THE RESURRECTION - A REEXAMINATION OF THE EVIDENCE - PART FOUR

LESSON FOUR
THE EVENTS AS THEY TOOK PLACE IN THEIR ORDER

A QUICK RECAP AND REVIEW OF THE EVENTS UP UNTIL JESUS’ BURIAL

We again take a moment to reexamine the evidences before us that we have thus examined once before, some of whose details we only begin now to uncover even further.

As we continue to do this, we discover that there are details contained within the records which we have either not covered previously, or may have overlooked, for example those which we will cite here in this current part of our study and examinations.

As we have promised before, we will go over every detail several times, and as we do, we will discover new facets of information that will provide us with a richer and more detailed knowledge of the narrative.

We will be methodical in our evidence gathering, and from one part of our study to the next, continue building on what we have covered before, even if some of it may appear anecdotal.

What often appears anecdotal later takes on a whole new light when looked at from a different perspective, or when additional new evidence presents itself.

Now this may seem to some as being repetitious, but the reason for it is twofold: first, to review what we’ve covered thus far so as to glean additional data we may have missed previously, and second, to establish a fact which the evidence points to that will be used when we summarize our findings at the end of our study, and submit them for testimony.

At this point the, we return once again to the time of the Second Temple Era, and return to the places once more where these events took place, where we will discover…….

THE EVENTS AS THEY TOOK PLACE IN THEIR ORDER

JESUS HAD SUFFERED GREATLY EMOTIONALLY AND PHYSICALLY BEFORE AND DURING HIS CRUCIFIXION

1.) He had been betrayed by one of His closest followers.

2.) He had been struck by one of the temple police across the face when He was questioned by Annas at Annas and Caiaphas’ house.

3.) Perhaps the greatest indignity was to be charged by the high priest with blasphemy for answering forthrightly and correctly a question put to Him by the high priest himself if He was the Messiah, the Son of God.

4.) He had been mocked by the temple police and priests allied to Annas and Caiaphas – the high priests; who blindfolded Him and then proceeded to spit on Him, and strike blows upon Him with their fists, as they exclaimed, “Prophesy to us, You Messiah; who is the one who hit You?”

5.) Because of multiple false testimonies and the charges stemming from these by false witnesses brought against Him, Jesus had to suffer the indignity of having His character and word questioned repeatedly; first before Annas, then before Caiaphas, afterwards before Pilate, who at one point surrendered Jesus over to Herod Antipas’ custody, who then remanded Jesus back to Pilate’s.

6.) And even before Pilate, they continued to bear false witness against Him, as they had done before Herod Antipas.

7.) To add insult to injury, Jesus was asked to answer these false charges in front of the high priests in front of Herod Antipas, and in front of the Roman Governor; though not once did Jesus say a thing in His own defense, even though it was well within His right to do so because He was innocent of every single charge brought against Him.

8.) At one point Pilate, after examining all of the charges brought against Jesus; himself finding no guilt in Him as to a single charge, and being warned by his wife not to get involved with “this Righteous Man;” declared Jesus innocent of all of the charges and but had Him flogged, and would have released Him; but because of the high priests’ and their followers’ insistent demands to have Jesus crucified and for Bar Abbas’ – a murderous insurrectionist – be released; Pilate acquiesced and released for them the criminal – Bar Abbas while sentencing the innocent – Jesus to death by crucifixion.

9.) Jesus also suffered the additional insults of the Romans who were tasked by Pilate in having Him flogged.

10.) Sometime during His flogging, the Roman Cohort gathered in the Praetorium and dressed Jesus in a reddish purple robe, and fashioning a crown of thorns, they thrust onto His head.

Relative to our study thus far, a most incredible discovery is what we read in the Sibylline Oracles, which we include here:

“And being beaten He shall be silent lest anyone should know what THE WORD is, or whence it came, that it may speak with mortals; and He shall wear the CROWN OF THORNS.”

The Sibylline Oracles were written approximately one hundred fifty years before the birth of Christ. We continue now in outlining the ways in which Jesus suffered prior to the cross.

11.) The Romans placed a reed in Jesus’ right hand, and gathered all of the troops, and pretended feigned homage to Him, while mocking Him, acclaiming, “Hail, King of the Jews!,” while they each took turns at spitting at Him and beating Him with punches and strikes with the reed.

12.) At one point, before the Cohort was done with their mockery and abuse of Jesus, Pilate had Him taken out of the Praetorium wearing the crown of thorns and purple robe, saying, “Ecce Homo! Behold, the Man!” to them that he could not find any guilt in Him.

13.) This sent the chief priests when they saw Jesus, into a frenzy, and they cried out even more for His crucifixion; to which Pilate told them to crucify Him themselves, because he had found no in Him.

14.) But the crafty high priests, replied, “We have a law, and by that law He ought to die because He made Himself out to be the Son of God.”

This made Pilate all the more afraid. What on earth did he get himself involved with here? Taking Jesus back into the Praetorium, Pilate, visibly shaken, questioned Jesus, “Where are You from? But Jesus gave him no answer.

Pilate was exasperated, and uncontrollably shouted at Jesus, “You do not speak to me? Do You not know that I have the authority to release You, and I have the authority to crucify You?”

But Jesus answered him, ” You would have no authority over Me, unless it had been given to you from above; for this reason he who delivered Me to you has the greater sin.”

15.) Every effort of Pilate’s to release Jesus was blunted by the crafty statements of the chief priests, who charged Pilate by inference that if he opposed Jesus’ crucifixion, he then opposed Caesar; because Jesus had said He was a King.

16.) This forced Pilate’s hand, and at a place called the Pavement, but in Hebrew Gabbatha; he pronounced Jesus’ death by crucifixion.

17.) When the Romans finished mocking Him, they took the purple robe off of Him and put His garments on Him, and led Jesus out to be crucified, and arriving at the location, the Romans tried to give Jesus wine mingled with gall, but He refused it after tasting it.

18.) At the place of execution atop the Golgotha Hill, the Romans stripped the prisoners completely naked of all of their clothes, furthering the humiliation in the presence of scores of on-lookers. Large spike-like nails were driven into the prisoner’s wrists and feet. Jesus was crucified between the other two.

19.) Displaying acute disrespect and insensitivity, the Roman soldiers cast lots for Jesus’ only earthly possessions; His robe, as His life was slowly ebbing away before them. These, they divided into four parts, without tearing.

THE SIGNIFICANCE OF THE SIGN FASTENED ABOVE JESUS’ CROSS

We must pause again for a moment, to examine a piece of evidence about Jesus’ crucifixion which ties in to His Person and mission. We have overlooked this in our previous three examinations, but are compelled to address it here. It deals with the placard fastened atop Jesus’ cross.

Above the execution stake, they fastened inscriptions written in Hebrew, Latin, and Greek; displaying the charges against the prisoners. The inscription above Jesus, read:
“THIS IS YESHUA, THE NAZARENE, THE KING OF THE JEWS” , to which the religious authorities took issue with Pilate on. But Pilate did not acquiesce; his reply to them was a simple:
“What I have written, I have written.”
The wording of the accusation used on that sign in this case is significant. There is a Hebrew acrostic which is lost when read in English.
An acrostic is defined as a composition in verse, in which the first, and sometimes the last, letters of a line, if read in order; forms a title, a name, or a statement. The epitaph written above Jesus’ execution stake, if read in Hebrew, reads:
Ha Yehudim v Melech HaNazarie Yeshua.
Now Hebrew is read from right to left. Thus we have the following:
Yeshua HaNazarei v Melech Ha Yehudim.
What eludes English translations of the scriptures is the acrostic comprised of the first Hebrew letters on the sign above Jesus’ cross.
This acrostic forms the sacred letters of the Tetragrammaton: the ineffable name of God! It is believed by many faithful Jewish and Gentile Christians and Messianic Jews that God took human form, and that form which He took was the historical Yeshua Ben Yosef ha Nezter; Jesus Son of Joseph, of Nazareth.
How fitting it is that this should be further born out! Whether by human or divine design, this is truly significant! Chuck Missler writes:
“If Pilate had rewritten it in the manner they had requested him to, it would not have spelled out the Name of God. Did Pilate realize this? Was it deliberate? Did he do it just to upset the Jewish leadership, which he realized delivered Him up for Envy? Or was he beginning to suspect that there was more going on here than he previously realized?”
THE PHYSICAL STATE OF JESUS BEFORE HE WAS CRUCIFIED

Again, we step back a moment to analyze the physical hardship Jesus suffered when He was flogged by the Romans.

The flogging Jesus received with a whip containing pieces of sharp metal and bone, tore into His flesh, and disfigured Him so greatly that He ceased to resemble a normal human being, and took on the appearance of a living mass of raw bleeding shredded flesh.

“In the Roman Empire, flagellation was often used as a prelude to crucifixion, and in this context is sometimes referred to as scourging. Whips with small pieces of metal or bone at the tips were commonly used. Such a device could easily cause disfigurement and serious trauma, such as ripping pieces of flesh from the body or loss of an eye. In addition to causing severe pain, the victim would approach a state of hypovolemic shock due to loss of blood.
The Romans reserved this treatment for non-citizens, as stated in the lex Porcia and lex Sempronia, dating from 195 and 123 BCE. The poet Horace refers to the horribile flagellum (horrible whip) in his Satires. Typically, the one to be punished was stripped naked and bound to a low pillar so that he could bend over it, or chained to an upright pillar so as to be stretched out. Two lictors (some reports indicate scourgings with four or six lictors) alternated blows from the bare shoulders down the body to the soles of the feet. There was no limit to the number of blows inflicted - this was left to the lictors to decide, though they were normally not supposed to kill the victim. Nonetheless, Livy, Suetonius and Josephus report cases of flagellation where victims died while still bound to the post. Flagellation was referred to as "half death" by some authors and apparently, many victims died shortly thereafter. Cicero reports in In Verrem, "pro mortuo sublatus brevi postea mortuus" ("taken away for a dead man, shortly thereafter he was dead"). In some cases the victim was turned over to allow flagellation on the chest, though this proceeded with more caution, as the possibility of inflicting a fatal blow was much greater.”

ISAIAH’S MESSIANIC PROPHECY PROVIDES A DESCRIPTION OF JESUS’ DISFIGUREMENT

So that the reader may get a better appreciation of the extent of Jesus’ disfigurement, the following differing versions of the same Scriptural Text are provided of Isaiah 52:14’s description of the Messiah’s suffering:

AS MANY WERE ASTONISHED AT THEE; HIS VISAGE WAS SO MARRED MORE THAN ANY MAN, AND HIS FORM MORE THAN THE SONS OF MEN;

JUST AS MANY WERE ASTONISHED AT YOU, MY PEOPLE, SO HIS APPEARANCE WAS MARRED MORE THAN ANY MAN AND HIS FORM MORE THAN THE SONS OF MEN.

JUST AS THERE WERE MANY WHO WERE APPALLED AT HIM – HIS APPEARANCE WAS SO DISFIGURED BEYOND THAT OF ANY MAN AND HIS FORM MARRED BEYOND HUMAN LIKENESS –

BUT MANY WERE AMAZED WHEN THEY SAW HIM. HIS FACE WAS SO DISFIGURED HE SEEMED HARDLY HUMAN, AND FROM HIS APPEARANCE, ONE WOULD SCARCELY KNOW HE WAS A MAN.

MANY WILL BE SHOCKED BY HIM. HIS APPEARANCE WILL BE SO DISFIGURED THAT HE WON’T LOOK LIKE ANY OTHER MAN. HIS LOOKS WILL BE SO DISFIGURED THAT HE WILL HARDLY LOOK LIKE A HUMAN.

There are more, but these will suffice to provide the reader with a descriptive illustration which should form a mental picture of Jesus’ suffering as He faced the cross.

THIS PROPHETIC DESCRIPTION OF GOD’S SUFFERING SERVANT IS MESSIAH YESHUA/JESUS, BUT WHAT DO THE ANCIENT RABBIS SAY?

Of whom does this prophecy speak? It speaks of the Servant of the Lord, and this Servant of the Lord in this passage is not Israel, for the distinction is made between “You My people” – meaning Israel and this Servant Who would be so brutally beaten that He would scarcely appear human anymore.

We understand this prophecy to be about the Messiah, the Suffering Servant of the Lord, but how did the ancient rabbis; before the advent of Catholic and Protestant Christianity, interpret this prophecy?

The rabbis too in times past interpreted Isaiah 52:14 as applying to Messiah. Here we offer a small sample of their opinions:

“Our Rabbis expound this in a Midrash of the KING MESSIAH, saying, “He shall be higher than Abraham, exalted above Moses, and loftier than the ministering angels.”

“MY servant ie., the KING MESSIAH, shall be high and exalted, and lofty exceedingly…..”

“Behold, my Servant MESSIAH shall prosper; HE shall be high, and increased, and be exceedingly strong.”

“The expression ‘My Servant,’ is applied to the MESSIAH as it is applied to HIS ancestor in the verse, ‘I have sworn to David my Servant.”

“Messiah, who is the perfection of the world, will be high and lofty, and exalted.”

And Rashi himself attributes the passage to the Messiah, where he writes:

“’BEHOLD MY SERVANT SHALL PROSPER’ Our Rabbis apply this to the Messiah.

WE NOW EXAMINE THE AFFECTS AND MARKS OF CRUCIFIXION ON JESUS’ BODY

We now come to the part in our study where we must examine the physical marks that Jesus suffered – perhaps one of the most painful aspects of our study.

The book Verdict On the Shroud, makes the following observation about Jesus’ crucifixion aside from His resurrection:

"... the crucifixion and burial of Jesus differed significantly from the ordinary ways the Romans crucified criminals and the Jews buried their dead. Jesus' case was irregular. He was scourged [whipped, flogged], crowned with thorns, nailed to his cross, stabbed in the side (instead of his legs being broken), buried well but incompletely, and his body left the cloth before it [his body] decomposed."

This observation is significant because it presents additional evidence that Jesus not only suffered the death of a common criminal on the cross, but He was made to suffer greatly, even uniquely, before that death.

Jesus’ suffering is most unique, and when examined, as we do here, attests to that uniqueness. Again, we return to the Shroud of Turin, because it provides us with the image of a man who suffered and died exactly as Jesus did.
“Irrespective of how the images were made, there is adequate information here to state that they are anatomically correct. There is no problem in diagnosing what happened to this individual. The pathology and physiology are unquestionable and represent medical knowledge unknown 150 years ago.
“This is a 5-foot, 11-inch male Caucasian weighing about 178 pounds. The lesions are as follows: beginning at the head, there are blood flows from numerous puncture wounds on the top and back of the scalp and forehead. The man has been beaten about the face, there is swelling over one cheek, and he undoubtedly has a black eye. His nose tip is abraded, as would occur from a fall, and it appears that the nasal cartilage may have separated from the bone. There is a wound in the left wrist, the right one being covered by the left hand. This is the typical lesion of crucifixion. The classical artistic and legendary portrayal of a crucifixion with nails through the palms of the hands is spurious [i.e., wrong]: the structures in the hand are too fragile to hold the live weight of a man, particularly of this size. Had a man been crucified with nails in the palms, they would have torn through the bones, muscles, and ligaments, and the victim would have fallen off the cross.
“There is a stream of blood down both arms. Here and there, there are blood drips at an angle from the main blood flow in response to gravity. These angles represent the only ones that can occur from the only two positions which can be taken by a body during crucifixion. [A momentary 'T' position to breathe, until the pain on the feet becomes too great, and a "Y" position with bent knees, which quickly paralyzes the chest muscles from strain and pain.]
“On the back and on the front there are lesions which appear to be scourge marks. Historians have indicated that Romans used a whip called a flagrum. This whip had two or three thongs, and at their ends there were pieces of metal or bone which look like small dumbbells. These were designed to gouge out flesh. The thongs and metal end-pieces from a Roman flagrum fit precisely into the anterior and posterior scourge lesions on the body. The victim was whipped from both sides by two men, one of whom was taller than the other, as demonstrated by the angle of the thongs.
“There is a swelling of both shoulders, with abrasions indicating something heavy and rough had been carried across the man's shoulders within hours of death. On the right flank, a long, narrow blade of some type entered in an upward direction, pierced the diaphragm, penetrated into the thoracic cavity through the lung into the heart. This was a post-mortem event, because separate components of blood cells and clear serum drained from the lesion. Later, after the corpse was laid out horizontally and face up on the cloth, blood dribbled out of the side wound and puddled along the small of the back. There is no evidence of either leg being fractured. There is an abrasion of one knee, commensurate with a fall (as is the abraded nose tip); and, finally, a spike had been drive through both feet, and blood had leaked from both wounds onto the cloth. The evidence of a scourged man who was crucified and died from the cardiopulmonary failure typical of crucifixion is clear-cut. [Italics added]

Further down, we read the following about the manner in which Jesus died:

“Physicians who have examined the Shroud image are unanimous in their belief that the man was dead when he was placed in the Shroud, and that his death was caused by crucifixion and the tortures that preceded it. They also agree that he was dead when the spear pierced his side. They are not as sure about the exact [emphasis in original] cause of Jesus' death, but their opinions are quite similar.

“Most experts hold that Jesus died primarily of asphyxiation, the usual cause of death in crucifixion. According to this view, Jesus died more quickly than most victims because scourging and beating had gravely weakened him. He was eventually unable to pull himself up on the cross in order to breathe [the "T" position described above], and he asphyxiated in the "down" position [the bent-knee "Y" position] on the cross. In this case, the muscles around his lungs kept him from exhaling and directly caused his death. Bucklin adds that complications due to congestive heart failure were likely as well.

“Sava offers a related alternative. He holds that the internal hemorrhaging in the chest cavity caused by the fierce scourging was a cause of death. The liquids slowly compressed the lungs, causing asphyxiation by pleural effusion.

“Davis presents another somewhat similar view. He holds that the pericardium, the sac surrounding the heart, filled with fluid under the stress of suffering. This liquid compressed the heart, eventually causing heart failure. After Jesus was dead, the Roman lance pierced both the pericardium and the heart, and released the blood and watery fluid.
A consensus is visible among these views. Most scholars hold that asphyxiation played an important part in Jesus' death. He struggled on the cross to keep breathing. Some scholars hold that he asphyxiated directly when the chest muscles fail to sustain breathing. Others suggest asphyxiation as the blood and fluid also compressed his lungs. But all these scholars agree that the Shroud contains conclusive evidence that Jesus indeed died and that it reveals the general features of his death. [End-note number omitted]”
[end of quote] “

Part of this suffering is what we have reexamined here, because it is unique to Jesus and to no other person in the annals of recorded history. And it is this evidence which establishes Jesus’ death.

THE EVENTS AS THEY TOOK PLACE IN THEIR ORDER

THE NATURAL OCCURRENCES BEHELD BY MANY THAT DEFIED NATURE THE DAY WHEN JESUS WAS CRUCIFIED AND DIED

Though Jesus was crucified at the third hour, darkness had covered the land from the sixth hour to the ninth hour, and there had occurred a great earthquake that caused the heavy lintel holding the great veil of the temple to fall, and with its fall, the veil itself to rip from top to bottom.

There is one secular independent source who attests to this darkness. He is Phlegon of Tralles, a second century Roman astronomer, whose record has the following to say in witness of this event:

"that the greatest eclipse of the sun that was ever known happened then, for the day was so turned into night that the stars appeared."

The third century Christian historian Sextus Julius Africanus, has this to say about Phlegon’s observation and record of this event:

"Phlegon records that during the reign of Tiberius Caesar there was a complete solar eclipse at full moon from the sixth to the ninth hour."

Another church historian, Eusebius of Caesarea, writing in his Chronicle, quotes Phlegon as saying that during the fourth year of the 202nd Olympiad:

“a great eclipse of the sun occurred at the sixth hour that excelled every other before it, turning the day into such darkness of night that the stars could be seen in heaven, and the earth moved in Bithynia, toppling many buildings in the city of Nicaea.”

The rocks had split, graves were opened, and many other signs had accompanied this event the moment Messiah had expired, and those who saw these things – a great number of people – both friends and supporters of Jesus, as well as His enemies and detractors – witnessed at least the most significant ones.

The Roman Centurion commanding a full cohort of hundreds of Caesar’s finest troops, guarding Golgotha and its perimeter in case there should be any rioting or insurrection because of Jesus’ execution; seeing from a distance atop the hill across into the temple itself the heavy doors opening by themselves, the falling of the huge and heavy lintel, the rending of the thick veil, the earthquake, the darkness over all the earth, the rocks split; the moment Jesus dies, and noting how gracious Jesus had been throughout His entire ordeal; himself exclaims, “Truly this Man was Righteous! Truly this Man was the Son of God!”

Many of the inhabitants of Jerusalem, who had stood there at the crucifixion, and seen all of these things, but had not been part of the earlier crowd allied with Annas and Caiaphas who had demanded Jesus’ execution; returned to their homes with great wailing, mourning; beating their breasts along the way as they went along.

We are reminded of the words of the prophet Zephaniah who says:

“THEN IT WILL COME ABOUT ON THE DAY OF THE LORD’S SACRIFICE,
THAT I WILL PUNISH THE PRINCES, THE KING’S SONS,
AND ALL WHO CLOTHE THEMSELVES WITH FOREIGN GARMENTS.
“AND I WILL PUNISH ON THAT DAY ALL WHO LEAP ON THE TEMPLE THRESHOLD,
WHO FILL THE HOUSE OF THEIR LORD WITH VIOLENCE AND DECEIT.
“AND ON THAT DAY,” DECLARES THE LORD,
“THERE WILL BE THE SOUND OF A CRY FROM THE FISH GATE,
A WAIL FROM THE SECOND QUARTER,
AND A LOUD CRASH FROM THE HILLS.
“WAIL, O INHABITANTS OF THE MORTAR – JERUSALEM,
FOR ALL THE PEOPLE OF CANAAN WILL BE SILENCED;
ALL WHO WEIGH OUT SILVER WILL BE CUT OFF.
…“MOREOVER, THEIR WEALTH WILL BECOME PLUNDER,
YES, THEY WILL BUILD HOUSES BUT NOT INHABIT THEM,
AND PLANT VINEYARDS BUT NOT DRINK THEIR WINE.”

THE EVENTS AS THEY TOOK PLACE IN THEIR ORDER

THE LOCATION WHERE JESUS WAS CRUCIFIED IS SIGNIFICANT

There are a couple of details pertaining to the location chosen for Jesus’ execution which we will analyze, because these will provide us with additional data upon which we will build this examination into a cohesive narrative and report of the events, people, location, and occurrences that surrounded the death burial, resurrection, and ascension of the Messiah.

Jesus had died, high on a hill above a hill resembling a skull just outside the gate to the city of Jerusalem with a great number of people – both friends and foes – looking on, witnessing this death.

The location was not an obscure far from the environs of Jerusalem, but just outside of the city walls themselves on a hill opposite them – outside its gate.

This hill allowed passersby to view those being executed, along a road that led to a street within the walls, just within shouting distance; from which the same passersby could hurl their insults at Jesus which the Gospels say they did.

THE LOCATION WHERE JESUS WAS BURIED IS SIGNIFICANT

Still trembling in fear for his life, but gathering enough courage; Joseph and Nicodemus – both members of the Sanhedrin, but who did not agree to the high priesthood’s plans; both being righteous men awaiting God’s kingdom – went to Pilate to ask for the body of Jesus so they could bury it.

After confirming that Jesus had died, Pilate granted them His body, and they had it taken down from the cross, Joseph wrapped it in clean linen, and laid it in a nearby unused tomb within a garden hewn into solid rock on the side of Golgotha.

Nicodemus had his servants bring a hundred pounds of spices, perfumes, and aloes, and had Jesus embalmed before returning home.

THE EVENTS AS THEY TOOK PLACE IN THEIR ORDER

SUMMARY OF THE KEY EVENTS OF THAT DAY IN THEIR ORDER

1.) The Third Hour: Jesus is sentenced by Pilate and crucified.

2.) The Sixth Hour: Darkness descends over the entire land.

3.) The Ninth Hour: Jesus dies.

Messianic Rabbi Jonathan Cahn has written a very interesting sidebar to the hour in which Messiah died:
“In Micah 5:2, it says, “You Bethlehem, one will go forth from you whose days or origins are from ancient times.” The word in Hebrew for ancient times is kedem which actually means the east or the sunrise because that is how everything begins. The sunrise is in the east. So He comes, His origins are from the beginning, the kedem, the place of the sunrise. It is interesting because if that is where He is from, then His destination would be the place of the sunset or in Hebrew, that is the word for the west, which is the maharav, which means the sunset place, the going down, awesome thing. Because what was Messiah’s destination? It was the cross, the crucifixion. And where was it to the west to the maharav of the city. When did He die on the cross? He died as the sun was going down. The time of the beginning of the sunset the maharav. In fact, there was a sacrifice in the temple called the maharav, which is the sunset sacrifice and when that was going down, you know when it is offered up? Three o’clock in the afternoon. When did Messiah die, 3 o’clock, when the sunset sacrifice, because He came from the east to the west. He came to be the sunset. He is the light of the world and when He goes down, the old life is over. Thank God that He is the maharav, the evening, the sunset sacrifice. It means that the sun has gone down on your sins, on your old life, down on your past, down on even today’s sin. You can be finished now with the old life because He is the sunset.”
The significance of the Gospel account of the hour of Jesus’ death would not be lost on Jesus’ Jewish followers, and its significance would not be rediscovered until the modern era by a Jewish believer in Jesus as Messiah with knowledge of such things – Messianic Rabbi Jonathan Cahn.

4.) Evening Before Shabbat: Joseph obtains Jesus’ body and buries it in his own unused tomb cut on the side of the hill by a garden out of solid rock with only one entrance/egress point.

The women whom have followed these men look on and see where the body of Jesus has been lain, for they plan to return there after Shabbat to perfume it.

For now, after securing the tomb with a huge heavy stone, everyone returns to their homes and prepare for Shabbat.

5.) The next day, after the preparation day, during Shabbat: The high priests visit Pilate and request that a Roman Guard be placed at the tomb where Jesus’ body is laid, and Pilate grants their request, and dispatches a Guard to secure the tomb and its perimeter.

6.) As this is being done, Jesus’ followers are observing Shabbat with their families.

We know from the records themselves, these people are upright in heart, being observant Jews of the highest moral character, zealous for the Law and their ancestral traditions.

This is why throughout the Gospel of John, for example; the narrator to the story repeatedly attests to their veracity.

And here we stop for now our examination, and Lord willing, we will pick up our examination by studying Jewish methods of embalmment at the time, the various tombs of the Second Temple Era, and more in our next part.
________________________________________SOURCES CITED:
Matthew 26:17-16, 20-25, 47-50, 27:3-10, Mark 14:10-11, 18-21, 43-46, Luke 22:3-6, 21-22, 47-48, John 6:64, 13:18, 21—30, 18:2-12, Acts 1:15-20.
John 18:22.
Matthew 26:63-66, Mark 14:61-64, Luke 22:66-71.
Matthew 26:67, Mark 14:65, Luke 22:63-64.
Matthew 26:59-61, Mark 14:55-59, Luke 22:54, Luke 22:65. John 18:19-21.
John 18:12, 19-24.
Matthew 26:57, Mark 14:53, Luke 22:54a, John 18:24.
Matthew 27:1-2, Mark 11a, 15:1, Luke 23:1, John 18:28.
Luke 23:6-11.
Matthew 27:12a, Mark 15:3, Luke 23:2, 5,.13.
Luke 23:10.
Matthew 26:62-63a , Mark 14:60-61a.
Luke 23:6-7, 9.
Matthew 26:62-63, 27:13-14, Mark 14:61, 15:4-5, Luke 23:9
Daniel 9:26 says: “And after the sixty-two weeks Messiah shall be cut off, but not for Himself.”(NKJV) This indicates that Messiah’s death would not be for His own guilt, because He would be innocent of the charges leveled against Him; yet henceforth from that time onwards, He would be cut off from His nation and His people by the leaders of Judaism. This prophetic Scripture ties in precisely with Isaiah 53:8, where it says of Messiah: “For he was cut off from the land of the living; for the transgression of my people he was stricken.” Messiah would die, not for Himself, but for His nation; for His people – the Jewish people.
Matthew 27:19.
Luke 23:4, 14-15, John 18:38.
Matthew 27:26a.
Luke 23:16, 20-22, John 19:12.
Luke 23:25
Luke 23:19, 25.
Isaiah 53:9b.
Prophetically He had to be pierced, and so He was. See Psalm 22:16. Zechariah 12:10-114, 13:6-7.
Luke 23:16, John 19:1. This was done with 39 lashes and perhaps more.
Roman Cohorts numbered between 480 and 800 troops.
Matthew 27:27, Mark 15:16, John 19:1-3, Pilate brings Jesus out of the Praetorium for a moment wearing the crown of thorns and the purple robe (John 19:4-7), then takes Jesus back into the Praetorium to question Him again privately in connection to the charge that Jesus “made Himself out to be the Son of God.” (John 19:7-12). Jesus’ reply to Pilate compels him to seek to release Jesus, but to no avail (John 19:12), which is part of what we outline above as part of Jesus’ great suffering before being crucified. It is interesting that Luke does not reference this incident (the entire Praetorium Guard’s mockery of Him), but only has Pilate’s statement of punishing (flogging) Jesus (Luke 23:16), followed by the following his sentencing of Jesus for crucifixion and release of the insurrectionist Bar Abbas (Luke 23:24-25).
Matthew 27:28.
Mark 15:17, John 19:2b.
John 19:2a.
Matthew 27:29.
Sibylline Oracles.
Around between 117-184 B.C.
Mark 15:18, John 19:3a.
John 19:3b.
Matthew 27:30, Mark 15:19.
John 19:5. The words of Pilate in the Latin Vulgate Version of John 19:5. It is the Latin words of “Behold the Man!” that Pilate uttered in Latin. From Wikipedia, the Online Encyclopedia: “The original Greek is Ἰδοὺ ὁ ἄνθρωπος (Idou ho Anthrōpos). The King James Version translates the phrase into English as Behold the Man. The scene is widely depicted in Christian art.” The link to the full article can be found at the following URL: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ecce_Homo.
John 19:4-5.
John 19:4.
John 19:6.
John 19:7.
John 19:9.
John 19:10.
John 19:11. This would imply that Joseph Caiaphas’ guilt in delivering Jesus to Pilate was greater than Pilate’s, because , whereas Pilate was following Roman policy against sedition of those calling themselves kings, Caiaphas intentionally did everything possible to assure that Jesus be executed one way or another – he wanted Jesus dead.
– whether out of altruism – something Pilate was not known to have – or out of fear for getting himself involved in something he sensed he would later regret -
John 19:12. . Imagine suffering rejection by your own religious leaders – the very people to whom the people would normally look to for support and help under these circumstances.
John 19:13-15. Pilate mocked the high priests and their guards – the temple police right to the end.
Matthew 27:31, Mark 15:20.
John 19:16.
A place atop a hill called a skull, because it resembled a human skull, and it is here where the Romans staged their executions so that everyone could view them as they walked along in and out of the city.
Matthew 27:34, Mark 15:23, which was administered to ease the pain, but Jesus refused such an escape. See Psalm 69:20-21.
Matthew 27:35-36, Mark 15:24, Luke 23:34b.
Jn. 19:20b.
Mt. 27:37. Yeshua was and is the way His name would be pronounced in Hebrew.
John 19:19.
Matthew 27:37c, Mark. 15:26b, Luke 23:38b, John 19:19b. Each of the Gospel narratives records only a portion of the full inscription. I have reconstructed what the full inscription may have said by combining all four accounts. Some believe that each of the Gospels contains the inscription in each of the three languages in use in that day, and therefore each translation of the charge would differ slightly from the other. The languages were Hebrew, Greek, and Latin. Matthew records the inscription in Aramaic or Hebrew; Mark and Luke record it in Latin, and John records it in Greek. The versions in the different languages differed slightly from one another, though the recreation we have included should be the closest and most complete version of it.
John 19:21-22.
יהוה‎ in Hebrew. In English: YHWH, sometimes written YaHWeH (pronounced, Yodh Hey Vav Hey; which is the pronunciation of each of the letters of the Tetragrammaton or erroneously; Jehovah; in some translations: the Lord. Jesus’ name in Hebrew incorporates these sacred letters. His name in Hebrew means God saves or God is salvation, or just plain salvation.
The religious leadership.
Chuck Missler, The Epitaph on the Cross of Yeshua, an Internet article from his book, The Creator Beyond Time and Space. For more information, the reader is directed to the following URL: http://www.khouse.org/6640/CD103/

From Wikipedia the Online Encyclopedia at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Flagellation
King James Version (Cambridge).
New American Standard Bible.
New International Version
The New Living Translation.
GOD’S WORD Translation.
Although some translations render it hardly distinctive one from another, though it is obvious Isaiah the prophet makes a distinction between his people – the Jewish people, and this Servant of the Lord whom God refers to as “My Servant” and distinguishes “You My People from “My Servant.”
R. Sa’adyah Ibn Danan.
Rabbi Sh’muel Lanyado.
Targum Jonathan.
Rabbi Yepheth ben Ali.
Rabbi Lieva of Prague.
Rashi.
The reason for using the Shroud of Turin as a template is because the image of the person on the shroud resembles a man whose sufferings mirror those of Jesus in the Gospels. Regarding the Shroud, however, four points are important:
1. Aside from issues of Resurrection, Jesus Christ's crucifixion is unique in a number of ways, described below.
2. Scientists agree that even if the Shroud is genuine, they cannot prove that the man in it is Christ, because science deals with repeatable natural phenomena and the Crucifixion and Resurrection were one-time events.
3. Scientists have been able to do a forensic pathological analysis of the man who was in the Shroud. They have been able to determine the causes of the wounds he suffered and the medical results.
4. The man in the Shroud was executed in exactly the same way Jesus reportedly was executed.
From an internet article titled, Forensic Pathology Report on Jesus at the following URL: http://www.godonthe.net/evidence/forensic.htm
Kenneth Stephenson, Gary Habermas, Verdict on the Shroud, pg. 162, Dell/Banbury Books, 1981, Wayne, Pennsylvania.
Report on the Shroud of Turin, Dr. Joseph Heller, was a former head of Harvard’s Internal Medicine and Pathology. His report is presented in a simplified format by Dr. Robert Buklin, coroner and Forensic Pathologist for LA County. From an internet article titled, Forensic Pathology
Report on Jesus at the following URL: http://www.godonthe.net/evidence/forensic.htm
Report on the Shroud of Turin, Dr. Joseph Heller, was a former head of Harvard’s Internal Medicine and Pathology. His report is presented in a simplified format by Dr. Robert Buklin, coroner and Forensic Pathologist for LA County. From an internet article titled, Forensic Pathology
Report on Jesus at the following URL: http://www.godonthe.net/evidence/forensic.htm
This is necessary because the Muslims and skeptics claim that Jesus did not die on the cross, when in fact the records provide ample evidence that indeed He did die a most gruesome death. In the face of such evidence it is preposterous to claim otherwise, even by those who claimed that He was drugged and later revived – impossibility now, even with our advances in medicine, and a greater impossibility then. Even He had been in some altered state of consciousness , as some have conjectured erroneously, or in some state of deep hypnosis; there is a threshold that one cannot physically return from; and Jesus had long previously breached that threshold. There was absolutely no way that such a person, having undergone such traumatic physical torture and punishment could recover in a span of three days from such a state as that suffered by Jesus. He was quite dead by 3:00PM.
Mark 15:25, 9:00AM. Jesus was on the cross from sometime between 9:00 AM and sometime after 3:00PM, when His body was taken down by Joseph and Nicodemus and their servants.
Matthew 27:45, Mark 15:33, Luke 23:44.
Matthew 27:51.
This, according to him, occurred in the fourteenth year of the reign of Tiberius Caesar, precisely the year Jesus died!
Circa 264 – 340A.D.
Circa 32 or 33 A.D.
Chronicle, Olympiad 202, trans. Carrier (1999).
This would account for Matthew, who had connections with the Romans, being the only one recording these incredible occurrences the day Jesus died. The Romans and those at Golgotha, saw nature’s upheaval.
Ernest L. Martin, Secrets of Golgotha, page 88, Associates for Scriptural Knowledge, 1996, Portland, Oregon.
Matthew 27:51-54.
Luke 23:48.
“The family of Annas had gained much of their wealth from the four “booths of the sons of Annas”, which were market stalls located on the Mount of Olives. They also had other market stalls inside the temple complex, in the Court of the Gentiles. Through these, they had a monopoly on the sale of sacrificial animals, as well as on the exchanging of money into temple coins for the offerings. This enabled them to charge exorbitant prices, effectively gaining their wealth through the exploitation and oppression of the poor. When Jesus entered the temple, he saw all this, became angry and drove them all out of temple, denouncing them by saying, “My house shall be called a house of prayer for all nations, but you have made it a den of robbers” (Mark 11:17). When the chief priests heard about this, they looked for a way of killing Jesus. His action had hurt the family of Annas financially, so they wanted to kill him.” From the following link: http://julianspriggs.com/annascaiaphas.aspx Of these priests, Josephus writes that the corrupt priesthood robbed the regular priests their portion of the tithe, so that they and their families starved. He writes the following: “As for the high priest Ananias, he increased in glory everyday, and this to a great degree, and had obtained the favour and esteem of the citizens in a signal manner, for he was a great hoarder of money; he cultivated the friendship of Albinus (the Roman governor), and of the high priest (Jesus) by making them presents. He also had servants who were very wicked, who joined themselves to the boldest sort of people, and went to the thrashing floors, and took away the tithes that belonged to the priests by violence, and did not refrain from beating such as would not give these tithes to them. So the other high priests acted in the like manner, as did those his servants without anyone being able to prohibit them, so that (some of the) priests, that of old were wont to be supported with those tithes, died for want of food”(Flavius Josephus, Antiquities of the Jews, 20:9:205-207).
The records are clear about this, where it says that the great crowd that witnessed Jesus’ crucifixion returned home wailing, beating their breasts (Luke 23:48).
This loud crash of the lintel of he great veil of the temple, which came crashing down and tore the veil of the temple from top to bottom, could have been heard from the surrounding areas facing the temple the day Messiah died.
Zephaniah 1:7-13. All of these things came upon that generation. Jerusalem and the temple were leveled to the ground, the corrupt priesthood ended, Hellenistic Second Temple “Biblical” Post Exilic Judaism ended, and a new “Rabbinic” Judaism began. Jewish religious life as that generation had come to know it, ended, just as Peter had prophesied in his letter it would (1Peter 4:7). When Peter wrote his letters, the region had through the years become increasingly unstable, and since the fight was between Jewish Zealots and Rome, the peaceful Nazarenes were caught in the middle, and in his letter Peter was admonishing them to remain an example in their character and law-abiding, though Rome – under Nero – had begun increasingly repressive policies against the Christians, while being increasingly punitive with his Jewish subjects overall.
Matthew 27:33, Mark 15:22, Luke 23:33, John 19:17.
Hebrews 13:11-13.
Hebrews 13:12.
Matthew 27:39, Mark 15:29.
Luke 23:51.
Matthew 27:57-Mark 15:42-43, Luke 23:50, John 19:38-42.
Matthew 27:58b, Mark 15:45.
John correctly uses the plural “them” to denote Joseph and Nicodemus, who would have brought their servants with them to handle the physical labor of bringing Jesus’ body down, wrap it in the clean linen shroud, carry it to the nearby tomb, and lay it in the tomb, where the two men would get right to work, quickly preparing the body in Nicodemus’ myrrh and aloes (John 19:40. Wherever the narrative use’s Joseph’s name to denote the disposition of Jesus’ body, it is understood that the Gospel writer is referring to all those under Joseph and Nicodemus, who were present doing their bidding.
Matthew 27:60, Luke 23:53.
Matthew 27:59-60, Mark 15:46b, It was the nearest location to where Jesus was crucified. One of the Gospels says it was nearby (John 19:42b).
John 19:39-41.
9:00AM.
Mark 15:25.
12:00PM – Noon.
Matthew 27:45, Mark 15:33, Luke 23:44. See the prophecy of Amos 8:9-10. This could not have been an eclipse of the sun, for the Passover was celebrated at the time of the full moon, when the moon is opposite to the sun.
3:00PM.
Matthew 27:46, 50, Mark 15:34, 37, Luke 23:44, 46, John 19:30. It is significant that all four Gospels record Jesus’ death.
Jonathan Cahn, Sapphires Devotional Booklet, “Mystery of the Kedem,” Hope of the World Ministries, Lodi, New Jersey.
In Judaism, this time is known as “between the two evenings” – that is from the Sixth Hour – 3:00PM onwards. Sometime after 3:00PM (the 6th hour) after Jesus had expired and hung on the cross, Joseph and Nicodemus went to Pilate to ask for His body in order to place it securely in Joseph’s tomb before the beginning of Shabbat which approached. Luke 23:54 says that it was the preparation day, and the Sabbath was about to begin.
Matthew 27:57-61, Mark 15:42-45, Luke 23:50-56, John 19:38-42.
Matthew 27:61, Mark 15:47, Luke 23:55.
Matthew 27:60, Mark 15:46b.
Luke 24:56b.
Matthew 27:62-66.
Luke 23:56b.
John 15:27, 19:35, 20:30-31, 21:24-25.________________________________________

THE RESURRECTION - A REEXAMINATION OF THE EVIDENCE - Part Three

LESSON THREE

THE EVENTS AS THEY TOOK PLACE IN THEIR ORDER

A QUICK REVIEW OF WHAT WE HAVE EXAMINED IS IN ORDER

Welcome again to our continued examination of the trial, execution, burial, resurrection, and appearances of the Messiah to His disciples, which we have faithfully recorded for us by the evangelists in the four Gospels, and retold by Paul and others at different parts of their letters recounting various details of these in their letters.

Again, we will take a brief reexamination of what we covered in the last and most recent part of our study previously the last time we gathered for our study. We will also examine independent sources for additional information which corroborates the oldest records – the Gospels.

We will glean from them how Jesus’ detractors and others, who were not disciples of His, reacted to these events. The information before us is astonishing, because it does not come from supporters of Jesus, but from hostile witnesses, whose writings corroborate the Gospel accounts of those events.

We now return to where these events took place, and pick up where we last left off, following Pilate’s delivery of Jesus to be scourged, after releasing the insurrectionist and murderous thief, Bar Abbas, and surrendering Jesus to be executed by crucifixion.

As we return to Jerusalem, we witness a long procession of Roman troops commanded by a Centurion, Sadducees led by their priests and allies among the elders, a large number of civilians, and at its front, three men, one badly beaten and bleeding from His open wounds on His back and torso; carrying their cross beams to the place of execution.

At one point, it appears from the record that upon reaching the gate to exit the city, while attempting to continue walking with His heavy burden; Jesus who has carried His own cross beam thus far, is so weak from dehydration, loss of blood, heat exhaustion, and the trauma He has suffered; that He cannot carry it and collapses, so they press a passerby named Simon of Cyrene to carry Jesus’ cross for Him to the place of execution outside of the city walls.

Upon arriving at Golgotha, just outside of the city, they offer Jesus wine mixed with gall, but after tasting it, Jesus refuses to drink it.

Now before us are a great throng of people, who have gathered to witness a Roman execution of three men hanging on three crosses, one of them innocent of the charges brought against Him, yet convicted on the charge of sedition.

THE EVENTS AS THEY TOOK PLACE IN THEIR ORDER

A REVIEW OF THE PEOPLE AND OCCURRENCES AT THE CROSS

From the cross, Jesus makes what are called His seven last words before dying. In chronological order, they are the following:

1.) His word of forgiveness – “Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they do.”
2.) The word of salvation – “Truly, I say to you, today you shall be with Me in paradise.”
3.) The word of affection – “Woman, behold your Son! Behold your Mother!”
4.) The word of despair – “Eli, Eli, LAMA SABACHTHANI? that is, “MY GOD, MY GOD, WHY HAST THOUS FORSAKEN ME?”
5.) The word of physical torment – “I thirst.”
6.) The word of triumph – “It is finished!”
7.) The word of committal – “Father, into Thy hands I commit My spirit!”

Matthew and Mark each record only one saying, whereas Luke and John each record three.

Luke says that a Roman soldier who has just approached Jesus to offer this drink, has done to mock Him, saying as he offered the drink, “If You are the King of the Jews, save Yourself!”

At another point some hours later, one of those standing by, when he hears Jesus cry out, believing that Jesus is calling upon Elijah the prophet; grabs a sponge filled with sour wine, puts it on a reed, and gives it to Jesus.

In front of Jesus, below looking on, are a great number of people, and we will now break down the approximate number of those present at the execution, among whom are the following, and these are:

FIRST GROUP – JESUS’ FAMILY, ACQUAINTANCES, AND SUPPORTERS:

1.) Miriam, Jesus’ natural mother
2.) Miriam’s sister
3.) John His beloved disciple
4.) Miriam of Magdala
5.) Miriam, the wife of Cleopas
6.) Jesus’ acquaintances
7.) Other women who had come up with Him to Jerusalem
8.) Mary the mother of James the Less and Joseph, and Salome

SECOND GROUP – A ROMAN CENTURION COMMANDING A COHORT:

9.) A Centurion with a full complement of Roman troops guard the site of the crucifixion. Matthew does not disclose the number of troops, but only mentions the Centurion and those who were with him.

But from historical records, we can get an idea of the great number of troops that were present at the crucifixion, because of the following data:

A Centurion commands a Roman Cohort, or Battalion, and a Roman Cohort numbers between five Centuries of 480 troops to as high as six Centuries of 800 crack fighting troops.

The exact number of troops present depends whether the centurion in question is a Primus Pilus of the First Cohort, and if he is, then the full complement of troops under his command would be as many as six Centuries comprised of eight hundred professional troops of the finest of Caesar’s legions.

There is reason to believe, and the evidence of the Gospels themselves support this, that because of the highly charged nature of Jesus’ execution – the almost riotous mob and the chief priests and their families; the political instability attached to any messianic figure, and Rome’s and the Sanhedrin’s need to quell such activities, and those connected to them; and the possibility of zealot action making its appearance – indeed, the entire unpredictability of all of these, including Pilate’s own need to keep public order so as to curry much needed favor with Rome; there are present at the site of Jesus’ execution a great number of Roman troops commanded by a Centurion, perhaps even a full Cohort of between 480 to 800 troops, to guard the perimeter of Golgotha.

But whether a full Roman Cohort of 5 or 6 Centuries, each equaling 80 to 160 troops, totaling between 480 and 800 ; are present at the execution, or just a single Century of either 80 or 160 troops are present; the number present guarding Jesus and the robbers surrounding the perimeter is considerable.

THIRD GROUP – JESUS’ DETRACTORS AND ENEMIES:

10.) The robbers crucified at Jesus’ right and left
11.) The chief priests, the scribes, and elders allied to them
12.) Those passing by hurling abuse at Jesus, who wag their heads at Him, and taunt Him from a distance

FOURTH GROUP – A LARGE PROGRESSION OF ONLOOKERS FOLLOWING THE PROCEEDINGS, WHO WITNESSED JESUS DIE:

13.) A great multitude of the people, as Luke calls them, among whom, are women who mourn the Master greatly; to whom Jesus addresses Himself, as Simon the Cyrenian carries His crossbeam for Him, saying:

“Daughters of Jerusalem, stop weeping for Me, but weep for yourselves and for your children.
“For behold, the days are coming when they will say, ‘Blessed are the barren, and the womb that never bore, and the breasts that never nursed.’
“Then they will begin TO SAY TO THE MOUNTAINS, ‘FALL ON US,’ AND TO THE HILLS, ‘COVER US.’
“For if they do these things in the green tree, what will happen in the dry?”

The reason to make a distinction between these and the first group of women is because these are Judean natives of Jerusalem, whereas Jesus’ family, like Jesus and most of His disciples, were natives of the town of Nazareth in the region of Galilee.

It is this great group of people of whom Luke writes that seeing Jesus die, they leave the scene and return to their homes mourning greatly and beating their breasts as they go along.

It is apparent that they do not support the high priests and their crowd who had shouted for Jesus’ execution inside of Pilate’s quarters earlier.

IN TOTAL, A GREAT NUMBER OF PEOPLE WITNESSED JESUS DIE

So, the records establish these events are witnessed by a great number of people which we’ve broken down to four distinct groups; encompassing a diverse number of Judean Jews, Galilean Jews – some supporters others, enemies of Jesus – Romans, and yes, even a group of Gentile converts to Judaism from the region of Galatia; who all witnessed these events first hand.

The words of Peter speaking to a Roman Centurion and his family and servants in the city of Caesarea come to mind, as we recall the number of people who witnessed Jesus’ death on the cross:

And opening his mouth, Peter said:
“I most certainly understand now that God is not the one to show partiality, but in every nation the man who fears Him and does what is right, is welcome to Him.
“The word which He sent to the sons of Israel, preaching peace through Jesus the Messiah (He is Lord of all) – you yourselves know the thing which took place throughout all of Judea, starting from Galilee, after the baptism which John proclaimed.
“You know of Jesus of Nazareth, how God anointed Him with the Holy Spirit and with power, and how He went about doing good, and healing all who were oppressed by the devil; for God was with Him.
“And we are witnesses of all the things He did both in the land of the Jews and in Jerusalem. And they also put Him to death by hanging Him on a cross.
“God raised Him up on the third day, and granted that He should become visible, not to all the people, but to witnesses who were chosen beforehand by God, that is, to us who ate and drank with Him after He arose from the dead.
“And He ordered us to preach to the people, and solemnly to testify that this is the One who has been appointed by God as Judge of the living and the dead.
“Of Him all the prophets bear witness that through His name everyone who believes in Him receives forgiveness of sins.”

We hear also the testimony of Paul – the learned Pharisee – boldly speaking before King Agrippa II, Princess Bernice, Festus the Roman Governor, and Paul’s and Jesus’ detractors from the high priest:

“For the king knows these matters, and I speak to him also with confidence, since I am persuaded that none of these things escape his notice; for this has not been done in a corner.”

It can be safely surmised by the evidence at hand, from the records, and those who have witnessed the events; that several hundred people, perhaps even as much as fifteen hundred; witnessed Jesus die between two criminals, and that these things have not occured in a corner, but out in the open, where many witnesses have actively taken part in the events unfolding which we are examining.

A RECAP OF THE INCREDIBLE SIGNS WHICH FOLLOWED JESUS’ DEATH FROM SOURCES OUTSIDE OF THE GOSPELS, EVEN HOSTILE ONES

In his Gospel narrative Matthew recalls more than the other Evangelists in greater detail, events which overtook Jerusalem and its surrounding environs, including the whole earth, the day Messiah died.

The peculiarity of these events was that they coincided with the death of Jesus, and was witnessed by a large number of people – both supporters and detractors of the Galilean Rabbi/Messiah.

In his magnum opus, The Life and Times of Jesus the Messiah, Alfred Edersheim writes of the events in the following manner:

“And now a shudder ran through Nature, as its Sun had set. We dare not do more than follow the rapid outlines of the Evangelistic narrative. As the first token, it records the rending of the Temple-Veil in two from the top downward to the bottom; as the second, the quaking of the earth, the rending of the rocks and the opening of the graves.., while the rending of the Veil is recorded first, as being the most significant token to Israel, it may have been connected with the earthquake, although this alone might scarcely account for the tearing of so heavy a Veil from the top to the bottom. Even the latter circumstance has its significance. That some great catastrophe, betokening the impending destruction of the Temple, had occurred in the Sanctuary about this very time, is confirmed by not less than four mutually independent testimonies: those of Tacitus, of Josephus, of the Talmud, and of earliest Christian tradition. The most important of these are, of course, the Talmud and Josephus. The latter speaks of the mysterious extinction of the middle and chief light in the Golden Candlestick, forty years before the destruction of the Temple; and both he and the Talmud refer to a supernatural opening by themselves of the great Temple-gates that had been previously closed, which was regarded as a portent of the coming destruction of the Temple”

And Josephus, the Jewish historian, writes about this in his mammoth work, the Jewish Wars:

“Thus also, before the Jewish rebellion, and before those commotions which preceded the war, when the people were come in great crowds to the feast of unleavened bread, on the eighth day of the month Xanthicus [Nisan] and at the ninth hour of the night, so great a light shone round the altar and the holy house, that it appeared to be bright day-time; which light lasted for half an hour. This light seemed to be a good sign to the unskillful, but was so interpreted by the sacred scribes as to portend those events that followed immediately upon it. At the same festival also, a heifer, as she was being led by the high priest to be sacrificed, brought forth a lamb in the midst of the temple. Moreover, the eastern gate of the inner, [court of the temple,] which was of brass, and vastly heavy, and had been with difficulty shut by twenty men, and rested upon a basis armed with iron, and had bolts fastened very deep into the firm floor, which was there made of one entire stone, was seen to be opened of its own accord about the sixth hour of the night. Now, those that kept watch in the temple came thereupon running to the captain of the temple, and told him of it; who then came up thither, and not without great difficulty was able to shut the gate again. This also appeared to the vulgar to be a very happy prodigy, as if God did thereby open them the gate of happiness. But the men of learning understood it, that the security of their holy house was dissolved of its own accord, and that the gate was opened for the advantage of their enemies. So these publicly declared, that this signal foreshewed the DESOLATION that was coming upon them”

Jerome, in his Letter to Hedibia, writes that the gigantic lintel of the temple – a huge stone that was 30 feet long and weighed thirty tons – had broken and splintered, and fallen – an event he connects with the rending of the Veil in the temple. About this, Edersheim comments:

“it would seem an obvious inference to connect again this breaking of the lintel with an earthquake”

To appreciate the meaning and significance of the temple veil rending from top to bottom, and the other events connected to Jesus’ death, which occurred precisely at the time when Jesus breathed His last and gave up His spirit; there are additional details worth examining.

The temple veils were sixty feet long, thirty feet wide, being the thickness of a man’s hand and wrought in seventy-two squares. These veils were so heavy that it took 300 priests to manipulate each one.

No human being could rend this veil, and it appeared that the earthquake, which brought down the lintel, caused the veil itself to rend from top to bottom.

But whether it was from natural or miraculous causes, it was from divine intent, as now God had shown His displeasure of the corrupt priesthood, and with one stroke, given to the nation the most direct sign of His displeasure with that priesthood whose end would come within that generation on the 9th of the month of Hebrew month of Av in the year 70 of that era.

One Internet writer – William F. Dankenbring in his well written article comments that:

“The Veil being rent from top to bottom was such a terrible portent because it indicated that God’s Own Hand had torn it in two, His Presence thus deserting and leaving that Holy Place.”

Another sign this pointed to was the irrevocable fact that with the coming of the Messiah, the Law itself has changed, as was expected at the time Messiah made His appearance to Israel, and that the old Aaronic Priesthood with its sacrificial cult system had come to an end with the death of the Messiah, and replaced with Melchizedek’s Order.

The Levitical line of Aaron and its priesthood presided by the corrupt Sadducees – the high priest Joseph Caiaphas and his father in law, former high priest Annas – had ended and been superseded by a new and higher order.

As if to confirm that indeed this had taken place precisely with the death of Messiah, we have the following from the Babylonian Talmud:

"Our rabbis taught: During the last forty years before the destruction of the Temple the lot ['For the Lord'] did not come up in the right hand; nor did the crimson-colored strap become white; nor did the western most light shine; and the doors of the Hekel [Temple] would open by themselves"

The Jerusalem Talmud records the same event which took place that year which ties in with the occurrences recorded in the Gospels records, but tells it slightly differently:

“Forty years before the Temple was destroyed . . .the gates of the Hekel opened by themselves, until Rabbi Yohanan B. Zakkai rebuked them saying, Hekel, Hekel, why alarmist thou us? We know that thou art destined to be destroyed...”

Another version of the same passage from the Jerusalem Talmud records this incident in the following manner:

''Said Rabban Yohanan Ben Zakkai to the Temple, 'O Temple, why do you frighten us? We know that you will end up destroyed. For it has been said, 'Open your doors, O Lebanon, that the fire may devour your cedars' '' (Zechariah 11:1)'

The fact that this incident, and the events surrounding it, are recorded in both the Jerusalem Talmud and the more authoritative Babylonian Talmud; is evidence that the knowledge of these occurrences spread throughout the Jewish World of that era.

Further on, William F. Dankenbring makes the following observation in connection to this incredible event:

“For the huge doors of the Temple behind the Veil to open, of their own accord, or in association with the great earthquake, would cause them to pull powerfully against the Veil, and with the lintel falling, at the same time, could have torn it in two from top to bottom.”

These readings from the Talmud indicate that there were more signs that occurred the day Messiah died than we have in the Gospels. We will now examine them one by one.

OTHER SIGNS THAT OCCURRED FROM THE DAY MESSIAH DIED TO THE YEAR OF THE TEMPLE’S DESTRUCTION BY THE ROMANS

For two hundred years preceding the death of Jesus, when the high priest would pick the stone for the lot chosen to determine which one of the two goats would be “for the Lord” and which one would be the Azazel, or scapegoat, a black stone as well as a white stone would be chosen.

But from the year of Jesus’ death until the destruction of the temple forty years later, the stone which was picked repeatedly was black. One writer has placed the odds of this happening at 2 to the fortieth power, or a trillion to one! But the Talmud tells us that it happened.

Another sign the Talmud mentions that is connected to have begun at the precise time of Jesus’ death concerns the Scarlet Cord tied around the horn of the Azazel, part of which would also be tied to temple’s door. This cord is connected to God’s heartfelt admonition with Israel through Isaiah the prophet, where He pleads:

“COME AND LET US REASON TOGETHER,” SAYS THE LORD, THOUGH YOUR SINS ARE AS SCARLET, THEY WILL BE WHITE AS SNOW; THOUGH THEY ARE LIKE CRIMSON, THEY WILL BE LIKE WOOL.”

Every year the scarlet cord on the temple door would miraculously turn white, signifying God’s forgiveness and acceptance of that year’s Yom Kippur sacrifice.

But for forty years preceding the destruction of the temple, this cord never changed color, but remained red; which caused great worry with the people, because it indicated God’s rejection of the sacrifice offered for that year, and what was a worse omen to the people – that they remained without atonement for sins.

The people had come to believe that there was a connection between the scarlet cord as an indicator that the priest’s Yom Kippur sacrifice had been accepted and their sins removed, because for forty years preceding Jesus’ appearance in 30 A.D., the people noticed that every time the high priest’s sacrifice had been accepted and their sins forgiven, the scarlet cord had miraculously turned white.

Another sign of God’s displeasure was that forty years precisely before the destruction of the temple; the Sanhedrin was banished from holding their hearings in the beautifully ornate Chamber of Hewn Stones, and their hearings were relegated to a trading station on the temple mount.

And Josephus mentions that they had to move yet again to a place outside of the temple complex, to a location near a building called the Xystus, so that they were forced to hold their councils outside of the temple itself.

Ernest Martin, in his book Secrets of Galgotha, makes the following observations regarding the Sanhedrin’s exile from this hallowed and magnificent place, close to the Holy Place within the temple itself, to a lesser location, and then again to an even lesser locale now outside of the temple precincts:

“If an earthquake of the magnitude capable of breaking the stone lintel at the top of the entrance to the Holy Place was occurring at the exact time of Christ’s death, then what would such an earthquake have done to the Chamber of Hewn Stones (a vaulted and columned structure) no more than 40 yards away from where the stone lintel fell and the curtain was torn in two?”
“There is every reason to believe, though the evidence is circumstantial, that the Chamber of Hewn Stones was so damaged in the same earthquake that it became structurally unsafe from that time forward. Something like this had to have happened because the Sanhedrin would not have left this majestic chamber (to take up residence in the insignificant ‘Trading Place’) unless something approaching this explanation took place”
“If this is actually what happened (and I have no doubt that it did), we then have a most remarkable witness that God the Father engineered every action happening on the day of Christ’s trial and crucifixion. It means that the judgment made by the official Sanhedrin against Jesus within the Chamber of Hewn Stones, was THE LAST JUDGMENT ever given by the official Sanhedrin in their majestic chambers within the Temple! It would show that God the Father demonstrated by the earthquake at Christ’s death that the sentence of the Sanhedrin against Jesus would be the last judgment it would ever make in that authorized place!”

Rabbi Leibel Reznick writes about this in The Holy Temple Revisited:
“Although this was the largest structure on top of the entire Temple Mount, the purpose and function of the Basilica is not recorded anywhere. The TALMUD tells us that when the Sanhedrin (Supreme Court) CEASED TO JUDGE CAPITAL OFFENCES, they MOVED from the Supreme Court chambers to the ‘shopping mall’ (Rosh HaShana 31a). This shopping mall was located on the Temple Mount (Rashi) ... Perhaps this shopping mall was located within the Royal Basilica. Because this area was built on Herod’s extension, it did not have the sanctity of the Temple itself, and commerce would have been permitted”

A further observation is given by William F. Dankenbring that is worth citing here:

“This was also the year they CEASED to judge capital offences! This “authority” was thenceforth removed from their purview, denied to them - another withering rebuke to the sages of the Court which so injudiciously and intemperately MISJUDGED the Messiah Himself!”

We have just examined independent sources, some from hostile sources; confirming that on the day Messiah died, inexplicable events took place from that day until the end of that year.

History teaches us that these events, and several others that continued to occur from that year and for forty years, culminated with the destruction of the temple and city, and the exile and dispersion of Israel for two thousand years.

REACTION BY THOSE WHO WITNESSED THESE INCREDIBLE EVENTS

The Centurion who commands the troops who guarding the place of execution feels the earthquake, and everything happening around them; the weather, the darkened sky, and the manner in which Jesus died; the dignity, forgiveness, love, and care He displayed on that most undignified place of execution; great fear grips him and the troops, and he is heard exclaiming – “Truly this was the Son of God. Truly this Man was innocent.”

And the Gospel Luke records the crowd’s reaction to Jesus’ death and everything that happened around them when He died:

And all the multitudes who came together for this spectacle, when they observed what had happened, began to return, beating their breasts.

Because it is the Day of Preparation for the Passover, and Shabbat approaches at sundown, the legs of the criminals to the left and to the right of Jesus are broken by the Romans in order to accelerate death, so that they will not be left hanging on those crosses during the Sabbath.

But when they approach Jesus, they realize that there is no need to break His legs, because He has already died.

In order to completely verify that Jesus has died, one of the soldiers takes his lance and pierces deep into Jesus’ side, striking a fatal blow to His heart. And immediately blood and water come out.

If Jesus has been unconscious until now, feigning death, or drugged as some claim, the lancing to His side has made sure of His fatality, and proof of it is the blood and water that appears.

Medically this indicates that Jesus has died of heart failure. As He struggled to breath, moving up and down on the cross to gasp for air, His lungs filled with water, putting greater and greater strain upon His already weakened heart.

Eventually His heart could handle the strain no longer and with His lungs filled with water – Pulmonary Edema setting in – He breathed His last.

By the time the Romans approach His body to inspect it Jesus has been dead for some time, proscribing the need to break His legs.

JOSEPH OF ARIMATHEA AND NICODEMUS APPROACH PILATE TO REQUEST JESUS’ BODY SO THEY MAY BURY HIS BODY BEFORE SHABBAT

Gathering enough courage, Joseph, a wealthy and prominent member of the Sanhedrin, who up until now has been a secret follower of Jesus, along with Nicodemus, lead a delegation by evening to Pilate to request the body of Jesus for burial.

Pilate was wondering if Jesus had died by now, and calling the Centurion commanding the troops guarding the place of execution, Pilate is told that Jesus has died, and he releases the body into the care of Joseph and Nicodemus and their delegation.

Bringing a linen cloth with him and having Jesus’ body removed from the cross, Joseph has Jesus’ body wrapped in the linen cloth, and places it in a new unused tomb built into solid rock on the side of a hill in a garden near Golgotha.

The records mention that the women who had followed Jesus and had been at His crucifixion, now follow Joseph and Nicodemus’ delegation, and watch on as the men bury Jesus’ body in Joseph’s tomb, verifying we are told, where they have laid Him.

Joseph has a heavy stone moved over the only entrance to the tomb, and returning to their homes, they prepare spices and perfumes to complete Jesus’ embalmment after Shabbat, but on Shabbat they rest according to the commandment because they are all righteous and extremely observant Jews.

We stop here and will continue our examination in our next part.

THE EVENTS AS THEY TOOK PLACE IN THEIR ORDER

A HARMONY OF THE EVENTS AS THE GOSPELS PRESENT THEM
Plot to kill Jesus 26:3-5 14:1-2 22:1-2
Judas bargains to betray Jesus 26:14-16 14:10-11 22:3-6
Peter & John sent to prepare for Passover 26:17-19 14:12-16 22:7-13
Fellowship in the upper room 26:20 14:17 22:14
Jesus washes the disciples' feet 13:1-20
The Lord's Supper 26:26-29 14:22-25 22:14-20 I Cor 11:23-29
Jesus predicts his betrayal 26:21-25 14:18-21 22:21-23 13:21-26
Judas leaves 13:27-30
A new commandment 13:31-35
Dispute about the greatest disciple 22:24-30
Jesus predicts the disciples' denial 26:31-32 14:27-28
Jesus tells Simon he prayed for him 22:31-32
Jesus predicts Peter's denials 26:33-35 14:29-31 22:33-34 13:36-38
Jesus warns the disciples to be prepared 22:35-38
Jesus comforts the disciples 14:1-4
Jesus responds to Thomas 14:5-7
Jesus responds to Philip 14:8-21
Jesus responds to Judas not Iscariot 14:22-31
They sing a hymn and leave 26:30 14:26 14:31
The farewell discourse 15:1-16:33
Jesus prays for his disciples 17:1-26
The fellowship enters Gethsemane 26:36 14:32 22:39-40 18:1
Jesus prays in the Garden of Gethsemane 26:36-46 14:32-42 22:40-46
Mob comes to arrest Jesus 26:47 14;43 18:2-3
Judas betrays Jesus with a kiss 26:48-50 14:44-45 22:47-48
Jesus answers the mob with authority 18:4-9
Peter severs the ear of Malchus 26:50-54 14:46-47 22:49-50 18:10-11
Jesus heals the high priest's servant 22:51
Jesus is arrested. The disciples flee. 26:55-56 14:48-52 22:52-54 18:12
Jesus lead to high priest's house 26:57 14:53 22:54 18:13-14
Peter follows at a distance 26:58 14:54 22:54 18:15-16
Peter's 1st denial - doorkeeping girl 26:69-70 14:66-68 22:55-57 18:17-18
Annas questions Jesus 18:19-24
Peter's 2nd denial - by the fire 26:71-72 14:69-70 22:58 18:25
Peter's 3rd denial - relative of Malchus 26:73-75 14:70-72 22:59-62 18:26-27
Guards beat Jesus 22:63-65
False witnesses testify 26:59-61 14:55-59
Caiaphas condemns Jesus 26:62-66 14:60-64 22:66-71
Sanhedrin beats Jesus 26:67-68 14:65
Jesus lead from Caiaphas to Praetorium 18:28
Remorse of Judas 27:1-10 Acts 1:16-20
Jesus before Pilate 27:1-14 23:1-7 18:29-38
Jesus before Herod 23:8-10
Herod's soldiers mock Jesus 15:1-5 23:11-12
Pilate releases Barabbas 27:15-26 15:6-15 23:13-25 18:38-40
Pilate's soldiers crown and mock Jesus 27:27-30 15:16-20 19:1-3
Pilate tries to release Jesus 19:4-7
Pilate questions Jesus again 19:8-11
Pilate tries to release Jesus again 19:12
Pilate sentences Jesus 19:13-15
Pilate delivers Jesus to be crucified 19:16
Jesus carries the cross 19:17
Simon of Cyrene bears the cross 27:31-32 15:20-21 23:26
Jesus speaks to weeping women 23:27-32
Jesus is brought to Golgotha 27:33 15:22 23:32-33 19:17
Soldiers offer Jesus sour wine mix 27:34 15:23
He is crucified on the 3rd hour 15:25
2 robbers are crucified with Jesus 27:38 15:27-28 23:33 19:18
Inscription written by Pilate 27:37 15:26 23:38 19:19-22
"Forgive them…" 23:34
Soldiers divide the garments of Jesus 27:35-36 15:24 23:34 19:23-24
"Behold your mother." 19:25-27
Multitudes mock Jesus 27:39-43 15:29-32 23:35-37
Robbers mock Jesus 27:44 15:32 23:39
One robber rebukes the other 23:40-41
"…you will be with me in Paradise." 23:43
Darkness from 6th to 9th hour 27:45 15:33 23:44-45
"Eloi, Eloi, Lamma, Sabachthani" 27:46 15:34
"I thirst." 19:28
Jesus is offered sour wine on a reed. 27:47-49 15:35-36 19:29-30
"It is finished." 19:30
Jesus cries out 27:50 15:37 23:46
"Into Thy hands I commit my spirit." 23:46
Jesus bows his head and dies 27:50 15:37 23:46 19:30
Temple veil torn from top to bottom 27:51 15:38 23:45
Earthquake 27:51
Saints rise, after Christ's resurrection 27:52-53
Centurion glorifies God 27:54 15:39 23:47
Multitude leaves grieving 23:48
Women watch from a distance 27:55-56 15:40-41 23:49
Request that legs be broken 19:31-32
Soldier pierces Jesus' side 19:33-34
Fulfilment of prophecy 19:35-37
Joseph requests body from Pilate 27:57-58 15:42-43 23:50-52 19:38
Centurion reports that Jesus is dead 15:44-45
Joseph takes the body 15:45 19:38
Nicodemus and Joseph prepare the body 19:39-40
Body placed in new garden tomb 27:59-60 15:46 23:53 19:41-42
Two Mary's watch the burial 27:61 15:47 23:54-55
Roman soldiers guard the tomb 27:62-66
Two Mary's prepare spices and then rest 23:56
Angel rolls stone 28:2-4
Women bring spices to tomb at dawn 28:1 16:1-4 24:1-3 20:1
Angels appear to women 28:5-7 16:5-7 24:4-8
Women run to tell disciples 28:8 16:8 24:9-11 20:2
Peter and John inspect the empty tomb 24:12 20:3-9
Peter and John go home 24:12 20:10
Mary Magdalene stands weeping 20:11
Mary sees two angels 20:12-13
Jesus appears to Mary Magdalene 16:9 20:14-17
Jesus appears to other women 28:9-10
Women report to the disciples 16:10-11 20:18
Guards report to the priests 28:11-15
Jesus meets 2 on road to Emmaus 16:12-13 24:13-32
Jesus appears to Simon Peter 1st Cor 15:5 24:34
Two report to disciples in Jerusalem 24:33-35
Jesus appears to disciples without Thomas 24:36-46 20:19-24
Disciples report to Thomas 20:25
Jesus appears to disciples and Thomas 16:14 20:26-29
Jesus appears to seven by the sea 21:1-14
Jesus questions Peter 3 times 21:15-23
Jesus appears to 500 bretheren 1st Cor 15:6
Jesus appears to James 1st Cor 15:7
Jesus commissions the apostles 28:16-20 16:15-18 24:44-49
Jesus is received into Heaven 16:19-20 24:50-53
John's first testimony 20:30-31
John's second testimony 21:24-25
Luke summarizes the 40 day appearances Acts 1:4-11
________________________________________SOURCES CITED:
Matthew 27:26-31, Mark 15:15-20, Luke 23:16, John 19:1-16.
Matthew 27:32, Mark 15:21, Luke 23:26. Jesus had borne His own cross beam to Golgotha – the Place of the Skull – but somewhere along the long arduous walk to His crucifixion, He collapsed and they needed to press the Cyrenian Simon to carry Jesus’ crossbeam the rest of the way for Him. But John is correct, Jesus went out of the city carrying His own cross when He started His trip to the cross (John 19:17).
John 19:20a.
Matthew 27:33-34, Mark 15:23.
Luke 23:34.
Luke 23:43.
John 16:26-27.
Matthew 27:46, Mark 15:34. When Jesus shouted these words from the depth of His soul, He was quoting the prophetic 22nd Psalm by King David that starkly describes in prophetic manner the crucifixion.
John 19:28.
John 19:30.
Luke 23:46.
Luke 23:36-37.
Matthew 27:48. This fulfills Psalm 69:21. See Mark 15:36, and John 19:28, where immediately after Jesus has cried to His Father, He says that He thirsts.
Matthew 27:56-57.
John 19:25.
Luke 23:49a.
Mark 15:41b.
Matthew 27:56. Mark calls these sons James and Joses (Mark 15:40).
Matthew 27:54a.
Below is how a Roman legion is broken down in numbers and divisions:
The Legion was split into 10 Cohorts.
The Cohorts were divided into Centuries.
The First Cohort contained five centuries of 160 'crack troops.'
The other cohorts contained six centuries of 80 men.
The commander of a century was called a centurion.
The centurion in charge of the First Cohort was called the Primus Pilus. He was the best! From an article titled The Roman Cohort, at http://www.caerleon.net/history/army/page4.html See also the following: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Roman_legion where is there is extensive information for those who wish study this further.
Matthew 27:38, 44
Matthew 27:41, Mark 15:31-32,
Matthew 27:39, Mark 15:29, 30,
Isaiah 2:19-21, Hosea 10:8. See Revelation 6:15-17.
Luke 23:27a
Jesus Himself was born in Bethlehem of Judea, lived with His parents for a time in Egypt, most likely within the large Jewish Community in Alexandria, and later, settled with His family in Nazareth in the region of Galilee (Matthew 2:1-23), because Jesus’ parents were natives of Nazareth (Luke 1:26). Her relative Elizabeth, the mother of John the Baptist, were from a hill country in the region of Judah (Luke 1:39).
Luke 23:48.
This group of Galatians Paul mentions in his letter, witnessed the crucifixion (Galatians 3:1).
Acts 10:34-43.
Acts 26:26.
Matthew , Mark 15:33, 38, Luke 23:44-45.
This work is perhaps the greatest and most complete biography on the life of the Messiah ever written by a Jewish believer out side of the Gospels themselves. It provides a wealth of knowledge from rabbinical – Mishnaic, Midrashic, Talmudic, and independent sources of the time – a veritable wealth of Judaica as only one steeped in the training and study of these would be able to write.
Alfred Edersheim, The Life and Times of Jesus the Messiah, page 610.
Flavius Josephus, The Jewish Wars, IV,5,3.
Alfred Edersheim, The Life and Times of Jesus the Messiah, page 610, op cit.
William F. Dankenbring, THE MYSTERIOUS EVENTS OF THE YEAR 30 A.D.! http://www.ensignmessage.com/archives/mysteriousevents.html
Hebrews 7:12.
Jeremiah 31:33. This is what is meant by Isaiah 2:1-4, and why Jesus said He did not come to abolish the Law, but to fulfill it (Matthew 5:17-20, Luke 16:16-17).
Hebrews 7:11, 15-19, 26-28. Fulfilled is the establishment of Messiah’s Melchizedekian Priesthood, as He sits at the right hand of God; awaiting a time of complete restoration for Israel and all of mankind, when God has made Jesus’ enemies a footstool underneath His feet (Psalm 110:1-7); what is called in Judaism the Olam Ha Ba – the Messianic Age, or Days of the Messiah. Paul alludes to this time in 1Corinthians 15:24-28. In Romans 8:22 he writes that all of creation groans awaiting this golden Messianic Age.
Talmud Babylonia, Yoma 39b, Soncino Version.
i.e., 40 years before 70 A.D., or in 30 A.D.
The Holy Place.
The gates.
Talmud, Yoma 39b. Jacob Neusner’s landmark English translation of the Talmud titled, The Talmud of the Land of Israel, translates this passage in the following manner: "Forty years before the destruction of the Temple, the western light went out, the crimson thread remained crimson, and the lot for the Lord always came up in the left hand. They would close the gates of the Temple by night and get up in the morning and find them wide open"
Jerusalem Talmud, Sota 6.3, (Zechariah 11:1)'.
William F. Dankenbring, THE MYSTERIOUS EVENTS OF THE YEAR 30 A.D.! http://www.ensignmessage.com/archives/mysteriousevents.html
N. Federoff and T. Peterson, Talmudic for the Messiah in 30 C.E., at http://www.windowview.org/hmny/pgs/talmuds.30ce.html
Isaiah 1:19.
This would make the year 30 A.D., the year Jesus made His public appearance to Israel, and some say; the year He was crucified, because the temple was destroyed in the year 70 A.D.
Flavius Josephus, Wars of the Jews, V,4, 2.
Ernest Martin, Secrets of Galgotha, page 230-231.
As quoted by William F. Dankenbring in his excellent article, The Mysterious Events of the Year 30 A.D. ! at the following URL: http://www.ensignmessage.com/archives/mysteriousevents.html Jason Aronson, Inc., Northvale, New Jersey, 1993, p.69

William F. Dankenbring in his excellent article, The Mysterious Events of the Year 30 A.D. ! at the following URL: http://www.ensignmessage.com/archives/mysteriousevents.html
Matthew 27:54, Mark 15:39,
Luke 23:47.
Luke 23:48.
John 19:31-32.
John 19:33.
John 19:34.
This would have to be before Shabbat, perhaps an hour or two before sundown.
Matthew 27:57-58.
Mark 15:44-45.
Matthew 27:60, Mark 15:46b.
John 19:41
John 19:42.
Matthew 27:59-60, Mark 15:45b-46, Luke 23:53-54.
Matthew 27:61, Mark 15:47, Luke 23:55,
Luke 23:56a.
Luke 23:56b.________________________________________

THE RESURRECTION - A REEXAMINATION OF THE EVIDENCE - PART TWO

LESSON TWO

THE EVENTS AS THEY TOOK PLACE IN THEIR ORDER

A REEXAMINATION OF EVERYTHING THAT HAPPENED SO FAR

Welcome back to our examination of the events preceding, and following the death, burial, and resurrection we are undertaking. Our study has taken us, and will take us to the earliest records themselves – the Gospels of Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John, and other parts of what forms the corpus of the New Testament in our possession.

Again, we will return to the period when these events took place, to the places where they happened, and from the pages of these accounts, mingle with the participants, and glean from them every bit of evidence, every detail, and every explanation that will aid us in uncovering precisely what occurred those fateful days that Gospel writers recorded for us.

We will leave no stone unturned, no evidence unexamined, no question unasked in our quest, but will examine everything thoroughly and bring together the different elements and pieces of this jigsaw puzzle until we have arrived at a cohesive narrative, brimming with facts and information that everyone who reads this must come face to face themselves.

Now, let us continue our examination of every detail that is available to us about the events surrounding the death, burial, and resurrection of Yeshua, Jesus, Our Savior, Our Resurrection, and Our Life.
Again, we will journey back in time to those fateful days, and continue our investigation, hopefully approaching our investigation with the same tenacity of a forensic pathologist who is examining a “cold case” with hot new evidence that may have been overlooked, but which lay dormant many years after those events took place.
For those who still wonder how these things came to pass, it’s time to stop being perplexed any longer about these events, but to draw near and see for ourselves the empty grave, the testimonies of those who saw it all, held the evidence with their hands, and ate with the risen Lord, and saw Him defeat death and grave, the by-products of sin. Yeshua lives. And because He lives, we live in Him also.

THE EVENTS AS THEY TOOK PLACE IN THEIR PROPER ORDER

A QUICK REVIEW OF WHAT WE HAVE EXAMINED IS IN ORDER

Thus far we’ve seen Jesus and His immediate disciples prepare for the Passover Seder at a friend’s house in part of Jerusalem called the Lower City on the first day of the Feast of Unleavened Bread.

During this time, Yehudah Ishkrayot goes to the chief priests and obtains a bribe to surrender Jesus to them if they will pay him handsomely for this betrayal. They give him thirty pieces of silver.

At the Passover Seder, early that evening, Jesus reveals to His disciples that one of them would betray Him that night, and that it will be the one to whom He would give the Matzah He’s dipped; one with whom He shared His Matzah and the Maror, and Charozet they dipped their Matzot into during the Seder.

He gives the dipped Matzah to Yehudah Ben Shimon Ishkrayot, telling charging him to be quick with his plans.

After receiving the morsel, he went (Judas) went out immediately, and it was night.

After singing the Hallel Hymn, Jesus and His disciples exit the house and traverse the Kidron Ravine to the Mount of Olives where there is a garden called Gethsemane, which they frequented quite often.

There, He took three of His disciples along with Him, and walking a little further on – about a stone’s toss away, He went into a deep and agonizing prayer, during which time, He sweat blood.

Returning to those He took with Him, He found them asleep, but upon His third return, Yehudah accompanied by a Roman Cohort and a contingency of temple police along with a group of chief priests from Annas and Caiaphas, came upon them as Jesus spoke.

During the scuffle, Peter takes out one of the two swords they brought with them, and with it strikes the ear off of Malchus, the high priest’s slave.

But Jesus stops Peter from further action and heals the servant’s ear with a touch. All of this happen almost at once, at which point, they seize Jesus and arrested Him, while His disciples flee.

JESUS IS TAKEN TO ANNAS FOR INTERROGATION

The first place they take Jesus is to Annas the high priest’s home. Annas is father in law to Joseph Caiaphas, who is High Priest that year.

Annas questions Jesus about His disciples and His teaching, and when he is finished with Him, he hands Jesus in chains over to Caiaphas for further questioning.

Caiaphas attempts to bring forward witnesses to testify against Jesus, but their collective testimonies conflict.

PETER’S THREE DENIALS OF JESUS DURING HIS TRAIL

As the proceedings take place inside palatial confines of Annas and Caiaphas’ house, Peter is outside in the courtyard with the temple police, warming himself by a fire, having been allowed in by a fellow unnamed disciple of Jesus who knows the high priest personally.

While there, Peter is recognized by his accent as being a Galilean, and when he is approached and asked if he is one of Jesus’ disciples, he denies it once, then twice – even with an oath.

Walking away towards the porch, to avoid the crowd, Peter even calls a curse upon himself as he attempts to deflect attention from his curious onlookers and the pesky servant girl, and potentially, danger as well.

It is at this point, when he’s made his third and final denial; that his eyes and Jesus’ meet, and a cock crows in the distance; at which point Peter goes off into the night, weeping bitterly.

ANNAS AND CAIAPHAS CONVENE A HURRIED MORNING CONCIL TO SENTENCE JESUS AND DELIVER HIM TO THE ROMANS

Knowing that they have to convene the Great Sanhedrin to formally sentence Jesus before they can deliver Him over to Pilate for execution, Caiaphas gathers all of the chief priests allied to him and his father in law, and the elders among these, as well as their scribes to gather in the Chamber of Hewn Stones, near the Holy Place, early in the morning.

Having gathered the entire Council of elders and priests, they pronounce sentence on Jesus and deliver Him bound in chains to Pontius Pilate, the Roman Governor.

They were committed to put Jesus to death one way or another. If they couldn’t do it because of some Roman legal technicality which constrained them; they would accomplish it by using Roman law to meet their purposes.

This hearing would be the last official full gathering of the Great Sanhedrin to hear a case and render judgment within the magnificent Chamber of Hewn Stones to a lesser, more austere location near the temple mount – a trading station.

The Talmud says that in the year 30 A.D.:

“Forty years before the destruction of the Temple, the Sanhedrin was BANISHED (from the Chamber of Hewn Stone) and sat in the trading station (on the Temple Mount)”

There is great significance to this, and we will examine it further on, but for now we continue reviewing what has happened thus far. Let us continue.

YEHUDAH – JUDAS FEELS REMORSE, BUT COMMITS SUICIDE

Yehudah feels remorse for betraying the Master, but when he attempts to return the silver, the chief priests disregard him and his change of heart. In a rage against them, he tosses the silver into the Sanctuary itself and commits suicide by hanging himself.

THE EVENTS AS THEY TOOK PLACE IN THEIR PROPER ORDER

THE FIRST ROMAN PHASE OF JESUS’ TRAIL BEFORE PILATE

At first Pilate appears disinterested, questioning Jesus’ accusers why He should try Jesus; suggesting to them that they try Him according to their law, but they remind Pilate that they cannot execute capital punishment on Jesus because Rome had stripped them of this power.

Jesus detractors begin to accuse Him vehemently before Pilate, but Jesus makes no effort to defend Himself against them. Pilate marvels at His non-responsiveness to their accusations.

When Pilate asks Jesus if He is King of the Jews, Jesus responds with His own question, “Are you saying this on your own initiative, or did others tell you about Me?”

Pilate answers, “I am not a Jew, am I? Your own nation and the chief priests delivered You up to me; what have You done?”

Jesus answers, “My kingdom is not of this world. If My kingdom were of this world, then My servants would be fighting, that I might not be delivered up to the Judeans; but as it is, My kingdom is not of this realm.”

Pilate therefore said to Him, “So You are a king?” Jesus replies, “It is as you say,” then continues, “You say correctly that I am a king. For this purpose I was born, and for this I have come into the world, to bear witness to the truth. Everyone who is of the truth hears My voice.”
Responding to this, Pilate says to Jesus, “What is truth?”

And though Pilate could find no guilt in Jesus with regard to Roman law, they kept on insisting, saying, “He stirs up the people, teaching all over Judea, starting from Galilee, even as far as this place.”

When Pilate hears this, he asks if Jesus was a Galilean, and when he is told that Jesus belongs to Herod Antipas’ jurisdiction, he has Jesus remanded to Herod’s custody, since Herod is visiting Jerusalem at this time.

THE HERODIAN PHASE OF JESUS’ TRIAL

While in Herod’s custody, Herod tries to solicit a miracle from Jesus, but the Master is unresponsive to Herod’s taunts. Changing tactics, Herod begins to question Jesus, while He is being accused viciously by the chief priests present, but again, Jesus makes no effort at defending Himself before His accusers.

Herod begins to treat Jesus with contempt and mockery. Deciding that he’s finished with Him, Herod has his soldiers Jesus dressed in a gorgeous robe, and returns Jesus to Pilate.

SECOND AND FINAL ROMAN PHASE OF JESUS’ TRIAL

The records tell us that Pilate and Herod Antipas had been bitter enemies, but with this exchange, became fast friends thereafter.

It appears that Pilate’s discovery that Antipas had as much hatred of Jews as he himself had, helped win Herod’s favor with him, and vice a versa. Now they the two had something in common; they hated the Jews and their alleged “King.”

And who could ask for more? This group of Judean Jewish leaders and their allies among the crowd forming outside of Pilate’s Praetorium want Pilate to kill this “King of the Jews” for them.

And Pilate summoned the chief priests and the rulers and the people, and said to them, “You brought this man to me as one who incites the people to rebellion, and behold, having examined Him before you, I have found no guilt in this man, regarding the charges which you make against Him.
Nor has Herod, for he sent Him back to us; and behold, nothing deserving of death has been done by Him.
“I will therefore punish Him and release Him.”
“But you have a custom, that I should release someone for you at the Passover; do you wish then that I release for you the King of the Jews?”
“Whom do you want me to release for you? Barabbas or Jesus who is called Christ?”

While Pilate sits in the Judgment seat, as he’s speaking these words; his wife arrives to warn him about a dream she had the night before, exhorting him not to have anything to do with “this Righteous Man.”

But the scheming priests and their crafty legal clerics and allies, ask Pilate to release Bar Abbas, and to crucify Jesus.

The more Pilate puts the question to the crowd, the more agitated they become, demanding Bar Abbas be released, and specifically for Jesus to be crucified.

Sensing that the chief priests, and their allies and families in the crowd are about to riot, and taking into account what his wife has just told him about this Man, Pilate washes his hands, and pronounces his own innocence with regards to Jesus and what he is about to do with Him.

While he releases the notorious criminal and murdering insurrectionist, Bar Abbas from prison, Pilate delivers Jesus to his Praetorian Guard to be scourged in preparation to be crucified.

But the soldiers in whose custody Jesus finds Himself in are sadistic towards Him. They fashion a crown of thorns which they thrust onto Jesus’ head, and then put a reed in His hand, and a scarlet and purple robe around Him, while the entire Praetorian Guard is summoned before Him and feign doing Jesus homage.

They each take turns hitting Jesus in the face and striking Him across and head with the reed they had put in His hand, as others spit at Him, while some kneel before Him and others bow mockingly, shouting in mock acclamation, “Hail, King of the Jews!” as they play act obeisance.

Completing their mocking, the Romans remove the purple and red robe, and put Jesus’ garments back on Him, then take Him to be crucified.

Pilate presents Jesus one last time, arrayed with the crown of thorns on His head, as if to taunt and mock the Judean Jewish leaders and their allies, friends, and families gathered below, and shouts to them, “Behold the Man!”

This makes the crowd even more agitated, and the shouts of the chief priests and their allies can be heard shouting, “Crucify, Crucify!” To which Pilate replies for them to take Him themselves and crucify Him, because he finds no guilt in Him.

But the Judeans reply, “We have a law, and by that law He ought to die because He made Himself out to be the Son of God.”

This statement scares Pilate, and because of it, he tries to release Jesus, but is unsuccessful, because the priests and the crowd allied to them, shouted, “If you release this Man, you are no friend of Caesar; everyone who makes himself a king opposes Caesar. We have no king but Caesar. ”

As much as Pilate hates the Jews and their Jewish King, he is not a fool. He hands Jesus over to be crucified. Jesus is then crucified, between two criminals.

Jesus dies in front of the Romans, His enemies – the chief priests and their allies – His mother and some of His friends, and all of the others who have gathered there for the spectacle.

We have revisited what we’ve study preliminarily thus far, and though it may be for some what seems to be a repetitive venture, the reason we have done this is to reexamine every bit of information available to us, so as to assure ourselves that we have not missed a single shred of evidence in our investigation.

In so doing, we will have scoured every part of the evidence, the testimonies of which are recorded and preserved for us in the writings of the New Testament, in particular the four Gospels and parts of the Acts.

If necessary, our investigation will take us past these to other sources of information, such as the other writings of the New Testament; the letters, and extra-Biblical historical accounts.

We will examine everything to the official records of these events – the Gospels themselves – and bring to light, if the Lord wills – data that others may have missed by conventional means; that is to say, where the study has been elementary.

And now, let us return to the present, having examined what we’ve covered thus far. We are at the hill which resembles a skull just outside of the walls of Jerusalem, at the place of Roman execution, where Jesus is crucified between two criminals.

In front of Him, below watching on are Miriam, His natural mother, Miriam’s sister, John His beloved disciple at her side, Miriam of Magdala, and Miriam, the wife of Cleopas.

THE INCREDIBLE SIGNS WHICH FOLLOWED JESUS’ DEATH

Matthew tells us that when Jesus breathed His last, several incidents occurred which defy conventional explanations, because they were in the realm of the supernatural.

The veil of the temple, that separated the Holiest Place from the Court of the Priests within temple building; was torn supernaturally from top to bottom, an earthquake took place, and the rocks were split, and the tombs were opened.

We are told that three days later, the bodies of those believers, who had passed on, were resurrected, and they entered the holy city, and appeared to many whose testimony of these incidents he exclusively records.

THE REACTION OF THE ROMANS AND BYSTANDERS TO THE SIGNS AROUND THEM AT THE MOMENT WHEN JESUS BREATHED HIS LAST

We return now to our study as we continue our examination of the records available to us.

When the Centurion and his troops who guarded the place of execution where Jesus and the other two were crucified, felt the earthquake, and everything that was happening around them, and the manner in which Jesus died; the dignity, forgiveness, love, and care He displayed on that most undignified place of execution; they became very afraid, and said – “Truly this was the Son of God.”

And there were several women, who had supported Jesus’ work as He travelled from Galilee who were looking on, who witnessed these things as well.

Because it was the day of preparation and the Sabbath approached, so that the bodies would not remain on the cross on Shabbat, Pilate was asked to break the legs of those crucified with Jesus to expedite death, but when they came to Jesus, and saw that He was already dead, they did not break His legs.

But in case that Jesus might be feigning death, or might still be alive, but unconscious, one of the soldiers lanced Jesus on His side deeply with his spear, and John tells us that blood and water came out.

We will discuss the significance of this later on, but at this moment, we mention it as another of the evidences we are gathering in our investigation.

Writing in the John’s narrative in anonymously in the first person, one of the many witnesses there, bears witness that this is precisely what occurred in front of his eyes the day Jesus died.

When it was evening, Joseph of Arimathea, accompanied by Nicodemus, leading a delegation of Pharisees who were at this time secret followers of Jesus, came to Pilate and asked for the body of Jesus, which was being guarded by Pilate’s troops at Golgotha.

Mark tells us that they gathered up enough courage to do this, since up until that moment, every follower or alleged follower of Jesus was in hiding, fearing arrest.
Wondering whether Jesus had died by now, Pilate summoned the Centurion who confirmed to Pilate that Jesus had indeed expired on the cross.
Pilate granted this Joseph’s delegation the body of Jesus, and Mark writes:
And Joseph bought a linen cloth, took Him down, wrapped Him in the linen cloth, and laid Him in a tomb which had been hewn out in the rock; and he rolled a stone against the entrance of the tomb.
We are told that Miriam of Magdala and Miriam the mother of someone named Joses were looking on to see where Jesus had been buried.
Luke gives us an additional bit of information about this tomb. He says that it had never been used. He too corroborates Matthew’s account that the tomb itself was cut into solid rock.
We are told by Luke that it was the preparation day, and the Sabbath was about to begin.
We now pause our study, and will pick it up after we have examined the new additional evidence in the next part of our study.
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SOURCES CITED:

Matthew 26:17-19, Mark 14:12-16, Luke 22:7-13.
Judas Iscariot.
Matthew 26:14-16, Mark 14:10-11, Luke , John chapters 13-17.
John 13:25-26.
The bitter herbs. The Maror was first consumed on the first night of the Passover.
A sweet dark pasty dip made of nuts and fruits served during the Passover Seder.
Matthew 26:22-23, Mark 14:17-20. The Seder and everything it contained was shared among those participating, so there was confusion as what Jesus meant when He said it was the one dipping his Matzah as He dipped His own Matzah and gave it to Yehudah Ben Shimon Ishkrayot – Judas, son of Simon Iscariot.
John 13:27.
John 13:30.
Psalms 115-118, and the Great Halel, Psalm 136, sung during the Passover Seder.
Matthew 26:36, Mark 14:32, Luke 22:39, John 18:1.
Mark 14:33.
Luke 22:41.
Luke 22:44.
Matthew 26:40-44, Mark 14:35-42.
John 18:2-3. See also Matthew 26:47.
Matthew 26:47-50, Mark 14:43-46, Luke 22:47-48.
John 18:10.
Matthew 26:51, Mark 14:47, Luke 22:50, John 18:11..
Matthew 26:52-54, Mark 14:47.
Luke 22:51.
Matthew 26:58, Mark 14:50, they see this as a fulfillment of Zechariah 13:7.
John 18:12-13a.
John 18:13b. It was Caiaphas who proposed that one person die rather than the entire nation perish at the hands of the Romans (John 18:14, see John 11:49-51.
John 18:19.
John 18:24.
Matthew 26:57, 59-66, Mark 14:53.
Because of their great wealth, Annas and Caiaphas both lived in the same location – an elaborate and highly ornate palace with courtyards and servants. Annas and Caiaphas’ separate interrogation of Jesus occurred at two separate locations and times within the same palace..
John 18:15-16. See also Matthew 26:58, Mark 14:54, Luke 22:54b-55.
Matthew 26:73, Mark 14:70, Luke 22:59.
Matthew 26:69-72.
Mark 14:68.
Matthew 26:74, Mark 14:71,
Mathew 26:69-75, Mark 14:54, 66-72 , Luke 22:54b-62, John 18:17-18, 25-27.
Mark 15:1.
Matthew 27:1-2, Luke 22:66-71.
Luke 23:1-5, John 18:28.
Talmud, Sanhedrin 15a.
Matthew 27:3-10, , Acts 1:16-20.
John 18:29-31. This is taken as a prophetic confirmation of how Jesus was to be put to death – by piercing; by crucifixion – not by any other means (John 18:32). This would fulfill specific prophecies given in the Hebrew Scriptures pertaining as to Messiah would be “cut off and have nothing.” See Daniel 9:26, Psalm 22:16, Isaiah 53:5. Zechariah 12:10.
Mark 15:3. Luke 23:1-2.
Matthew 27:12-14, Mark 15:4-5.
Matthew 27:11a.
In saying this, Pilate was using a verbal jab; “I’m not a Jew, am I? Jews like Yourself turned You in to me; how would you know whether I know of such things? That’s why I’m putting the question to You – Now are You the King of the Jews? And anyway, what exactly are they accusing You of?”
Matthew 27:11b, Mark 15:2, Luke 23:3,
John 18:33-37.
Luke 23:4, John 18:38.
Luke 23:5.
Luke 23:6-7.
Luke 23:8.
Luke 23:9.
Luke 23:10.
Luke 23:11.
Luke 23:12.
Luke 23:13-16.
John 18:39.
Matthew 27:17.
Matthew 27:19.
John 18:40.
Matthew 27:15-23, Luke 23:17-25.
Matthew 27:24.
Matthew 27:26. Mark 15:15, John 19:1.
Matthew 27:29, Mark 15:17, John 19:2.
Matthew 27:27.
Mark 15:16-17. The description of this robe by the Gospel writers gives the impression that it was a reddish purple robe that shimmered in the sunlight. To those who saw it, it appeared either purple, probably maroon, but when the sun shone on it, it would appear red. This is why it would appear to one bystander as red (Matthew 26:28) while to another as purple (John 19:2).
Mark 15:19.
John 19:2
Mark 15:18.
Matthew 27:31, Mark 15:20.
John 19:5.
John 19:6.
John 19:7. This is alluding to the Law against blasphemy in the Torah, and its consequence; capital punishment by stoning (Leviticus 24:16).
John 19:12, 15b.
Matthew 27:38, Mark 15:27-28, Luke 23:32, John 19:18
Matthew 27:39-50, Mark 15:29-37, 39-41, Luke 23:26-49, John 19:20-37.
John 19:25.
Matthew 27:51a.
Mathew 27:52-53.
Matthew 27:54.
Matthew 27:56-57.
John 19:31-33.
John 19:34.
John 19:35-37.
Matthew 27:57-58.
Mark 15:42-43.
Mark 15:44.
Mark 15:46.
Mark 15:47, Luke 23:55-56..
Luke 23:53.
Luke 23:54.________________________________________