When Did the Crucifixion and Resurrection Occur?

What Days and What Order Did it Happen?

The Bible gives a clear chronological order for the events and days leading to Christ’s crucifixion and His resurrection.

Feast of Unleavened Bread

“Now the first day of the feast of unleavened bread the disciples came to Jesus…” Matthew 26:17

The Feast of Unleavened Bread was two days before the Jewish Passover (Nisan 14) or our calendar date–April 12.

From that date (April 12) we know Jesus was taken by the Jewish leaders before the Roman governor, Pilate, and later before Herod the king, and then back to Pilate who issued the order to crucify Jesus (Matthew 27:26). The very day of Christ’s crucifixion was the day the Jews were to observe the Passover Paschal (killing the Passover lamb). Christ’s death was the ultimate fulfillment of the Passover–the innocent lamb slain and its blood applied to save the firstborn (Exodus 12; Isaiah 53:7).

The First Day of the Week

We know from Scripture that Jesus was buried in a tomb for three days and then He arose on the first day of the week–Sunday.

“In the end of the sabbath, as it began to dawn toward the first day of the week…” Matthew 28:1

Thus you can determine the date of Christ’s resurrection by studying the Bible and knowing the Jewish calendar date for the Passover–April 14.

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Dr. Elmer Towns is a college and seminary professor, an author of popular and scholarly works (the editor of two encyclopedias), a popular seminar lecturer, and dedicated worker in Sunday school, and has developed over 20 resource packets for leadership education.His personal education includes a B.S. from Northwestern College in Minneapolis, Minnesota, a M.A. from Southern Methodist University in Dallas, Texas, a Th.M. from Dallas Theological Seminary also in Dallas, a MRE from Garrett Theological Seminary in Evanston, Illinois, and a D.Min. from Fuller Theological Seminary in Pasadena, California.He is co-founder of Liberty University, with Jerry Falwell, in 1971, and was the only full-time teacher in the first year of Liberty’s existence. Today, the University has over 11,400 students on campus with 39,000 in the Distance Learning Program (now Liberty University Online), and he is the Dean of the School of Religion.Dr. Towns has given theological lectures and taught intensive seminars at over 50 theological seminaries in America and abroad. He holds visiting professorship rank in five seminaries. He has written over 2,000 reference and/or popular articles and received six honorary doctoral degrees. Four doctoral dissertations have analyzed his contribution to religious education and evangelism.

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