Palm Sunday or Palm Saturday?

[Gideon]

As we know there is a debate concerning the day of Christ’s death but this thread deals with a related topic. If we nudge the Crucifixion back from Friday to Thursday (or Wednesday) we must also nudge his triumphal entry back a day as well. Yes? So my question is this; should Palm Sunday really be Palm Saturday? Here is the traditional timeline taken from the gospel of John.

• Friday/Saturday evening: “Six days before the Passover, Jesus therefore came to Bethany, where Lazarus was, whom Jesus had raised from the dead. So they gave a dinner for him there. Martha served, and Lazarus was one of those reclining with him at table ... (John 12:1)
• Sunday: (5 days before the Passover) “The next day the large crowd that had come to the feast heard that Jesus was coming to Jerusalem. So they took branches of palm trees and went out to meet him, crying out, "Hosanna! Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord. (John 12: 12-13)
• Monday: (4 days before the Passover)
• Tuesday: (3 days before the Passover)
• Wednesday: (2 days before the Passover)
• Thursday: (1 days before the Passover)
• Friday: ( >>>> PASSOVER <<<< )

So, Passover would have arrived on the on the switch-point between Thur/Fri evening. Yes? No? Which means Good Friday must have been Passover!

… unless Palm Sunday was really Palm Saturday? What say ye?

Gideon

 

[Gideon]

By 'Fri/Sat' evening I mean our western Friday evening. That was when tradition says Jesus came into Bethany to rest. Perhaps I should have said 'Fri/Sabbath' evening since that is when the Hebrew day began at about 6 pm.

Looking forward to discussing this. Anyone?

 

[Steve Petersen]

Restrictions on activity on the Sabbath would probably have made that unlikely.

For instance, there were restrictions on carrying things on the Sabbath (palm branches?)

 

[Brenda Morgan]

As we know there is a debate concerning the day of Christ’s death but this thread deals with a related topic. If we nudge the Crucifixion back from Friday to Thursday (or Wednesday) we must also nudge his triumphal entry back a day as well. Yes? So my question is this; should Palm Sunday really be Palm Saturday? Here is the traditional timeline taken from the gospel of John.

• Friday/Saturday evening: “Six days before the Passover, Jesus therefore came to Bethany, where Lazarus was, whom Jesus had raised from the dead. So they gave a dinner for him there. Martha served, and Lazarus was one of those reclining with him at table ... (John 12:1)
• Sunday: (5 days before the Passover) “The next day the large crowd that had come to the feast heard that Jesus was coming to Jerusalem. So they took branches of palm trees and went out to meet him, crying out, "Hosanna! Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord. (John 12: 12-13)
• Monday: (4 days before the Passover)
• Tuesday: (3 days before the Passover)
• Wednesday: (2 days before the Passover)
• Thursday: (1 days before the Passover)
• Friday: ( >>>> PASSOVER <<<< )

So, Passover would have arrived on the on the switch-point between Thur/Fri evening. Yes? No? Which means Good Friday must have been Passover!

… unless Palm Sunday was really Palm Saturday? What say ye?

Gideon

You raised some interesting questions.
We need to look at the timeline of THAT week.
It appears to me that the timeline in the synoptic gospels is different than the timeline in John's gospel.
Another observation....the Passover refers to the day that the lamb was slaughtered. But the Passover lamb was consumed after sundown on the first day of the feast of unleavened bread. Sometimes people misunderstand this point.
Jesus died on the first day of unleavened bread in the synoptics. But in John's gospel Jesus dies on the day before, the day that the lamb was slaughtered.

It can be time consuming to organize all the Scriptures to understand the timeline. Very often people start with a preconceived theological position and try to "fit" the Scriptures to their theology. But we still have the problem of the differences between the synoptics and John's gospel.

 

[InSpiritInTruth]

Matthew 12:40;"For as Jonas was three days and three nights in the whales's belly; so shall the Son of man be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth."

And then you also have to consider prophecy.

 

[Gideon]

...the Passover refers to the day that the lamb was slaughtered. But the Passover lamb was consumed after sundown on the first day of the feast of unleavened bread. Sometimes people misunderstand this point ...

True. It would be a great help if more people realised this.

Matthew 12:40;"For as Jonas was three days and three nights in the whales's belly; so shall the Son of man be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth."

So, are you saying that we must count a literal 3*24=72 hours? If so, what day was Messiahs triumphal entry into Jerusalem? Was it ‘Palm Friday’ or ‘Palm Saturday’ or ‘Palm Sunday’?

 

[Brenda Morgan]

Matthew 12:40;"For as Jonas was three days and three nights in the whales's belly; so shall the Son of man be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth."

And then you also have to consider prophecy.

Good Point! The traditional way of counting from friday night to Sunday morning is way too short to be 3 days and 3 nights.

 

[Brenda Morgan]

True. It would be a great help if more people realised this.


So, are you saying that we must count a literal 3*24=72 hours? If so, what day was Messiahs triumphal entry into Jerusalem? Was it ‘Palm Friday’ or ‘Palm Saturday’ or ‘Palm Sunday’?

How long was Jonah "dead" in the belly of a great fish? Jonah 1:17


It would be nice if we could figure the timeline for THAT week.

Part of the problem could also be a misunderstanding that there is a weekly Sabbath, but feast days are also referred to as Sabbaths in the Hebrew Scriptures.

 

[Brenda Morgan]

Couple of things to think about if you want to make a timeline.

The Lamb was chosen on the 10th day of Abib [Nisan] Exodus 12:3
Many scholars believe that Jesus' triumphant entry was with the lambs that were brought into Jerusalem. The people assembled to chose a lamb for the Passover sacrifice.

The Passover was sacrificed on the 14th in the afternoon and eaten after sundown on the 15th, the first day, of the feast of unleavened bread. This day is referred to as a Sabbath since no work is to be done this day.

 

[BobtheBerean]

Our Lord was crucified on a Wednesday that year, on the Passover, one day before the First Day of Unleavened Bread (a high Sabbath day - John 19:31) See this chart I found that illustrates it perfectly - The Chronology of the Crucifixion and Resurrection of Jesus Christ

 

[BrotherJJ]

By 'Fri/Sat' evening I mean our western Friday evening. That was when tradition says Jesus came into Bethany to rest. Perhaps I should have said 'Fri/Sabbath' evening since that is when the Hebrew day began at about 6 pm.

Looking forward to discussing this. Anyone?

Passion Week

On Nisan 10 a Passover Lamb is chosen (Ex 12). It is inspected for any blemish until Nisan 14, when the actual sacrifice was made (Lev 23:5) The Passover meal is eaten the next evening Nisan 15.

Christ triumphal entry begins on (Nisan 10). He is inspected for blemishes via the Pharisees & (Mk 12:17 & 25) And is killed on Nisan 14. Although his disciples prepared the Passover meal. Jesus last supper was eaten on Nisan 14. Jesus was dead when the Jews ate it on Nisan 15.

Christ triumphal entry begins on a Sunday/Nisan 10). He is inspected for blemishes via the Pharisees (Mk 12:17 & 25)

Christ is killed on Nisan 14.

Approximate Nisan 14 timeline:
Nisan 14 began at sundown. Jesus eats his last supper with his chosen 12 (7-9pm). They go the Garden of Gethsemane & Jesus prays (9pm -midnight) He is arrested (midnight) the Priests accuse, abuse & condemn Him (midnight-6am). He's taken to Pilate questioned, abused, scourged & sentenced to death (6am til 8am). Nailed to the cross (9am) suffers til & dies at (3pm) all on Nisan 14.

Four day's noted above, three to go.

Nisan 14 Passover (day of preparation) begins, Wed evening 7p til 7a.
Nisan 14 Thur morning 7a til 7p: 9a nailed to the Cross & 3pm Jesus dies/He is immediately in the spirit realm = day 1 in the belly of the earth

Nisan 15 Thurs (Sedar meal High Day/Sabbath) evening 7p til 7a: Jesus is in the grave = 12 hrs night 1
Nisan 15 Fri (High Day/Sabbath) morning 7a til 7p: = 12 hrs day 2.

Nisan 16 Fri evening (Sabbath) 7p til 7a: = 12 hrs night 2
Nisan 16 Sat morning (Sabbath) 7a til 7p: = 12 hrs day 3

Nisan 17 Sat evening 7p til 7a: (1st day of the week) any amount of time after 7p before 7a = night 3
Nisan 17 Sun (Resurrection Day) morning 7a til 7p: Disicples encounter risen Jesus Matt 28:1-10.

Jn 18:28 Then led they Jesus from Caiaphas unto the hall of judgment: and it was early; and they themselves went not into the judgment hall, lest they should be defiled; but that they might eat the Passover.
(NOTE: Jesus is taken to the Roman/gentile Hall of Judgment on Passover/Nisan 14 (the day the lamb was killed). Before the Passover/Seder Meal was to be eaten on Nisan 15)

Parsing a High Day:
Jn 19:31 The Jews therefore, because it was the preparation, that the bodies should not remain upon the cross on the sabbath day, (for that sabbath day was an high day,) besought Pilate that their legs might be broken, and that they might be taken away.
(NOTE: Vs 31, For that sabbath was "AN HIGH DAY". HIGH DAYS are treated as a Sabbath. A High Day/Sabbath is not necessarily the 7th day of the week. High Day - 6 of the 7 possible days. Nisan 15 is always an High (sabbath) Days. A High Sabbath is the 1st day of the 7 day Feast of Unleavened Bread. The Day of Preparation/always in Nisan 14 & Nisan 15 is always a High Day/Sabbath)

The Easter mention in KJB isn't to Passover day (foreshadow of Christ's death), but to the firstfruits wave offering (foreshadow of Christ resurrection)

Ex 23:16 And the feast of harvest, the firstfruits of thy labours, which thou hast sown in the field: and the feast of ingathering, which is in the end of the year, when thou hast gathered in thy labours out of the field.

Lev 23:
9 And the Lord spake unto Moses, saying,

10 Speak unto the children of Israel, and say unto them, When ye be come into the land which I give unto you, and shall reap the harvest thereof, then ye shall bring a sheaf of the firstfruits of your harvest unto the priest:
(MY NOTE: This sheaf, a bundle of 1st blossoms of the 1st grains gathered. The priest (starting at the waist) is to lift-up (over his head) & wave the sheaf before God. This action acknowledged & dedicated the coming harvest to the LORD. This wave/offering before/onto the LORD, sanctified the whole field of harvest to come. Christ was RAISED-UP the firstfruit of resurrection. Setting the stage for the entire human race to be resurrected.

11 And he shall wave the sheaf before the Lord, to be accepted for you: on the morrow after the sabbath the priest shall wave it.
(This waving of the sheaf/omer began a 50 day count down the the Feast of Pentecost. At the 1st Pentecost the Lord gave Moses the 10 commandments & the Nation of Israel was born. At the 1st post resurrection Pentecost, the Lord gave believers His indwelling Holy Spirit & the Christian Church was born)

Post is My Opinion Only.

 

[The Liturgist]

Remember, in antiquity, the day ended at sunset, the night was reckoned separately, and the new day was at sunrise.