The Missing Passover

Ben Masada · Post by **Ben Masada** » Wed Apr 08, 2009 7:48 am

The Missing Passover

We are starting Passover here in Israel. But since the wheels of the Truth cannot stop rolling, I want to bring to your attention the Passover of the year 30 CE. It was supposed to be the last one that Jesus would partake of, and he missed it.

According to John 19:31, that Sabbath was a solemn Sabbath, which is what we call in Hebrew a Shabbaton. That's when a festival falls on the Sabbath. The KJV brings: "For that Sabbath day was a high day."

That Sabbath was the 14th of the month of Nissan; the first day of Passover. The beginning of it is celebrated with the Passover Supper at the evening of the previous day, Friday on that year. That's what we call the Seder Meal.

In the year 30 CE, the Passover Supper was held on the evening of that Friday. No wonder, everyone somehow connected with the events taking place on the Calvary that day, had to leave it in a hurry to prepare themselves and their houses for the Passover Supper.

Jesus missed that Passover Supper because he was on the cross, and soon afterwards, in the tomb. But then again, how to understand that he celebrated his Passover Supper on the evening of Thursday, which was the 13th of Nissan? He didn't. In Israel, no Jew would celebrate Passover in a different day alone or in a small group when everyone else would be doing it next day.

This discrepancy is perhaps due to the fact that the gospel writer, writing somehwere in the world, and realizing that the Jews in the Diaspora would celebrate every festival in two days, thought he could have Jesus celebrate the Passover Supper on the 13 of Nissan. It would have worked if Jesus was a Diaspora Jew; but in Israel there is no such a thing.

There is an option in Judaism to celebrate the Passover later, even a month later, if the person was not for some reason ready for it; but NEVER before. It means that, definitely, Jesus missed that Passover celebration, because his reported "Last Supper" did not have anything to do with the Passover Supper.

The gospel writer had either no idea what he was writing about or simply thought we would never find out about his blunder.

Ben

Ben Masada · Post by **Ben Masada** » Sat May 09, 2009 12:12 am

kayky wrote:Ben, nobody knows for sure what year Jesus was born. The New Testament certainly does not say. So it's impossible to say what day the passover fell on in the year of Jesus's death. I'm not sure what your point is anyway.

We do not need to know when Jesus was born to know what day the Passover fell in the year of his death. The NT certainly says so. First of all, the Passover ALWAYS falls on the 14th of Nisan. Between Matthew and John we know that that Sabbath, after the day of preparation, which is Friday, was a solemn or high Sabbath. That's what we call a Shabbaton. That's the Jewish name for the Sabbath whenever a festival day coincides with. And that Sabbath was the 14th of Nisan. You can see what the NT says in Matthew 27:62 and John 19:31.

Ben Masada · Post by **Ben Masada** » Sat May 09, 2009 12:27 am

dunsapy wrote:
You have but confirmed my point regarding the day Jesus was crucified: On the 14th of Nisan, whose Passover Feast he missed. That's what I assert in the thread. Only that it did not fall on Thursday but Friday since according
to Matthew 27:62, it was the Day of Preparation, which is Friday.
Friday started with the Jews at sundown on Thrusday, they went from sundown to sundown.

I know. Friday evening was the evening of the 14th of Nisan, which fell on that Sabbath. The gospel writers set Jesus with his disciples celebrating the Passover on Thursday evening, which was the 13th of Nisan. It could never happen. Afterwards yes, for those who somehow could not celebrate on the 14th of Nisan; but never before. The truth is that Jesus did miss his last Passover Feast.

kayky · Post by **kayky** » Sat May 09, 2009 11:29 am

We do not need to know when Jesus was born to know what day the Passover fell in the year of his death. The NT certainly says so. First of all, the Passover ALWAYS falls on the 14th of Nisan. Between Matthew and John we know that that Sabbath, after the day of preparation, which is Friday, was a solemn or high Sabbath. That's what we call a Shabbaton. That's the Jewish name for the Sabbath whenever a festival day coincides with. And that Sabbath was the 14th of Nisan. You can see what the NT says in Matthew 27:62 and John 19:31.

If we don't know what year Jesus was born, how do we know what year he died?

dunsapy · Post by **dunsapy** » Sat May 09, 2009 3:19 pm

Ben Masada I gave the evidence I have. If you disagree with that, that is your choice.

Ben Masada · Post by **Ben Masada** » Tue May 12, 2009 1:17 pm

kayky wrote:

We do not need to know when Jesus was born to know what day the Passover fell in the year of his death. The NT certainly says so. First of all, the Passover ALWAYS falls on the 14th of Nisan. Between Matthew and John we know that that Sabbath, after the day of preparation, which is Friday, was a solemn or high Sabbath. That's what we call a Shabbaton. That's the Jewish name for the Sabbath whenever a festival day coincides with. And that Sabbath was the 14th of Nisan. You can see what the NT says in Matthew 27:62 and John 19:31.
If we don't know what year Jesus was born, how do we know what year he died?

We are talking about the Passover in the last year of the life of Jesus. To know what year was that, is irrelevant for the case in question. The issue here is to define what kind of Last Supper was that Jesus had with his disciples on that evening of Thursday or 13th of Nisan. If it was the Passover Feast, the gospel writers did not know what they were writing about. If it was a regular supper, Jesus missed the Passover Feast of that year.[/size]

kayky · Post by **kayky** » Tue May 12, 2009 1:26 pm

We are talking about the Passover in the last year of the life of Jesus. To know what year was that, is irrelevant for the case in question. The issue here is to define what kind of Last Supper was that Jesus had with his disciples on that evening of Thursday or 13th of Nisan. If it was the Passover Feast, the gospel writers did not know what they were writing about. If it was a regular supper, Jesus missed the Passover Feast of that year.[/size]

I don't understand what you're saying here at all. You're going to have to explain yourself more clearly (remember, you're talking to a gentile) if I can respond in any coherent way.

Ben Masada · Post by **Ben Masada** » Tue May 12, 2009 2:06 pm

kayky wrote:
We are talking about the Passover in the last year of the life of Jesus. To know what year was that, is irrelevant for the case in question. The issue here is to define what kind of Last Supper was that Jesus had with his disciples on that evening of Thursday or 13th of Nisan. If it was the Passover Feast, the gospel writers did not know what they were writing about. If it was a regular supper, Jesus missed the Passover Feast of that year.[/size]
I don't understand what you're saying here at all. You're going to have to explain yourself more clearly (remember, you're talking to a gentile) if I can respond in any coherent way.

Well, you may be a Gentile but, as a Scholar, I guess you should know what I am talking about. Scholars are usually versed in a lot of general knowledge.

Every year the Jewish Passover Feast falls on the 14th of the month of Nisan. The year Jesus died, the 14th of Nisan fell on a Sabbath. The evening of the Sabbath is on Friday night. Why? Because we Jews count the day from sunset to sunset. Since Jesus died on that Friday, he missed the Jewish Passover Feast of that year.
However, the gospel writers claim that he celebrated that Passover Thursday night. My point is that they committed a blunder because Jesus was Jewish and a Jew never celebrates the Passover before the 14th of Nisan. Afterwards yes, but NEVER before. A little better now?

kayky · Post by **kayky** » Tue May 12, 2009 2:36 pm

Well, you may be a Gentile but, as a Scholar, I guess you should know what I am talking about. Scholars are usually versed in a lot of general knowledge.

Well, scholar is the title given to me by this site, and I just received it today, so you'll have to cut me some slack!

Every year the Jewish Passover Feast falls on the 14th of the month of Nisan. The year Jesus died, the 14th of Nisan fell on a Sabbath. The evening of the Sabbath is on Friday night. Why? Because we Jews count the day from sunset to sunset. Since Jesus died on that Friday, he missed the Jewish Passover Feast of that year.
However, the gospel writers claim that he celebrated that Passover Thursday night. My point is that they committed a blunder because Jesus was Jewish and a Jew never celebrates the Passover before the 14th of Nisan. Afterwards yes, but NEVER before. A little better now?

The part I am not getting is how not knowing what year Jesus died is irrelevant. If you say, "the year Jesus died," you are implying that you know the year Jesus died and seem to be basing your evidence on that knowledge. Christmas falls on the 25th of every December. But if I don't know what year you are talking about, I cannot tell you the day of the week.

Ben Masada · Post by **Ben Masada** » Fri May 15, 2009 8:22 am

kayky wrote:
Well, you may be a Gentile but, as a Scholar, I guess you should know what I am talking about. Scholars are usually versed in a lot of general knowledge.

Well, scholar is the title given to me by this site, and I just received it today, so you'll have to cut me some slack!

Every year the Jewish Passover Feast falls on the 14th of the month of Nisan. The year Jesus died, the 14th of Nisan fell on a Sabbath. The evening of the Sabbath is on Friday night. Why? Because we Jews count the day from sunset to sunset. Since Jesus died on that Friday, he missed the Jewish Passover Feast of that year.
However, the gospel writers claim that he celebrated that Passover Thursday night. My point is that they committed a blunder because Jesus was Jewish and a Jew never celebrates the Passover before the 14th of Nisan. Afterwards yes, but NEVER before. A little better now?
The part I am not getting is how not knowing what year Jesus died is irrelevant. If you say, "the year Jesus died," you are implying that you know the year Jesus died and seem to be basing your evidence on that knowledge. Christmas falls on the 25th of every December. But if I don't know what year you are talking about, I cannot tell you the day of the week.

Hey Scholar, that's what I said: You don't have to know what year Jesus died, to know the day of the week. Jesus died on Friday and was put into the tomb by Joseph of Arimathea just before the Passover Feast on that 14th of Nisan. Your point is to know what day he was crucified. I am telling you with certainty: Friday. (Mat. 27:62; John 19:31)

McCulloch · Post by **McCulloch** » Fri May 15, 2009 9:41 am

Ben Masada wrote:Your point is to know what day he was crucified. I am telling you with certainty: Friday. (Mat. 27:62; John 19:31).

John 19:31: Then the Jews, because it was the day of preparation, so that the bodies would not remain on the cross on the Sabbath (for that Sabbath was a high day), asked Pilate that their legs might be broken, and that they might be taken away.

What evidence do you have that this day of preparation was the day before the seventh day of the week Sabbath? There are those who claim that this high day was one of the Sabbaths observed not on the seventh day of the week. cf Lev 23:32