Yeshua’s Passover Week
There is a command in Deuteronomy 16:16 and Exodus 23:14 for every male, 20 years and older to appear before the Lord (with an offering) three times in a year.
These pilgrimage trips to Jerusalem and the Temple where to be in the Spring for Passover (Pashcal), the summer for Pentecost (Shavout) and the fall for Tabernacles (Sukkot).
And because our Messiah lived faithful to the Torah, we read often in the New Testament how He went up to Jerusalem for the Feasts.
Obviously His most famous trip up to Jerusalem was His last, when He was crucified on Passover and became the substitutionary atonement for our sins.
An event He often spoke of before it would come to pass. And John the Baptist prophesied. Behold the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world
Only One Sign Would Be Given
Many of the religious leaders of the day asked for signs to prove that He was the long-awaited Messiah. But Jesus responded with some very cryptic answer. Only the sign of Jonah will be given. There has been much speculation about the “Sign of Jonah”, but at the very least we must include what Jesus said about it.
“For as Jonah was three days and three nights in the belly of a huge fish, so the Son of Man will be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth.” Matthew 12:40
So Jesus tells the leaders of the day, this is how you will know I am He. Now many people have looked for ways to “fit” this 3 days and 3 nights into their customary understanding of the Passion week. The “traditional” idea of Jesus dying on Good Friday and rising on Easter Sunday has blinded people to the truth of absolute fulfillment of the Sign of Jonah.
Jesus was not a Catholic or Protestant Christian. He was a Jew and followed the Feasts of YaHoVaH. He did not celebrate Good Friday or Easter, but fulfilled the Feasts of Passover, Unleavened Bread and First Fruits.
If we would take Jesus at His Word and not try to make it fit what we think it should be, we will soon find the puzzle pieces fall together beautifully and His Power and Majesty would be seen.
So let us look at this week from a Jewish perspective and see the beauty in Jesus fulfillment of the Spring Feasts…
The Timeline of Jesus Passover Week
In order to see this timeline we will use passages from all the Gospel accounts and see the chronology line up. We will use dates instead of days because we know exactly the dates God gave for the yearly feasts. (special thanks to The Chronological Gospels by Michael Rood)
On the 9th of Aviv, Jesus who has traveled to Bethany, is staying with Martha, Mary and Lazurus. Sends two disciples to find a colt tied. (Luke 19:29-30) Mary anoints Jesus’ feet for His upcoming burial. (Matthew 26:6-12, John 12:2)
On the 10th (as they would select lambs for the Passover) Jesus rides into Jerusalem sitting on a colt. (John 12:12-16) He proclaims His coming death, “Unless a grain of wheat is buried…”(John 12:20-26)
On the 11th morning as they travel back to Jerusalem from Bethany, Jesus curses the fig tree. (Matthew 21:18-19) Arriving on Temple Mount, Jesus cleanses the Temple. (Mark 11:15-19)
On the 12th they see the withered fig tree on the way back into Jerusalem. (Mark 11:20-26) That day Jesus teaches on Temple Mount, Parables to the Leadership (Matthew 21:23-22:1-14), is “inspected” by the Pharisees/Herodians, Sudducees and the Scribes. (Mark 12:13-34) and then prophecies the coming destruction of the Temple. (Matthew 24:1)
On the 13th Judas agrees to betray Jesus. (Luke 22:3-6), Jesus sends disciples to make preparations for the Passover. (Luke 22:7-13) Then Jesus travels to Jerusalem where the upper room has been prepared for them to stay through the Feast days. (Mark 14:17)
On the start of 14th (just after sundown of 13th) they have the last supper, not the Passover. (Luke 22:14, John 13:1) After the meal, Jesus washes the disciples feet (John 13:1-15), Judas leaves to betray him. (John 13:30) They walk to the Mount of Olives. (Matthew 26:30) Walking through the Kidron Valley Jesus teaches and prays for His disciples. (John 15-17)In the Garden of Gethsemane, Jesus prays and then is arrested. (John 18:3-12)
Early morning hours of the 14th, Jesus is illegally tried, mocked, beaten. (Matthew 26:57-68) At dawn, Jesus is taken to the Sandhedrin and pronounced guilty and taken to Pilate. (Matthew 27:1-2) After false witnesses and accusations, Pilate offers to release Him. (Matthew 27:15-26)
Jesus is scourged, then beaten and mocked by the Roman soldiers. (John 19:1-3) After Pilate continues to proclaim Jesus’ innocence and finally relents to political pressure and give the order to crucify Him (John 19:16)
On the day 14th Aviv, the day of Passover when they would kill the lamb “between the evenings” (Exodus 12:6), Jesus is crucified at the third hour (9:00am) (John 19:18-24) Darkness covers the land from 12:00 - 3:00. (Matthew 27:45)
At the 9th hour, 3:00pm, Jesus quotes Psalm 22 (Matthew 27:46-47). Jesus thirst and announces It Is Finished!!! (John 19:28-30) And dies at the same time the Passover lambs are being sacrificed. (Amos 8:9-10)
There is a great earthquake, the veil in the Temple is torn in two and the graves of the Firstfruits are opened. (Matthew 27:51-52)
When Jesus dies on Passover, we can start the clock for the Sign of Jonah to be fulfilled. In 72 hours Jesus would rise just before sundown of the weekly Sabbath and be ready to present Himself to the Father as the First Fruit of those from the dead. (I Corinthians 15:20) This First Fruits offering was always done after the conclusion of the Sabbath. (Leviticus 23:11)
Jesus truly is the fulfillment of these Feast Days with their sacrifices, which was the shadow of good things to come. Hebrews 10:1.
