Jesus’ Death: The Most Significant Event in Human History
The death and resurrection of Jesus are arguably the two most significant events in human history. While the resurrection has been a much-debated topic, Jesus’ death has been relatively well accepted by scholars. The question of when Jesus died has been studied extensively and is associated with a variety of complicated calendar issues. In this article, we will explore the question of what day Jesus died.
The Crucifixion of Jesus
The general consensus among historians and theologians is that Jesus was crucified at some point during the Passover. This festival combines elements of the Jewish and Christian faiths and celebrates their respective understandings of liberation. Since Passover is celebrated at different times in different years, calculating when Jesus died can be quite difficult. That said, the most widely accepted view is that Jesus was crucified on the afternoon of Friday, April 3, in the year 33 A.D. This date is arrived at by extrapolating backward from the known date of Passover and the Christian understanding of Easter.
Evidence to Support This Date
Though there is no direct evidence to support the date of April 3, 33 A.D., there is a great deal of circumstantial evidence that lends credence to the idea. First, the Gospels of Mark, Matthew, and Luke all record that Jesus was crucified on the day before Passover. The only way that this could be interpreted as the Friday afternoon before Passover is with the understanding of the traditional Jewish calendar. Furthermore, the Gospel of John records that Jesus died three hours prior to the beginning of Passover. If one were to extrapolate this information, the conclusion would be that Jesus died during the afternoon of the Friday before Passover in the year 33 A.D.
Conclusion
The exact date of Jesus’ death is not known for certain, but the general consensus is that he died on the afternoon of Friday, April 3, in the year 33 A.D. This understanding of the date is arrived at by interpreting the four Gospels in light of the traditional Jewish calendar. Though this does not offer absolute certainty, the totality of evidence does lend credence to the idea that Jesus died on April 3, 33 A.D.