How Jesus fulfilled Passover, The Feast of Unleavened Bread, First Fruits, and Pentecost
Welcome to the Messiah, beyond a shadow of doubt, I'm Don McCluskey and we've come to a very special point in our series about the Messiah in the Lord's Appointed Times. This lesson is entitled, Christ in the Spring Appointed Times. And we're going to look into the gospels, Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John, to investigate the timing information that surrounded the events of Jesus' ministry, timing information that would confirm or counter whether he fulfilled the time signature of the Messiah. I think you'll be amazed at how Jesus clearly met all the criteria of the time signature, establishing his authenticity in a way that no one else could ever have done.
In this lesson, we're going to focus on the timing of the events that relate to the time signature. Let's begin by one more time reviewing the time signature that we derived from the Appointed Times in Leviticus 23.
Review of the Time-Signature of the Messiah
The first time marker is in Abib 10, the 10th day of the month. On this day, the Israelites were to corral a lamb for the purpose of inspecting it for its purity as a sacrifice. They were to keep it for five days, then on the 14th day of the same month, they were to kill the lamb at twilight, which was between 3:00 PM and sundown, and they were to take some of the blood and put it on the two door posts and the lentil of the houses in which they ate the lamb.
Then when the sun went down on the 14th and the date changed to the 15th, they were to eat the lamb roasted with unleavened bread, the bread of affliction, and bitter herbs. And later that night, the destroyer did its work, moving through the land, taking the lives of all the firstborn in every household that were not protected by the blood around the door.
And the people left Rameses and they journeyed for three days and found themselves trapped between Pharaoh's army and the sea. And you know the story, the Lord parted the sea and the people walked through to the other side. And at dawn on the 17th, which coincides with First Fruits, Israel arose alive from the sea.
Then 50 days after First Fruits, Israel met the God of their fathers at Mount Sinai in a terrifying event when the Lord gave his law. So, this is the timeline, the time signature of the Messiah, and we're going to explain how the events in Jesus' life match up to these events in both the timing and in the substance. It is an amazing thing to behold.
So, let's begin in the gospel of John chapter 12. Verse 1 says, "Jesus, therefore six days before the Passover came to Bethany where Lazarus was whom Jesus had raised from the dead."
Now you of course remember that Passover is always on the 14th of the month of Abib, which of course we learned from Leviticus 23. So, Jesus came to Bethany probably traveling from Jericho, but his ultimate destination was Jerusalem. He had providential plans to be there for Passover.
Now Jericho is approximately 16 miles from Bethany. So, he journeyed southward and he arrived at the home of Mary and Martha and Lazarus, and he had supper with them, which suggests that it was early evening. And it would've been too late in the day to go to his destination of Jerusalem, since it was an additional two miles from Bethany.
So, let's look at these dates in the calendar to see what six days before the Passover would look like in light of Jesus' travels.
Now we begin by placing the 14th on a Thursday and we'll draw a circle around it and count backwards six days before the Passover. And that brings us to Abib eight, which would've been a Friday. So, Jesus traveled 16 miles, they made him a supper toward the end of the day.
Now his destination was Jerusalem, but he would not have journeyed there on the next day, the ninth, because that would've been a Saturday, a Sabbath day, and it was farther than a Sabbath day's journey. That means He would've traveled the two miles and entered Jerusalem on the next day, which would've been on a Sunday, Abib 10. And you're probably thinking, hmm, Abib 10, that date sounds familiar. See, I knew you would catch onto this!
Well, of course that is the date that the Israelites were to corral the Passover lamb, to inspect it for its purity, the very date that Jesus entered Jerusalem.
Now, when Jesus came to Jerusalem on the 10th, the city was already packed with people who had arrived to observe Passover and the Feast of Unleavened Bread. And when they heard that He was coming into the city, a large crowd gathered, waving palm branches and laying their coats on the road before Him as He rode into the city on a young donkey.
And the people shouted praises to Him, “Hosanna to the Son of David! Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord! Hosanna in the highest!” And as you probably know, these are not the praises someone would laud upon a governor or to an earthly king. These were praises from the Psalms and Prophets reserved only for the Messiah.
This event, Jesus entering Jerusalem with great fanfare and exuberant crowds, is commonly referred to as the Triumphal Entry. It is a highly significant event in the master plan of the Messiah, and it is recorded in all four gospels.
Now, some people have speculated that if Israel had ultimately accepted Jesus as their king at that time, then He would've set up His kingdom at that time 2000 years ago. But even though He was their king, in this visitation He was coming for the purpose of dying as their Passover lamb.
So once again, the date of Jesus entry into Jerusalem was Abib 10, the day when the Passover lamb of God was corralled to be tested for its purity and worthiness as a sacrifice.
So, let's place our drawing of the triumphal entry on Abib 10 on our timeline when the lamb was corralled.
Testing the Lamb of God
Now you're probably wondering how would the Lamb of God be tested for purity? Certainly not in the same way that a Passover lamb would be tested. Well, indeed it is very different, but in a moment it will become very obvious to you.
The religious leaders, including the Pharisees, Herodians, Sadducees, and the Scribes, all converged on Jesus to test Him and trap Him in his teachings. And the tests that we're about to look at all occurred AFTER the triumphal entry, AFTER the Lamb was corralled, so His purity and worthiness is the Lamb of God would be obvious to all.
So, let's begin in Matthew 22 with verses 15 to 22. Then the Pharisees went and counseled together how they might trap Him in what he said, and they sent their disciples to Him, along with the Herodians saying, "Teacher, we know that you're truthful and teach the way of God in truth and defer to no one. You're not partial to any. Tell us, therefore, what do you think? Is it lawful to give a poll-tax to Caesar or not?"
And you may know what happened. Jesus called them out for testing Him and asked whose image is on a denarius (a Roman coin)? And when they said Caesar's, He replied, then give to Caesar the things that are Caesar’s and to God, the things that are God's. And hearing this, they marveled and leaving Him, they went away.
So that was test number one, and Jesus passed it with ease. Now, the next test occurred on the very same day, the very next verse. And Matthew 22 tells us on that day, some Sadducees who say there is no resurrection, came to Him and questioned Him saying, "Teacher, Moses said, if a man dies having no children, his brother as next of kin shall marry his wife and raise up an offspring to his brother."
Their story is based in the Law of Moses, and the Sadducees crafted the classic one bride for seven brothers story, where a lady was the wife of all seven brothers and all the brothers died without giving her a child. So, they asked Jesus, whose wife will she be in the resurrection?
And Jesus answer was powerful. He explained that they were mistaken because they do not understand the Scriptures or the power of God. And He went on to tell them about how the Lord is the God of Abraham and Isaac and Jacob. He did not say I was the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, but I am. And the implication is that these men are alive and I am their God! He is not the God of the dead but of the living.
So once again, Jesus passed the test with ease and Matthew tells us when the crowd heard this, they were astonished at His teaching. Then Matthew continues in verse 34 saying, but when the Pharisees heard that Jesus had silenced the Sadducees, they huddled themselves together again. And one of them, a lawyer, asked Him a question testing Him, "Teacher, which is a great commandment in the law?" And He said to him, "You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the great and foremost commandment. And the second is like it, You shall love your neighbor as yourself. On these two commandments depend the whole Law and the Prophets."
And Matthew goes on to tell us that no one was able to answer Him a word, nor did anyone from that day on dare to ask Him another question. So, the result of the testing and inspection found the Lamb to be pure and without blemish.
And we also read in the writings of Paul in 2 Corinthians, that God made Him who knew no sin to be sin on our behalf, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him. In other words, Jesus was perfect, completely pure from sin, which qualified Him to be the Passover sacrifice.
We also see near the beginning of the gospel of John, when John the Baptist saw Jesus coming to Him, he said, behold the Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world. So, the prophet clearly identified Jesus as the Lamb of God, certainly a reference to Jesus being the Passover Lamb.
The Purity and Pedigree of the Lamb of God
So, you see the testing and interrogations that Jesus underwent were not mere academic contests. They were much more than that. We would be missing the point if we believed the inspection was merely a test of Jesus' doctrinal views. Instead, they were decisive tests, the final examinations of the purity of the Lamb, even establishing the pedigree of the Lamb as the Messiah, the son of David.
So, the Lamb of God submitted Himself to be tested on the 10th of the month, but on the 14th day of the same month, the Lamb was supposed to die at twilight because it was Passover.
Did Jesus Die on Passover Afternoon or Did He Eat the Passover Meal that Evening?
Now, there is a big question about the timing of Jesus' death. Did He die on the cross on Passover afternoon or did He eat the Passover meal with his disciples on Passover evening?
This is a very controversial issue. Obviously if He ate the Passover meal that evening, then He did not die on the cross earlier that day, which means that the timing of His death did not align with the timing of the death of the Passover lamb and He would not therefore have fulfilled the time signature of the Messiah. So, in this light, it is a very important question that we need to explore.
They Synoptics’ Account Versus John’s Account
So let me begin by saying that on the surface, it appears that the account about the timing in the gospel of John, differs from the accounts in Matthew, Mark, and Luke. John's account aligns very clearly with the Appointed Times, while the accounts of Matthew, Mark, and Luke seem to indicate that the Passover had already arrived at the time that Jesus told the disciples to find the room in which they were to eat the Passover.
So, which is correct? Do the gospels really present different accounts in the timing of Jesus' crucifixion? Certainly, both cannot be correct. But I'm glad to tell you that a careful study of all four gospels reveals that they're in perfect harmony with each other, including their accounts of the timing of the crucifixion.
Jesus’ Trials Were on the Day of Passover – Abib 14
So, let's take a look starting with John 18:28. After Jesus was arrested in the garden, it tells us that the Jewish leadership “…led Jesus from Caiaphas into the Praetorium, and it was early in the morning, but they themselves did not enter into the Praetorium, that they might not be defiled but might eat the Passover.”
So here you have the Jewish religious leaders not wanting to enter the house of a Roman because they would be defiled and could not eat the Passover later that same evening. Clearly teaching that Jesus trials took place on the day of the Passover since the meal had not yet been eaten.
Then a little bit later we're told “…now it was the day of preparation for the Passover and it was noon about the sixth hour, and Pilate said to the Jews, behold your king.” So once again, he's getting ready to crucify Jesus on Passover. And it establishes once again that this was the day of preparation for the Passover, a very clear indication of the date.
So, Jesus was crucified around noon on Passover, which is Abib 14, when we continue reading in the same chapter, verse 31 says, "Then the Jews, because it was the day of preparation, so that the bodies would not remain on the cross on the Sabbath, asked Pilate that their legs might be broken and that they might be taken away."
The Next Day was a High Sabbath
Now that is a very interesting comment. John tells us that Sabbath was a high day. That particular Sabbath was the first day of the Feast of Unleavened Bread, and that's why they wanted the bodies off the cross. It wasn't necessarily the weekly Sabbath. It was the first day of the Feast of Unleavened Bread that concerned them, which means that Passover may have been on Thursday during the year of Jesus crucifixion, just as the Talmud indicates that Passover was on a Thursday some 1500 years before during the year of the Exodus.
But once again, it establishes that this was the day of preparation for the Passover. In other words, it was the day the people would prepare for the first high Sabbath of the Feast of Unleavened Bread, which was on the next day.
The Synoptics Confirm That He was Crucified on the Day of Preparation
So do Matthew, Mark and Luke confirm or contradict this? Well, let's take a look.
The gospel of Matthew confirms that Jesus was crucified on the day of preparation for the Passover. When it says, "Now on the next day, the day after the preparation, the chief priest and the Pharisees gathered together with Pilate." Do you see that? After the preparation.
And you probably know the story. They asked Pilate to provide a guard to secure the grave so that the disciples would not steal Jesus' body and then proclaim a resurrection. And Mark and Luke make similar statements, indicating that Jesus died on the 14th on the day of preparation, because the chief priest and the Pharisees went to Pilate on the day after the preparation.
I recommend that you explore this in more depth if you've had difficulty with harmonizing the timing of the gospels. It took years for me to figure it out. So, I refer you to Chapter 10 in the Messiah book for a more thorough treatment of how Matthew, Mark, and Luke fully agree with the Gospel of John and support a crucifixion on the day of preparation, which is Passover, rather than suggesting that He ate the Passover later that evening.
Jesus Died on the Cross on Passover Afternoon
So back to our big question, did Jesus die on the cross on Passover afternoon or did he eat the Passover meal with his disciples later that evening? Well, I think the best answer is that Jesus died on the cross on Passover afternoon. He did not eat the Passover meal with His disciples that evening because He had died and His body had been placed in the tomb while everyone else in Jerusalem was eating the Passover meal. And it becomes very clear when we understand the concept of the day of preparation.
The Last Supper Was NOT the Passover Meal
But you might be wondering if the last supper was a Passover meal. And the answer is probably not. It was most likely a normal supper during Passover week, the night before the day of preparation, it would've been on a Wednesday evening, which means the date would've changed to the 14th at sundown.
Jesus was Crucified on Thursday Afternoon
Now let me address something that may be bothering you. I just made a case for a Thursday crucifixion, and that may be something completely new to you if you've always heard that Jesus was crucified on Friday - Good Friday.
When Christian theologians studied the Scriptures centuries ago, they read the same passage in John 19:31 and saw that the people did not want the bodies to remain on the cross on the Sabbath, but they interpreted that to mean that Jesus died on a Friday not realizing that a high Sabbath could have occurred on any day of the week. They were probably not acquainted with the Appointed Times and the concept of High Sabbaths since they were not of Jewish heritage. They did not take into account that John had identified it as a high Sabbath and they, therefore, assumed that Jesus was on the cross on a Friday. Thus, the tradition began and has continued throughout the centuries.
That Sabbath Was a High Day
Now, if the idea of a Thursday crucifixion is new to you, and if it bothers you, then I just ask you to give it some thought. Look for places in your Bible that give an indication of the day of the crucifixion, and you'll find that this passage, John 19:31, is the primary reason for the belief in a Friday crucifixion.
Now, would a person's belief about the day of the crucifixion affect their salvation or their standing with God? Of course not. But understanding how Jesus fulfilled the Appointed Times will certainly encourage a person in their faith.
Jesus Died on Abib 14 at the 9th Hour
So, for our study, we will place a timing of the crucifixion on the afternoon of Abib 14, which is Passover afternoon. The gospel of John does not record the time of death, but Matthew tells us about the ninth hour, Jesus cried out with a loud voice saying, "My God, my God, why have you forsaken Me? And He cried out again with a loud voice and yielded up His spirit." which means He died at the ninth hour. And as you remember, the ninth hour is about 3:00 PM.
So, let's put that on our timeline. Recall that we learned from tracking time in Israel that twilight, as it is usually translated in our Bibles, literally means between the two evenings, which is between 3:00 PM and sundown. So, Jesus died at exactly the same time that the Passover lamb died the ninth hour on the 14th day of the month.
Are you starting to see how Jesus fulfilled the time signature of the Messiah? There's more to come!
Jesus Placed in the Tomb When The Feast of Unleavened Bread Started
So, let's resume with Jesus' fulfillment of the Feast of Unleavened Bread. Recall that He had already entered Jerusalem and submitted Himself for testing on Abib 10. Then on the 14th of the month on the day of Passover, He died at 3:00 PM, right at twilight. Then when the sun went down, the date changed to the 15th, the Feast of Unleavened Bread began, and the Jewish people were to eat the Passover lamb with unleavened bread and bitter herbs.
So, let's see how this fits into our timeline. Back in the 12th chapter of Exodus, the Lord told Moses they shall eat the flesh that night roasted with fire, and they shall eat it with unleavened bread and bitter herbs.
Now picture this, the sun is set on the 14th and the date is now the 15th. The people of Israel are eating the lamb with unleavened bread and bitter herbs after dark.
Now, when we return to the crucifixion story, Matthew 27:57 to 60, says, "and when it was evening, there came a rich man from Arimathea named Joseph, who himself had also become a disciple of Jesus, and Joseph took the body and wrapped it in a clean linen cloth and laid it in his own new tomb, which had been hewn out of the rock and rolled a large stone over the entrance of the tomb and went away."
Now notice the timing in this passage, it says, "when it was evening," Jesus' body was placed in the tomb. So, when the nation consumed the Passover lamb with the bread of affliction and bitter herbs, the Lamb of God was entombed in the heart of earth, after great affliction and tasting the bitterness of death. So once again, an Appointed Time lines up perfectly with an event in the life of Jesus, both in its timing and in its substance.
So, we'll place the burial of Jesus on our timeline in the evening of the 15th of the month, coinciding with the timing of the beginning of the Feast of Unleavened Bread, consuming the Passover meal on the 15th after sundown.
Jesus In the Tomb: Three Days and Three Nights
Now, how long was Jesus in the tomb? Well, we know from Matthew chapter 12, He said, "just as Jonah was three days and three nights in the belly of the sea monster. So, the son of man shall be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth." So, let's see if we can find three days and three nights on our timeline.
Remember, he was placed into the tomb just after sundown on the 15th. So, it would be the night of the 15th, the night of the 16th and the night of the 17th. So, there we have our three nights, and what about three days? Well, the first day would've been the daylight of the 15th, then the daylight of the 16th and the daylight of the 17th. And the 17th is just a partial day because it was just right at dawn when he arose. And remember, we learned from Tracking Time in Israel that a partial day was considered to be a full day in the ancient Jewish culture.
So, when He says, "So the Son of Man shall be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth." then everything fits together perfectly if we place the crucifixion on Thursday.
So, let's picture this on our timeline with a tomb image. He was placed in the tomb just after sundown on the 15th, and He rises at daybreak on the 17th.
Jesus Rose from the Dead on First Fruits!
Now, I want to point out something very interesting. Remember that the 15th was a high Sabbath and it was a Friday and the 16th would've been a Saturday, a weekly Sabbath. And do you remember anything special about the day after the weekly Sabbath during the Feast of Unleavened Bread? Of course! It's First Fruits! That means that Jesus rose from the dead on First Fruits.
It's not a coincidence. As the apostle Paul told us in First Corinthians 15:20, “But now Christ has been raised from the dead, the first fruits of those who are asleep.” A couple verses later, he adds, "but each in his own order, Christ, the first fruits, after that, those who are Christ that is coming." By rising from the dead on the day of First Fruits, Jesus fulfilled the next Appointed Time in the time signature of the Messiah.
And the meaning of First Fruits is so appropriate. Jesus was the first fruits because of His resurrection, and it carries the expectation of more to come. We just read Paul's words each it's his own order, Jesus rose first and we will be the more to come when we rise from the dead. Wow, an amazing fulfillment both in the timing of this Appointed Time and in the substance!
Now in our timeline, we show Israel crossing the sea on First Fruits. They cast a shadow of the Messiah rising from the grave. You probably recall that they passed through the sea in the night and they rose alive on the other side at daybreak on First Fruits. So, we'll replace that image on our timeline with Jesus' resurrection.
The gospel of Luke confirms this in chapter 24. It says,
"But on the first day of the week, at early dawn, they came to the tomb, bringing the spices which they had prepared. And they found the stone rolled away from the tomb. But when they entered, they did not find the body of the Lord Jesus. While they were perplexed about this, behold two men suddenly stood near them in dazzling clothing. And as the women were terrified and bowed their faces to the ground, the men said to them, why do you seek the living one among the dead? He is not here, but He has risen."
Wow, amazing, the first day of the week at early dawn. So, we have the fulfillment of the First Fruits shadow. During the year of the Exodus,
Israel rose alive from the sea at daybreak on First Fruits.
But even of greater significance is almost 1500 years later,
Jesus arose alive from the grave at daybreak on First Fruits.
The Feast of Weeks – Pentecost
Finally, let's look into the fulfillment of the last Spring Appointed Time, which is a Feast of Weeks, which is also known as Pentecost. Recall that the date of Pentecost is determined by counting 50 days from the day of First Fruits.
It was the day during the Exodus from Egypt that terrified the nation of Israel because they met the God of their fathers at Mount Sinai. He descended on the mount in clouds and darkness, with smoke and thunder and lightning and the sound of loud trumpet blasts. This was their introduction to their God, and He gave the Ten Commandments and became their God.
The Lord Met with Man at Mount Sinai, and 1,500 Years Later, in the Upper Room
But almost 1500 years later, on the day of Pentecost, God once again met with man. This time it was in the upper room in Jerusalem. In this meeting, He did not terrify the people. In this meeting, He met them as a helper, counselor, and guide - a friend who would empower them in the work that He had for them. This was the day of Pentecost during the year of Jesus' death, burial and resurrection, and the giving of the Holy Spirit was the final event of the first coming of the Messiah.
We know what happened on the day of Pentecost during the year of the Exodus, and we learned what happened on the day of Pentecost in the year of Jesus' passion. The second chapter of Acts verse one says,
"When the day of Pentecost had come, they were all together in one place and suddenly there came from heaven, a noise like a violent rushing wind, and it filled the whole house where they were sitting and there appeared to them tongues as a fire distributing themselves. And they rested on each one of them and they were filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak with other tongues as the Spirit was giving them utterance."
And the story continues, telling us that 3000 souls came to faith in the Messiah because the Holy Spirit empowered Peter and convicted the hearts of many through his preaching - an amazing event!
But the significance of the giving of the Spirit goes much deeper than that. As we learn from the writings of the apostles, the Holy Spirit is given to every person who comes to faith in Christ. Not just to visit and empower them momentarily, but to indwell them forever. It is truly a mystical relationship between God's Spirit and believers, but it is undeniable in the Scriptures.
Was the Giving of the Spirit a Messianic Event?
So, this was the day of Pentecost. Now you might be wondering, "Was this actually a Messianic event? Did Jesus actually do this? Was it actually the Messiah?" Well, recall what Jesus told the disciples in John 15. He said, when the helper comes, whom I will send to you from the Father, that is the Spirit of Truth who proceeds from the Father, He will testify about Me and you will testify also because you have been with Me from the beginning. So, Jesus was clearly involved in this event. He sent the Holy Spirit to the apostles on the day of Pentecost.
So, let's put the disciples in the upper room on our timeline on the day of Pentecost. And there you have it, the completed Time Signature of the Messiah. The Lord gave them to Moses some 1500 years before Jesus walked the earth, and Jesus fulfilled them with perfect precision. The signature is His.
Not Mere Coincidences – The Hand of God Pointing to His Messiah
Now, let's step back from our timeline for a moment and consider what is before us. Based on what you see, would you think that these events are mere coincidences? Would you think that Jesus' fulfillments are chance or happenstance? They have been hidden right before our eyes in a way that everyone can clearly see, and there is no question that they form a unique pattern of dates and substance. And there is no question that Jesus of Nazareth fulfilled all of them.
The timings align perfectly and the substances align perfectly, and they clearly show the hand of God, pointing from the shadows to His Chosen One, His Anointed One, who will one day return and ascend the throne of the universe.
So where do we go from here? Well, with this confirmation that Jesus truly is the Anointed One of God, we can also gain a deeper understanding of the work of the Messiah by learning about the Fall Appointed Times. The Fall Appointed Times teach about the return of the Messiah, His work of redemption called the Atonement, and our eternal home in heaven.
So, I invite you to join us in our upcoming lessons about the Messiah in the Fall Appointed Times. My name is Don McCluskey, and it's been a great joy to bring this information to you!
