is the ideal of what we all should be. And I think that Lieutenant Colonel Beltrame did what he did because of the specifically Christian saying 'Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends'..."

Lent

The Paganism of Lent and Weeping for Tammuz  (No Date)

"Let us examine Lent, its practices and customs, its historic and religious origins, and its true meaning from the Bible's perspective, not from the 'traditions of men' (Mark 7:7-9) ... Coming from the Anglo-Saxon Lencton, meaning 'spring', Lent originated in the ancient Babylonian mystery religion..."

The 40 Days of Weeping for Tammuz  (No Date) "Search the scriptures diligently, from Old Testament to New, and you will find no mention of Jews or Christians observing an annual period of 40 days of fasting and abstinence preceding the festival of the Passover, yet today most of the Christian world observes a 40 day period called Lent, which precedes the festival of Easter Sunday. A period of 40 days is rather common in scripture, however:..."

Who Was Tammuz?  (No Date)

"The false god Tammuz is mentioned in the books of Ezekiel. The prophet describes a vision he had ... 'I saw the women there, mourning the god Tammuz' (Ezekiel 8:14). God calls the idolatrous practice of weeping for Tammuz a 'detestable' thing, made even worse in that it was happening at the temple in Jerusalem..."

Tammuz  (No Date)

"The name of a Phoenician deity, the Adonis of the Greeks. He was originally a Sumerian or Babylonian sun-god, called Dumuzu, the husband of Ishtar, who corresponds to Aphrodite of the Greeks. The worship of these deities was introduced into Syria in very early times under the designation of Tammuz and Astarte..."

Easter

Who Separated Passover from Easter?  (29 March 2018)

"This year, as Christians celebrate Good Friday, Jews will be celebrating Passover. But most years, the two holidays are separated, sometimes by several weeks. How did we end up with two distinct holy seasons when, in the beginning, they were one?..."

The Truth About Easter  (2000)

"Every year, millions of professing Christians around the world participate in a celebration they believe honors the resurrections of Jesus Christ. This celebration is called Easter and it is arguably the most important observance in modern Christianity. But when did this day originate? And from where did it come? What about its symbols and customs? Are they mentioned in the Bible? ... What is the origin of the Easter egg? What about bunnies? What do these symbols have to do with the resurrection of Jesus Christ? What about traditional foods such as ... hot cross buns? Why is it called 'Easter'? Is this term mentioned in the Bible and what does it mean?..."

Origin of Easter  (No Date)

"The origin of Easter, a holiday associated with the observance of the resurrection of Jesus Christ, is actually based on an ancient pagan celebration ... The origin of Easter goes back to the springtime ritual instituted by [Nimrod's wife Queen] Semiramis following the death of [her son] Tammuz, who, according to tradition, was killed by a wild boar. Legend has it that through the power of his mother's tears, Tammuz was 'resurrected' ... the Easter bunny and the Easter egg can also be traced back to the practices established by Semiramis ... Because of their prolific nature, rabbits have long been associated with fertility and its goddess, Ishtar.  Ancient Babylonians believed in a fable about an egg that fell into the Euphrates River from heaven and from which Queen Astarte (another name for Ishtar or Semiramis) was 'hatched'..."

What is Easter Sunday?  (No Date)

"There is a lot of confusion regarding what Easter Sunday is all about. For some, Easter Sunday is about the Easter Bunny, colorfully decorated Easter eggs, and Easter egg hunts. Most people understand that Easter Sunday has something to do with the resurrection of Jesus, but are confused as to how the resurrection is related to Easter eggs and the Easter bunny..."

Acts 12:4 - Easter or Passover?

"Now about that time Herod the king stretched forth his hands to vex certain of the church.  And he killed James the brother of John with the sword.  And because he saw it pleased the Jews, he proceeded further to take Peter also.  (Then were the days of unleavened bread.)  And when he had apprehended him, he put him in prison, and delivered him to four quaternions of soldiers to keep him; intending after Easter to bring him forth to the people" (Acts12:1-4).

Isn't 'Easter' in Acts 12:4 a Mistranslation?  (No Date)

"Even though the Jewish passover was held in mid April (the fourteenth) and the pagan festival Easter was held later the same month, how do we know that Herod was referring to Easter in Acts 12:4 and not the Jewish passover?  If he was referring to the passover, the translation of 'pascha' as 'Easter' is incorrect. If he was indeed referring to the pagan holyday (holiday) Easter, then the KJV ... has the correct reading ... Our investigation will need to start at the first Passover..."

Easter Or Passover?  (No Date)

"The critic says: 'A most unfortunate translation. In each of the 28 other New Testament passages the Greek 'pascha' is translated 'Passover'.  The same is true of the Hebrew pesach, it is always 'Passover'.  Why this one exception in Acts 12:4? Further, the word 'Easter' was not used in the Christian sense until much later'..."

Books

All the books listed below should be available from the publishers or from usedbooksearch

REVIEW:  Three Days and Three Nights  (05 April 2019)

This book "is a robust defence of the reliability of the Gospel accounts and their agreement concerning the timing of Jesus' crucifixion, contrasted with Christianity's traditional 'Good Friday' narrative. Jesus stated that he would be buried for 'three days and three nights' which, counting back from his resurrection appearance early Sunday morning, either places his crucifixion on Thursday or possibly Wednesday..."

"Jesus suffered on the cross and died. On the third day He rose again according to the scriptures.
Nothing else matters. Absolutely nothing comes anywhere near the significance of this historical event -
nothing political, nothing religious, nothing philosophical; nothing in an entire world of violence and sin
offers so much hope than the assurance that the risen Christ lives, and so a new world is coming -
one of perfect justice, peace, and righteousness"
[source]

"Behold, I make all things new" (Revelation 21:5)

Thus saith the LORD,
Stand ye in the ways, and see, and ask for the old paths, where is the good way,
and walk therein, and ye shall find rest for your souls
(Jeremiah 6:16)

© Bayith Ministries     http://www.bayith.org     bayith@blueyonder.co.uk